As consumers, we’ve become fixated on technology—or more specifically, hardware. While apps and other software can be exciting and revolutionary—it’s the hardware, the glasses, smartphones, and wearables that get consumers to sleep on sidewalks and participate in fierce Internet debates.
Internet Addiction
An interesting story caught my attention recently: Google Glass users are being treated for Internet addiction. Addictions to technology have been divisively debated by psychologists and are not formally recognized in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, but they seem to be popping up all over the world.
What does a technology addiction look like? Extended hours of use (think: 18+ hours), and feelings of irritability or anger when not using the device or service, as well as other symptoms like repeated phantom movements. In the case of the Google Glass story, the patient repeatedly tapped his right temple even when the device was not present.
Too Much of a Good Thing?
Technology and software continue to grow at rates far out of our control. Many advancements have made life easier, saved lives, and arguably increased quality of life. But when do these advancements begin to hinder how we approach everything we do in a day? Walk down any city street or take public transportation and you are sure to see more than half the people around you with their heads down, immersed in their smartphones. I’ll venture to take it even further—most of them likely have ear buds plugged in, too. Will there come a day when no one asks for directions on the street, bus drivers don’t say hello, and restaurant servers only bring orders placed on tableside devices?
If that day comes, will it be even harder to connect with your customers? Or we will use technological advancement as a positive? With a superior user experience, really fast response, and the kind of knowledge only software can supply, we believe you can actually take it to the next level by “Turning Customers Into Fans.”
