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The impact of telecoms on human behaviourPosted By Tawanda Chihota On September 9, 2009 @ 1:45 pm In Issue 12 July/August 2009 | 1Comment

Do you know this guy? He uses an MMS barcode as a boarding pass to check-in, uses his mobileto remotely access his PC at home while he is away on business, does mobile banking but doesnot have a real world bank account, and uses his mobile GPS to find his way around a city he hasnever been to before. Who is this guy? He is the digital consumer of today and he is not allGeneration Y either. This guy is everywhere, claims Abdul Karim, strategy director of Luciola DDB

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Abdul Karim suggests that Baby Boomers are embracingtechnology 20 times faster than the younger generation and thusthe presence of technophobes is set to diminish over time

Technology is impacting everyone. Computer power is8,000 times cheaper than it was 30 years ago. Thereare now some communities on the web that are biggerthan significant countries. Mobile as a technology hasbeen adopted by more people than any othertechnology ever has and the statistics are astounding.At this rate, 80 per cent of the world will carry a mobilephone in five year’s time thereby creating a US$1

trillion industry.

What is happening? Mobile and web are changing human behaviour and leading to a way of livingnever anticipated. Let us consider five key directional changes in human behaviour caused by theconvergence of communication technology. While these behavioural changes are being led bycutting-edge users and early adopters, we are also seeing some profound changes at thecommon level in the poorest of countries.

Five key changes to human behaviour

Indigivuality – Digital technology is enabling people to be more individualistic. Why is individualityso important for people in the first place? It is driven by the need to feel significant. Expressingoneself uniquely makes people feel important and distinct. While the idea of individuality is age-old the drive towards individuality today is manifesting itself in a number of ways across allaspects of life, and is now primarily driven by the web. Generation Y is growing up in a world ofsocial media (blogs, Facebook, and so on). Expressing themselves digitally is the preferredchoice. Media has compounded this need even further. Reality shows like American Idol andBritain’s Got Talent are encouraging people to embrace who they are and bring out whatevermakes them unique.

Online marketers from all industries such as Threadless Tees, Reebok, Blue Nile andmyDNAfragrance.com are relying on Indigivuality. Similarly mobile phones too have become asymbol of individuality and taste, from the handset to the ringtones to the personal accessories inwhich people invest. Indigivuality is a phenomenon that can only grow as communicationtechnology becomes more and more pervasive.

Instaneity – Digital technology is enabling people to live life “here & now”. Technology is spoilingus to a point that we want everything this very moment. Instant gratification is the norm not theexception anymore and this is leading to significant changes in behaviour. There are no firm plansanymore. Everything is on-the-go, fluid and changeable. Web searches are taking Instaneity to awhole new level. With mobile Internet access to information when you need it, people as well asbusinesses are able to take advantage of immediacy and location. New kinds of codingtechnologies work with mobile phone cameras and can be used to unlock a world of possibilitiesinstantly. All of this is changing user expectations in the real world. Attention spans are becomingshorter and shorter. “Snail mail” and email are no longer enough; we want nothing less thaninstant messaging. We want to be always in touch, always switched on. [2]

Technology is empowering individuals to take control of their lives and is extending beyond the affluent segments of

society. It is impacting healthcare in places like Africa and SoutheastAsia for example

Virtunity – Virtual communities enabled throughtechnology. They are driven by the human need tobelong, to be a part of a community. Technology isfuelling this need and bringing people together in newerways not seen before and this phenomenon is trulyglobal. From social networking to multiplayer gaming to3D virtual worlds, Virtunity is changing how people liveand interact with each other. A number of things thatused to be done offline are now being done with someoneelse online. As a direct result gaming has become a hugeindustry. Today some 200 million people log on worldwide to play interactive computer games.The desire to escape is another driver behind this as many enthusiasts spend numerous hoursplaying games online. 3D virtual communities like Second Life (SL) are other examples of howpeople are connecting with each other. With over 1.5 million active users alone SL is like a virtualcountry with an economy of its own.

Techpowered – Digital technologies are empowering individuals to take control of their lives.Driven by individuals’ desire for a sense of control over their lives, technology is enablingindividuals to achieve more things with greater effectiveness. Today an individual can collaboratewith others across continents seamlessly. The rules of the work place are changing. Organisationsare moving from structure-based to knowledge-based setups. Techpowered organisations aredoing everything from content creation, project management, knowledge management and evenprofessional networking using Web 2.0.Business is being conducted online. Techpowered is alsomaking a big impact on non-profit organisations. Digital Technologies are enabling individuals tocontribute and make a difference in all areas of life. It is reaching more people and makingparticipation easy for everyone. This is going beyond the affluent segments of society.Techpowered is impacting healthcare in places like Africa and Southeast Asia in a significant way.Technology is leap-frogging traditional ways of doing simple things like mobile banking.

Techvoidance – Avoid using digital technology for as long as possible and only use it when thereis really no other alternative. Interestingly enough, there is conversely a new set of people who,despite all these developments and innovations, are shunning these ways and sticking totradition. They are the late adopters who view the world today as a chaotic and confused mess.They are driven by simplicity and would shy away from anything remotely complicated. As aprofile, Techvoiders are primarily older, less educated and lower in income. This does not implythat all old people or people like our parents are Techvoiders. Baby Boomers are embracingtechnology 20 times faster than the younger generation. Therefore in the long-run Techvoiderswill be a rarity.

So what are the implications of these changes?

Constant evolution in the way we live as with the concept of “fluid planning” or planning while inthe midst of implementing. In the past, we had to be precise with our schedules to meetsomeone and had to make sure we were there. There was no such thing as “last minute” unlessthere was an emergency. Today that is the way things are done regularly.

This article was contributed by Abdul Karim, strategy director of Luciola DDB

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