The Future Is Decentralized and DIY
If you frequently look toward the future, you may experience the uncomfortable juxtaposition of two opposing perspectives. You have the pessimist view that certain systems are unsustainable and heading for a crash and the optimist view that new and better systems are just around the corner. There is reason to feel hopeful. These seemingly contradicting perspectives are often just two sides of the same trend. The future is clearly moving toward decentralization and do-it-yourself solutions enabled by technology. That is not great news for the old centralized systems, but it is incredibly good news for the people finding a better way to do things.
Personal Wellness and Health Care
Most people are now familiar with wearable devices that help you monitor objective measures of your health and well-being and use this information to make decisions in real-time. With connected scales, wearable devices that measure physical activity, heart rate, and even blood oxygenation, and apps that can combine this data with user input about diet, water intake, and emotional well-being, you can make the informed decision to drink more water, go to bed on time, and practice daily meditation without waiting for an expert to tell you.
The trend of decentralization extends beyond DIY wellness, as tech is beginning to revolutionize the medical industry. Bill Malloy San Diego writes often about trends in healthcare technology. He points out that during the pandemic, the need to reduce the frequency of in-office visits led to new developments in telehealth. For example, wearable electrocardiogram (ECG) tech allowed patients with heart arrhythmia to monitor their heart rhythms and relay the data directly to their doctors. The trend toward greater self-monitoring and reduced need to travel to centralized healthcare facilities shows no sign of slowing.
Business Structure
The pandemic also caused everyone to question the need to go into the office at all. For many companies, enabling employees to work from anywhere reduced costs to both the company and the employee. At the same time, the technology that enables employees to collaborate in real-time even when they live on different continents promotes a decentralized process where everyone has ownership in the vision and determines for themselves how best to move it forward.
DIY Home
Another recent development that accelerated a trend toward decentralization is reduced travel, combined with supply chain disruptions. Social media has made it easier than ever to find and share information many people forgot they needed, like how to build a chicken coop, how to sew your own clothes, or which of your neighbors has the tools and skills to repair your front gate. At the same time, 3-D printing everything from prosthetic limbs to furniture gives the internet-connected homesteader access to a wide array of tools.
Finance
The world of decentralized finance is so new it is difficult to predict the paths it will take. As with all of these trends, consumers are now empowered by technology that gives them more control over how, when, and where they will make transactions. It isn’t yet known what this means for centralized finance – to what degree will they get involved, and to what degree will they become obsolete? Time will tell, but one thing is certain. The future is increasingly decentralized and DIY.