Technology has been an aspect of life that has been evolving along with humanity since the early development of stone tools three million years ago.
In his 2024 book Wise Animals, British author Tom Chatfield explains how evolutionary scientists have been researching the co-evolution of Home sapiens and technology since the late 20th century, and he points to our current relationship with smartphones as an example.
Many people feel that some of their resourceful cognitive abilities are limited when their smartphone batteries run out. This happens because we are accustomed to using smart mobile devices to enhance or outsource cognitive tasks. This is fascinating to evolutionary scientists because technology allows them to record real-time observations of cognitive evolution.
Technology innovation is surely changing our daily lives, and it is also shaping our evolutionary paths. With this in mind, let’s look at some aspects of daily life that are being revolutionised by technology.
Transportation and Getting Around London
When the Congestion Charge was introduced in 2003, plate recognition cameras collected the toll road charges from drivers who registered by phone. The mechanism has not changed much, but the registration and payment processes have become far more efficient. What has changed significantly is the advanced marking and signalling of the routes leading drivers to Central London; the change makes adaptive driving systems such as Tesla AutoPilot and Ford BlueCruise safer and more autonomous.
Londoners who ride the Tube now use the mobile TfL Go and Oyster apps to pay for their fares and manage their commute. Other apps like Trainline provide up-to-date information on delays, disruptions, and alternative routes. Then you have personal transportation services such as Lime Micromobility for hiring e-scooters.
Personal Finance
Traditional banks such as Barclays, HSBC, and NatWest provide solid apps for mobile banking, but they are now competing with Monzo, Revolut, and others that provide an alternative banking experience. Major digital wallets such as Apple Pay, Google Pay, and PayPal are also becoming popular in London and across the UK.
Healthcare
NHS England has been implementing various telehealth and telecare solutions to improve their patient care services. For patients with chronic conditions that require long-term care, remote consultations with doctors and specialists are becoming more common; this strategy is at the heart of various NHS projects that have featured wearable health devices.
Not all NHS patients benefiting from telemedicine live with long-term conditions. In West Yorkshire, the Airedale General Hospital has been able to reduce admissions and improve workflows through telehealth programmes focused on acute care. When this initiative launched in 2014, patients were given set-top boxes equipped with the Cisco Jabber unified communications platform to establish video links; these days, the connections can be established through the NHS app.
Shopping Experiences
The digital transformation of daily life is more visible through the retail shopping experience. From traditional high-street shops to online marketplaces, technology is revolutionising the way Londoners get their goods and personal services. Mobile shopping is now available from Amazon to ASOS and from Harrods to Selfridges; in recent years, mobile shopping apps have been upgraded to allow customers to browse collections, make purchases, and book personal shopping appointments.
Social media is where many shoppers in London begin their retail journey. Instagram and TikTok have become powerful shopping channels where brands and influencers showcase products through engaging content. This trend is prompting more social networks to implement e-commerce features like the new TikTok Shop, which allows users to make purchases directly within the app.
Work and Education
The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work in London and around the UK. After the lockdown restrictions were lifted, many London-based companies implemented flexible work arrangements for remote employees. Thus far, the increased productivity, improved work-life balance, and reduced commuting times for many workers have prompted more companies to explore remote work schemes that take advantage of tools such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Slack.
Thanks to the rise of online education and e-learning, UK residents can access a broad range of courses and certifications designed for students of all ages and backgrounds. Many schools are also implementing virtual classrooms for remote education; this initiative has proven useful during periods of inclement weather, particularly to promote the continuity of the learning curriculum.
All in all, the prevalence of technology in our daily lives will continue to evolve in the direction of co-evolution. We are currently at the stage of understanding how technology aligns with human development; the next stages should involve how we should optimise the alignment.