The launch of Disney+ and the discussion about the amount of money some people are spending on their various streaming services really makes us realise how digital everything is. But, just how have we slowly migrated towards a digital way of conducting our affairs?
Finances
A range of different venues across the country are going cashless and most people don’t even notice. Why? Because they are already rarely using cash and opting for card payments instead. Some people don’t even take their cards with them, using the Apple and Samsung Pay options on their phones. Banking has become digital – with banks such as First Direct not having physical branches, and banks such as Monzo helping to revolutionize how we see our finances. The ability to digitally track our spending and work out where most of our money goes enables us to reconsider our finances and enact meaningful changes in our lives. The digital way of handling money means that it is faster and usually safer with extra encryption. Technology companies are working on ways to make the digital way of conducting finances even better.
Gaming
Gaming has largely been digital since the 1990s, but traditional games such as Monopoly and Scrabble are now mainly played online. The craze for mobile app Words with Friends proved just how popular Scrabble could be if we played it at our own pace on our phones. Even scratch cards have received the digital treatment to appeal to a new audience and bring the idea of scratch cards to the modern-day. With a variety of different content themes behind them, players have a choice. Will you choose Bingo Scratch Cards or regular Scratch Cards? Some are themed around Deal or No Deal or Goldenballs, while others take their themes from other aspects of popular culture, such as Ancient Egypt or the Wild, Wild West. The digitisation of traditionally analogue games is just another step forward for technology.
Life Admin
Our life admin has also become increasingly digitised. To-do lists and calendars are easy to manage and view across devices, syncing work meetings and important dates so that we feel on top of our schedules. Sleep apps help us drift off at the right time and monitor how good our rest is, while meditation apps have even digitised how we relax and find our zen. There are apps to plan our journeys and to remove us from unwanted email marketing lists. There are apps that help us remember passwords for all other sites and apps that help us track how we spend our time in order to maximise our enjoyment.
Teachers used to tell students that they needed to learn complex equations and formulae because they wouldn’t have a calculator on them at all times. How wrong they were. The digital age has proven how much time and effort has been saved through digital means. Whether this is how we conduct the minutiae of our lives, how we address our finances, or how we relax and escape into the world of gaming. Technology keeps on improving and our lives keep getting more streamlined. It makes you wonder what excuse is given for learning the quadratic formula now.
