Commentary

87% See Technology As Today's Biggest Driver Of Change

Good or bad, technology drives change.

It turns out that most adults see technology as the biggest driver of change -- and think that’s a good thing.

These are among the findings in the seventh annual trends report by Ford, which examines the drivers of behavioral change around the world through a survey of 13,000 adults, conducted by Harris Insights and Analytics for Ford.

The majority (87%) of adults say technology is the biggest driver of today’s change and 79% say that technology is a force for good.

That doesn’t mean that consumers like all the change that comes about due to technology. For example, 69% of millennials would like to undo some behavioral changes that occurred because of technology. Likewise, for 68% of those in Gen Z, 62% of Gen X and 53% of boomers.

Many consumers also have some thoughts on artificial intelligence. The majority (57%) of both Gen Z-ers and millennials say artificial intelligence will be stronger than the human mind within 10 years.

However, nearly half (48%) of women and 39% of men say they don’t really understand artificial intelligence and 44% of women and 38% of men say they’re afraid of it.

Despite the flood of technology hitting the market, many consumers seem quite aware of the potential downsides.

For example, 69% say they should have mandatory timeouts from their devices, 76% say they should do more to exercise self-care and 45% say they envy people who can disconnect from their devices.

But then again, some people are pretty wedded to their tech devices.

A quarter (25%) of Gen Z-ers and millennials say they would rather lose their ability to smell than give up their device.

3 comments about "87% See Technology As Today's Biggest Driver Of Change".
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  1. Ed Papazian from Media Dynamics Inc, May 28, 2019 at 9:33 a.m.

    Most of the people who respond to this type of study have little or no grasp of the issues let alone an real idea about what constitutes each of the many  new "tech" developments that are being so widely touted. So, naturally, 87% see "technology" as the biggest "driver of change"---whetever that means. Just wondering, what came in second-----"social media"?

  2. R MARK REASBECK from www.USAonly.US , May 28, 2019 at 10:09 p.m.

    A quarter (25%) of Gen Z-ers and millennials say they would rather lose their ability to smell than give up their device


    Sense of smell is not the only thing they have lost........Common Sense is gone when
    an electronic device controls your life  to that point.  So , yes the under 40 crowd is the 87% who sees technology as the biggest driver of change because it's already changed their lives  to an abnormal disconnect from any REAL social interaction.

    I know I'm in the minority, but just because you can develop it, doesn't mean it's better for society.  I'm in the building materials sales business.  Our suppliers don't want to print  catalogs anymore  ($$$?)  .  it takes 10 times longer to try and show people comparrison products on a screen than it does to thumb through a catalog, not to mention, when you thumb through the pages, people can stop to see other products.  going through 26 screens to get to anothger product is NOT driving the kind of change that makes sense.

    They also want you to order "on line", submit all their product codes, so they don't have to have order entry  people.  We refuse to do that. We Fax or e-mail our orders, and they can figure out the codes.

    Going down, kickin & Screamin' !!

  3. James Smith from J. R. Smith Group, May 29, 2019 at 9 a.m.

    Ed, whatever came in second is certainly not the collective of people we elect to public
    office at the national level.  It does give you pause, doesn't it, that possibly the tech in a room can better decision than the adults?  

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