Why we’re thankful for tech

It’s clear that technology has changed the world as we know it. Today, the way we communicate and interact with each other is different. Technology has also altered the way we shop, browse through products and even reach out to brands.

It’s estimated that 46 percent of all holiday orders in 2018, for instance, will be carried out via smartphones. Social media and mobile devices have even changed the way we share experiences. We could go on forever, really.

But something many people know less about is how technology has changed our celebrations and events over the years. When the pilgrims arrived on American shores back in 1620, they had no GPS or voice assistant to direct them to a family or friend’s house. They had no mobile devices or streaming apps to view recipes, watch tutorials or see how to cook a turkey. Heck, it was the first time they had ever even seen or heard of a turkey — smart tech certainly would have helped back then.

Today, our holidays are transformed in many ways by modern tech — from the freezers and cooking appliances used to preserve and prepare foods to the TV sets we turn on to watch the morning parade. We’ve become so dependent on it that it’s easy to take it all for granted.

Maybe this Thanksgiving, when we’re giving thanks and appreciating the many positive things in our lives, we should take a moment to consider the tech we use daily.

How Tech Changes Thanksgiving (and Other Holidays) for the Better

Before claiming that the idea of tech appreciation is preposterous, consider where we’d be without all the various solutions we have today. Without an oven, cooking tools, and modern tech, we’d never be able to prepare food the way we do. Imagine Dad using an old cleaver to chop through a turkey instead of that fancy electric carving knife. Even microwaves are revolutionary, allowing us to heat foods up in a jiffy, including leftovers — which can be preserved in a refrigerator or freezer, we might add.

Sous Vide cookers, Bluetooth thermometers, smart scales, smart assistants, Wi-Fi-enabled appliances and even smart video doorbells change the way the holidays play out. The cooking tools heat and prepare food faster. The smart home tech offers a level of support and convenience never before seen. As for the video doorbell, well, that allows Mom to answer the door from her phone without ever leaving the kitchen — how amazing is that?

A new Amazon Echo Show or Spot can display cooking tutorials right from the kitchen counter, allowing everyone else to enjoy Holiday entertainment in the living room. It can also help in many ways through Alexa, the ever-resourceful voice assistant.

Outside the home, retailers use tech to monitor customer behaviour and activities so that they can deliver better experiences to everyone. It informs them what products are in high demand and how to keep up with holiday shopping. It gives them plenty of new ideas for products and service upgrades. It even allows them to adjust accordingly by doing things like hiring more seasonal staff, purchasing more equipment and tools and repairing popular attractions.

So you see, we have a lot to be thankful for when it comes to modern tech. Maybe this Thanksgiving, you should give your devices a pat on the back — and a good power down or two.

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