We talked about technology determinism or social constructionism this week at my class in Teachers College. Personally, I am in the middle state even tend to technology determinism. If we all firmly believe that it's the social and culture that defines the human's behavior, there will be no spirit or passion towards the technology innovation. But in reality, the innovation of technology changes human's behavior and cognition system to some degree.
If a business empire fails to maintain the spirit of innovation and the right business strategy, it will collapse under the brutal competition of the market. The failure of Kodak and Nokia is a good example. When Nokia was still immersed in the dream of traditional keypad phones, it was left behind by the era of touchscreen technology. While we are still debating the pros and cons of touchscreen phones, Samsung has begun to overhaul its former products and seize the market share of the smartphone. The technology simple innovation could change human's behavior and further change the fate of one company.
In the era of rapid development of science and technology, being content with one’s current situation is the killer of tech companies. We need to always be critical of our products, focus on the demand of the market and the users, seize the customer’s pain points, and give the products they want before they even ask. It will be too late if we let the users or the society tell us what they need. If an innovative product could have the influence or changes in customers' behavior in a subtle way, it will eventually become a necessity for the customer in their daily lives. Such products can hardly be eliminated by the market. Apple is a good example. They always have the futuristic and innovative products, which gives us a whole new experience that we never expected before. Jobs said that people do not know what they want until you give it to them. Of course, the humanized design requires a great deal of data analysis, user feedbacks and the full understanding of user behaviors. Social needs is an important factor when innovating a technology product. In another word, social factors could affect the development of technology.
Reformation can create new opportunities to attract more users. Don't be afraid that new products will affect the market share of the former products. iPad as an entry-level product of Apple. It attracted a lot of users who can not afford Mac and lowers the threshold of mobile products. When users of iPad get used to Apple’s user interface and experience, they will naturally consider the higher-end Mac products for their next purchase. It has, in some ways, cultivated a large number of consumer groups for Mac by changing their behavior in a subtle way.
A company that does not willing to reform will be eliminated by other innovative companies. The society always needs a stimulation by new technology creations. Rather than setting limitation for ourselves, we should have a large pattern and advanced ideas, and always keep the beginner's mind. This week's reading of "The Reader-to-leader framework: Motivating technology-mediated social participation" demonstrates that people can change their status or behavior based on the function of websites. A small change in technology could make a big difference in society. If you are willing to take the bold risk, who knows the future will not be yours?
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