MacDirectory magazine is the premiere creative lifestyle magazine for Apple enthusiasts featuring interviews, in-depth tech reviews, Apple news, insights, latest Apple patents, apps, market analysis, entertainment and more.
Issue link: https://digital.macdirectory.com/i/1451520
According to recent McKinsey research, 2021 was a year of transformation: people, corporations and society began to look ahead to influencing their futures rather than just surviving the present. It was the year that premature hopes for herd immunity, an end to pandemic lockdowns, and a return to normality were dashed – at least for now. But aside from the Great Social Media Resignation, during which burnt-out Gen Z workers quit their jobs on TikTok and Instagram, the rise of non fungible tokens (NFTs), and the introduction of the metaverse, the world’s space-going billionaires were as wealthy and productive in business and technology as ever. While it’s hard to make accurate predictions in the unpredictable environment we’ve been experiencing over the last two years, the year ahead will bring many surprises. Here are six digital trends that will influence life in 2022. 1. Social media: more privacy, quality and algorithm tweaks Platforms will concentrate on privacy and content quality in feeds. Despite recent public criticism, Facebook is likely to grow members as well as revenues. With an eye on privacy and content quality, all major social media platforms will likely have updated their privacy policies and tweaked their algorithms by the end of 2022. Due to the demand for strong, engaging content, a new tribe of creative influencers will grow rapidly and make a big impact on branding and engagement. Thanks to the growing popularity of short-form video content, Instagram and TikTok are likely to witness a rise in ad expenditure in 2022 and Instagram will continue to grow beyond its 50% ad revenue share. Underutilised social media marketing components like customer service and relationship management will soon thrive on these platforms. 2. Enter the metaverse: from 2D to 3D web Mark Zuckerberg announced a brand name change to “Meta” in October 2021, indicating Facebook’s wish to shape the metaverse transformation. The term refers to the possibilities of virtual and augmented reality. Some call it a virtual shared space accessible through VR headsets, AR glasses or smartphone apps. Users may interact, socialise, explore and create content in the virtual environment, and monetise their virtual transactions using blockchain technology and cryptocurrency. The metaverse (or 3web) is intrinsically linked to NFTs and cryptocurrencies, which commercialise interactions by creating or selling digital artefacts. In 2022, 3web is expected to be a big commercial issue and is backed by major brands including Nike, Adidas, Gucci, Prada, Puma, Microsoft and others. 3. Acceleration of crypto & NFT growth The use of non-fungible tokens (NFTs) increased in 2021 and will continue to in 2022. A new value exchange mechanism in the global online economy, NFTs have changed the value and function of all digital assets and artworks. From a temporary fad to a new economy, NFTs have created what the Harvard Business Review calls “digital deeds”. In the digital realm, NFTs are unique assets that can be bought and sold like any other. Tokenisation is the process of converting a significant piece of data, such as an account number, into a random string of characters known as a token that, if compromised, has no meaningful