Technology is everywhere. Sometimes, it drives me crazy. Sometimes, I embrace it and it makes me happy. What doesn’t make me happy is when someone tries to use technology just for the sake of using technology… Like when I watch these news channels and they try to use those large touch monitors during a live segment… it just drives me crazy.
On GMA this morning one of the anchors had a bit where she was talking about summer trends and she tried so very hard to use a giant touch/flat screen to “visualize” what she was talking about. Sorry GMA, it sucked. She swiped and the screen didn’t transition to the next screen… she kept talking then realized the screen was 3 “slides” behind so she re-said everything, again… she tried hard, oh so very hard to incorporate what technology put at her fingertips, literally, and she failed. Miserable, miserable fail. It’s not just GMA, I see this on ESPN all the time and it makes me mad! Anchor standing in front of a giant touch screen monitor explaining which collegiate point guard is going to be the right fit for which drafting team… Mr. anchor, you are doing such a good job speaking, saying words, but I have no idea what the fuck you are trying to tap/swipe/enlarge on that touchscreen of yours, so… frankly… im distracted… and im clicking to another channel…
Fact is we are all trying to grasp tech as it hits us in the face. Those who take on the responsibility of trying to show the way, well, they are not always right. If we are going to fly by the seat of our pants with innovation, for every 50 great new ideas there are going to be 49 that fail, and in some cases, badly. Failure in this sense is not a bad thing, as it will bread the next round of 50 but we need to all understand, using tech means you need a strategy.
Good or bad, there is ZERO value in using tech just to say that you are using tech. Use your brain. Use experience. Use intuition. Use strategy. That is where you’ll see that there is no sense in swiping just to say you swiped and you will find the one idea that made it.