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Is the Convenience of Technology Worth the Security Risks?

Is the Convenience of Technology Worth the Security Risks?

J. Walker Smith

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For all the hand-wringing people do about the evils of digital devices and technologies, we can’t forget the convenience they afford us.

Unplugging is the new craze, but few people are actually leaving technology behind. Nor deep down does anybody really want to. Technology delivers what people want most: convenience.

The century-long arc of the modern consumer marketplace has been an uninterrupted trajectory toward ever greater convenience. Retail is easier than ever to transact. Products are easier to use. Experiences are easier to enjoy. Almost everything difficult has fallen by the wayside, and whatever remains will be supplanted soon enough as well.

There is almost no benefit so worthwhile that consumers are willing to put up with greater inconvenience to get it. Even if a value proposition works that way initially, the first thing that competitors do is swoop in to offer the same benefit at greater convenience. Convenience is the ultimate trump card.

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J. Walker Smith is chief knowledge officer for brand and marketing at Kantar Consulting and co-author of four books, including Rocking the Ages. Follow him on Twitter at @jwalkersmith.​