Our society is driven by technological innovation and consumption. While many people embrace this, others…not so much. For example, 97 percent of Americans own a cell phone. Of that group, nine out of 10 are smartphone owners. As it turns out, not everyone sees the necessity in smartphones — or even advanced technology in general.
To be sure, there are many valid concerns about our current reliance on technology regarding overuse, data security, and privacy. We know that someone or something is always observing technophiles and their online activity. However, we’re also able to do things never before seen in human history. Our civilization’s collective knowledge is a mere Google search away. Business is done faster and more efficiently. We are more connected to one another than ever.
And for entrepreneurs, access to tech is often necessary. Running a business is hard work, so finding ways to streamline your workflows or take certain items off your plate can be invaluable. But if you’re a technophobic entrepreneur, you may be missing opportunities to grow your business.
Benefits
If you’re among the group of people who lack trust in technology, consider the good it has done and continues to do for our society. Here are some benefits we’ve collectively realized over the past 30-40 years.
Connection
While the use of owls as a means of communication in Harry Potter is intriguing and whimsical, it’s not very conducive to handling urgent situations. Imagine trying to assign a project with a tight deadline to your employee via owl. A windy day would send everything haywire.
This is why modern technology is so great. In fact, there’s even a video meeting product called Owl!
We live in a world where our loved ones, old friends, and coworkers are virtually only seconds away. We can reach out to anyone, anywhere, anytime. And, of course, we can find help in emergency situations much more quickly, allowing us all to experience a greater feeling of safety.
Access to Education
Parents of yore who “walked uphill both ways in a blizzard to get to school” would be astonished to see that students don’t need to strap on their snowshoes to get there today. In fact, they don’t need to go to a physical building at all.
The COVID-19 pandemic taught us that many things we do can be done from the comfort of our own homes, including education. Students of all ages, from kindergarten through grad school, were able to continue their learning through virtual classrooms even though they couldn’t attend in person.
Even outside of the pandemic, it’s easier than ever to access any type of further education we could want. In fact, Forbes estimated that 60 percent of students are enrolled in an online distance education course post-pandemic.
Professionals can take online courses to earn extra certifications or degrees to further their careers, without sacrificing the valuable hours they need to get their work done. And those who pursue knowledge as a hobby can access all of the information that the internet holds with just a few clicks.
Solutions to Problems
We face a lot of challenges, both as businesses and as individuals. Technology has helped solve a lot of those problems.
For example, not all offices have a staff member dedicated to the front desk. This may be a cost-saving choice for many businesses; but this can create issues for visitors, such as awkwardly standing in the lobby, wondering how to find the person they’re there to see.
The Receptionist for iPad is an easy way for your visitors to announce their arrival at your office. When they enter, they’re greeted by the iPad, where they can input as much or as little of their information as you’d like to collect. The employee they’re there to see will then be alerted by SMS, email, Slack or Microsoft Teams message, and/or owl. (Just kidding on that last one.)
Jobs
There’s no denying that the rapid emergence of computers in the 90s created countless jobs Suddenly, the world needed software engineers, developers, graphic designers, and more.
In 2020, the Interactive Advertising Bureau released the findings of their study on the Internet economy, which had added 17 million jobs that year. Small businesses or self-employed individuals created 38 percent of these jobs, whereas only 34 percent were created by large Internet corporations. This is because technology helps these types of businesses grow quickly and hire more employees.
While it’s true that the internet has made some functions obsolete, it has created 2.6 jobs for each one lost.
How to Overcome Your Aversion to Technology
Ask yourself, what is it about technology that makes you shudder? It could be any number of reasons:
- You don’t understand it
- You feel like it’s too hard to learn new tech
- It changes too fast to keep up with
- It’s unnecessary for your life
- You don’t trust it
No matter your specific hesitations, there are ways to address them.
Assess Your Challenges
We all face challenges in life. Some of those challenges can be solved (or lessened) by technology. Take medicine: where tech advancement now allows us to treat ailments that were impossible to fix in the past. Doctors are able to more easily perform procedures today, so that surgeries that would have required weeks of recovery in the past now take only a few days of downtime.
For lower-stakes problems, such as data tracking and managing, there are countless solutions available to us. We no longer have to sort and store thousands of documents in rooms full of filing cabinets. Instead, we can house that information securely on our computers or in the cloud (think of this like a digital filing cabinet you can access with an internet-connected device at any time, from anywhere).
Do you have an ongoing and frustrating business challenge? We guarantee there’s a solution that can address it. In fact, there are probably multiple solutions out there for each problem. You can sift through and narrow down your options using websites like Capterra or G2, which compare software solutions and gather verified user reviews of each one.
Seek to Understand
If your objection to technology is that it’s hard to learn or keep up with, consider taking a free online course that walks you through the basics of the solutions you’re looking for. Here’s an article from Coursera that details the different types of technological skills and how they can help you solve problems and advance your career, with resources for learning more.
Or, you could always see if YouTube has a helpful beginner video for the solution you’re considering.
Learn From Others
Speaking with other like-minded people who have a different tech experience level is also a good way to expand your horizons. Many technology companies use a lot of jargon to describe their solutions, so it’s helpful to have a conversation with someone who can translate that high-level jargon into real words that we can all understand.
Start Small
You don’t have to jump right into a program or app that needs a six-week course to understand. Start with something low-stakes. If you already have a smartphone, download a game or lifestyle app (like a sleep tracker or meditation assistant) where you can play around and not get yourself into too much trouble. Becoming familiar with small tools that can improve your life will help you get more comfortable with technology, showing you that it doesn’t have to be intimidating.
Final Thoughts
Well-intentioned technology is nothing to be afraid of. It helps us solve problems, creates jobs, gives us access to education, and more. For most, the benefits far outweigh any potential drawbacks.
That doesn’t mean you have to devote your whole life to technology, nor do you have to own every latest tech gadget. It’s all about finding the tools that work best for your business and solving your most frustrating problems. To learn more about how The Receptionist for iPad can help you streamline workflows at your front desk, join our next Product Tour here.
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