The digital future refers to the idea that all businesses will operate digitally in the future based on a connected interaction with every consumer, fundamentally changing how we operate and deliver value to customers.

Alongside the rapid advances in computing, robotics and artificial intelligence with machines helping us to carry out both physical and cognitive activities.

Individuals and businesses are currently building a digital future where people are always on and connected and the lines between work and personal time are even more blurred.

Living in or near a large metropolitan city where paying taxes, travelling, shopping, banking and even spending recreational time with our loved ones is often mediated by digital experiences.

What’s vital for today’s leaders is to understand the future of work has arrived and that digital experiences have never been so important in building the future of human potential.

Digital Experience & Wellbeing?

What is not clear for many business leaders is what impact the digital future has on wellbeing.

Mental Illness is becoming a leading global disability and in 2020, depression will be one of the leading disease burdens, with more than 1 in 20 people reporting moderate to severe symptoms.

Closely linked to our emotional and mental wellbeing is the convergence of technology and innovation to balance the online and offline worlds through digital wellness.

Growing grassroots movements, think tanks, governments, entrepreneurs and innovators are questioning our digital experience, implementing ethical solutions, protecting our data and promoting public awareness on protecting our attention.

There are some great public campaigns to increase our awareness for the need for digital balance #ScrollFreeSeptember and some great organisations creating positive digital experiences Common Sense Media & Digital Nutrition

Equally, internal policy changes from leading brands, including Facebook, Google and Apple are leading the way to making ethical changes to protect consumers.

It is no longer acceptable for technology to be increasingly distracting and addictive, consuming all our attention and data.

Recent, government policy changes like GDPR is governing the boundaries of data and outlining clear processes to protect consumers.

I believe there are huge opportunities for leaders who do this, and do it now, because the future is here and not one pillar exists without the other to implement ethical and moral imperatives;

• For organisations, it’s time to move digital wellness into business transformation which is all about leadership and people
• Marketers or advertisers should be creating great content and respecting consumer’s data, and
• Individual’s must take responsibility for what they are looking at and become responsible for their attention

Balancing Online & Offline Worlds

Digital wellness is an imperative part of any business transformation and having an attitude to want to create a different culture around digital experiences is a necessary skill for the future of work.

The reality remains we spend 80% of our lives at work and most of us work in a very noisy information environment where mobile devices enable us to continue working remotely.

Employees used to rail at the idea of being contactable all the time, now our desktops link us back into the office in seconds, with several messenger applications, pop up notifications and emails.

To create positive digital experiences, allocating budget to enhance our human connection is far beyond the responsibility of the CTO, CIO or person responsible for technology deployment.

The digital detox movement insists we unplug consciously, moving away from digital devices, with screen time and digital blocking applications.

However, this alone will not create a better community or protect human connection.

We must create leaders who are attuned to the impact of digital distractions and who want to create positive digital experiences.

Now is the time. The biggest challenge for a business is communicating how important it is to embed digital wellness into cultures and systems, both at home and in our workplaces.

JOMO is the first in a series of joyful events to share the love of art & making new connections. 

Wednesday 6 November 2019
6pm-9.30pm

Register

We are encouraging you to turn off your smartphone or devices and experience the joy of missing out