(Teja Gudluru)
Today’s world is increasingly reliant on technology. The widespread impact of digital tools is comparable to the last great transformation – that of the Industrial Revolution. Yet we cannot forget the prominent role of human interactions in creating a sustainable and growing connectivity.
We are entering an era where digital technology is crowding out opportunities for high-quality social interaction. Advances in technologies that allow us to work on the go, travel safely in unknown territories, and stay socially connected, have coincided with a connectedness to devices that paradoxically divide our attention between screens and face-to-face social interactions. Embracing this technology is critical, and it is also increasing the fundamental chances of human interaction. Even our educational systems are moving towards virtual learning and digital classes while keeping the glimpse of human interaction alive.
There is much that we do not yet know about the transforming nature of connectivity and interaction spurred by the digital revolution. So let’s have a look at a few of the digital tools that don’t compromise on human interaction-
Personal assistants
For most of us, the ultimate luxury would be an assistant who always listens to your call, anticipates your every need, and takes action when necessary. That opulence is now available, thanks to AI-based assistants, aka voice assistants. With personal assistants like Siri and Alexa, people are interacting with imitations of humans. These interactions are almost entirely newly-constructed, not replacements of human interactions, but simply a step ahead.
Voice assistants are not to be puzzled with virtual assistants, which are people who work remotely and can, therefore, handle all kinds of tasks. Rather, voice assistants are technology-based. As voice assistants become more robust, their value in both the personal human interactivity and business realms will grow as well.
Social media
Technology brought us the internet, which is the ideal opportunity for human connection. It brings people together professionally, through social media. How does social media alters interaction in our society? Will face-to-face communication eventually diminish because of these recent social technologies. These questions are ones that several scholars have found extremely intriguing since the inception and popularization of social media in the last decade.
In reality, social media can create real connections, (believe it or not), and even empowers us to sustain relationships from huge physical distances. The revolution of social media has enabled people to rekindle friendships and gain new interests.
Social media increased human interactions by opening up new channels of communication between people who share a common interest, between businesses and their customers, and between artists and their fans. Regarding the profound human connections that families and friends used to share only in person or through personal calls and letters, social media has only enhanced them.
E-learning and interactivity
In today’s era, where enhanced performances rely upon learning, eLearning and interactivity become vital. They are the real “thought trade” amongst students, and eLearning tools enable engagement and dynamic learning.
Interactivity in eLearning can work marvelously for syllabuses. At the point when students interact in an online platform, dynamic learning happens. It can also help to create an active environment in which students not only solve problems but also find their own problems. This approach to learning is very different from the typical school classrooms, which is mainly dependent on rote learning.
It is one of the best ways used to facilitate human interactions in learning environments. They allow asynchronous communication among the students as well as between the students and the instructor. It is one means of allowing students to communicate without the time and place limits, and to post questions as well as share their opinions and queries as they interact with others.
Live Streaming Changes the Conversation
You must have noticed the recent surge in Live Streaming on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. The trend is quickly catching fire. Our news feeds are no longer just static images, it also consists of live video feeds of events, Q&As and simply friends hanging out! Comments come up in real-time and like icons fly throughout the screen. It gives an amazing, intimate view into another person or brand’s world with an empathetic quality.
We all know usually vitality isn’t buttoned up all nice and tidy – Live Streaming taps into this truth. You feel a tone of honesty, which is more relatable and draws you in. Watching a live view inherently brings you closer to their experience and interacting in real-time creates a context of action. Brands are nowadays using this new medium to build better relationships with their customers. Sure, there’s nothing wrong with scripting a live stream somewhat, as it will still likely be an authentic look at strengthening human interactions.
Conclusion
The human side of relations in this tech-orientated industry can never be replaced, however digital tools do have the ability to bridge gaps when used correctly. It has greatly improved communication worldwide and generated some amazing ways of connecting humans. We need to better understand how it impacts our society and ourselves individually. Many of these technologies could bring tremendous benefits. Digitization is not “bad” or “good,” it “is” how we use it.
(Founder & CEO, UDo-now)