Why technology is inhibiting us

Right now, I believe that technology is more of an inhibitor than an enhancer for many people. By that, I mean that sometimes, we don’t use technology in a way that helps us to achieve the best possible results. I can imagine that this might sound a bit strange, coming from me – having spent most of my career in technology. So why am I saying this? Because we should be more aware of the fact that we provide tools in a world during a time where those tools can be misused if not used correctly.

I’m not talking about tools like weapons or anything like that. I’m trying to allude to the fact that technology can actually inhibit our modern lifestyle and that we could put more thought into how we can contribute to our communities. More often than not, we’re glued to our phones and don’t pay half as much attention to the people around us as we should. Technology has become an addiction for many of us. It has become an enforcer of sub-optimal lifestyles and work patterns and I think that’s a challenge for our society.

To explain this in relation to IT, I like to use schools as an example. Obviously, they care a lot about security, but during the procurement process, the responsible purchaser may not be aware of what the best tools are for a classroom and how those tools are enabling teachers to teach better – and notable secure a safe IT environment for our kids. Quite often I see schools buying the cheapest equipment, just so that they can give one computer to each student. How noble that intention might be, it is not always the best way to go.

With all those computers, teachers might not able to help the children to concentrate on what happens on the whiteboard or on the subject they’re teaching. In this case, technology can be incredibly distracting.  Of course, when I was in school without a computer, I still found other ways to distract myself with my neighbour. The difference with today is we have technology that we can hide behind. That asks for a different approach and additive tools.

This is where I think our industry can contribute more. We can assist schools in finding those additive tools that help them teach better. Because now that those tools are available, they are not always used the right way. We could educate teachers about new tools that help students enhance their memory or tools that help them be more organised, like classroom management tools that can help the teacher bring the kids focus to the whiteboard, or security tools that inhibit access to various content not suited for kids. Also, imagine technology that can help teachers correct tests, so they can actually spend more time on each student’s development rather than correcting assignments.. In most cases, we are just selling them computer tough. Of course, the budget limitations of our schools are real, but as an industry, we could and should do more to advise our schools on how to use technology more efficiently and how to optimise budgets accordingly. This is not about selling more, but about helping our customers get the most out of their budgets.

Right now it’s unfortunately about getting products out there and selling as much as possible. Instead, we should encourage our customers to focus on business outcomes instead of budgets. What is it they are actually buying? And what are they trying to achieve with our technology? We should tell them: “Yes, I know that I will make money if I’m going to sell you what you’re asking me to. But that might not be what is best for you.” If we use that approach, we sell technology that enhances society. As long as we don’t challenge the status quo, we are still inhibited by technology. That’s why I propose we redefine our goals and shift our focus on how our industry can actually make a difference in our communities. I can’t think of a reason why not to. Can you?

I used the examples of schools above, but this could as easily have been our common office environments, modern health care practises, hotels or similar. Technology should be an enhancer in our daily lives, work and private – not an inhibitor!

I would love to hear your thoughts on this topic, so please feel free to share them with me.