How has technology changed Christmas?
Technology has skyrocketed within the last 100 years, from the first radio broadcasts (BBC) in 1922 which was based only in London during the war, to now, nearly 100 years later we have global advances such as artificial intelligence. It’s safe to say that technology has really changed the world in every aspect of our lives… As it is that time of the year let’s talk about technology’s effect on Christmas! Your wish lists When we talk about technology, we are talking about the idea that the large majority of people are wishing for new devices this Christmas, a running trend during the festive season, whether that is the new PS5, the new FlatScreen TV or the latest Apple product. But, we are also talking about the idea of machine learning and algorithms, it is said that by 2024 Google and Facebook will know more about what our families, friends and colleagues want for Christmas than we do… How? Facebook and Google will have the ability to use big data to analyse user algorithms and generate automated present lists which can be governed by a pre-set budget and will also ensure that people don’t get the same presents twice. Unique presents Customisation has become so sophisticated, whether it is a personalised book, shoes or even clothes, robotics have enabled pretty much anything you can think of to be tailor made… Unique presents for everyone!! Tired of having to send these unique presents? 3D printing could mean the end of posting Christmas gifts as all we would need to do is email and app/code to our loved one for the printer to then create their present in their own home. This is a very crazy thought and will create a brand-new economy of Christmas gift designers as they would either have to sell you the physical presents straight off the shelf or via a customised 3D printer code for you to then forward on to the recipient. Christmas decorations The tradition of Christmas lights all began in the early 1880’s when Edward Johnson put the first strand of electric holiday lights on his Christmas tree and presented them in the window of his parlour for those passing by to enjoy, this strand was made up of around 80 red and blue lights powered by a generator. Within 50 years, electric holiday lights were mass produced and had become an established annual tradition. When we look at modern Christmas it includes smart homes, smart lighting, high-tech trees and decorations, these all having abilities to be controlled by smart devices. It may seem like we are living in the future already but what does the future really hold for Christmas? A 3D holographic Christmas tree? Or a smart home that decorates itself? With new technologies continuously advancing, the future of the festive season could look very different…
