Predicting the next big internet trend is more challenging than finding a needle in a haystack. Technology and our online behaviour are developing so rapidly that any prognosis about what the future may hold will most likely be futile. However, by looking at where we are now, we can at least distinguish where we are heading within a few areas.
Let’s look at a few ongoing trends that could pick up even more pace in the coming years.
The gamification continues
Gamification is the phenomenon of using elements from video games in a context that isn’t necessarily connected to gaming. We’ve seen many online businesses adopt the concept with great success in the last couple of years. For example, within the world of igaming, creating incentives in the form of bonuses and rewards inspired by video games has become a must to compete.
The world of igaming has naturally been a pioneer in gamification because of the field’s kinship to video games. However, that particular industry is far from alone in embracing the concept.
From e-commerce to news outlets, everyone seems to have grasped the value of gamification. Common elements used by websites today include different point systems, the chance to earn badges, the ability to create profiles and avatars, and performance graphs in various forms.
At this point, all signs suggest that gamification in various forms will continue in the coming years. Engaging consumers on your website, no matter what business you are in, has become essential to generate interest and clicks, and gamification is now a proven way of stimulating the consumer.
The boom for extended reality could be around the corner
Virtual reality (VR) has been hailed as the next big thing many times throughout the last couple of years, without getting its big breakthrough. Could it be that the big VR boom is finally happening in the near future? Maybe. The VR devices are indeed becoming increasingly more convenient to use, which very well could lead to people giving them a chance.
Whether VR gets its big break or not, augmented reality in its different forms is rapidly becoming an integral part of our everyday lives. From navigation to learning and onwards to the filters we use when snapping selfies for social media – extended reality is here to stay. It will most likely play an increasingly important role in our lives.
AI and datafication
Today, it’s all about collecting data. We have all heard the (sometimes frightening) stories about how our lives are tracked. Businesses monetised information about our online behaviour like never before and the importance of all that data.
There are a lot of legitimate worries about the extent to which we are being monitored on the internet. Still, all the collected data could also lead to some fascinating advances. There are constant strides in areas such as language processing and machine vision, and the ocean of data is used to further develop artificial intelligence (AI).
Gamification, extended reality, and the increasing use of AI technology are established IT trends that we, with most certainty, will see continue to grow in the next couple of years. Several other interesting trends are also worth following, such as the rise of NFTs, cryptocurrencies, etc.
HT
