You Will Never Have to Toast the New Year Alone
Technology has drastically changed the way we live our lives, including how we celebrate the holidays. Smartphones, social media, email, digital music, online shopping, apps and other technologies are putting a high-tech twist on century-old traditions central to the Christmas, New Year’s and other cherished holidays.
As of April 2020, nearly 4.6 billion people—59 percent of the world’s population—were active internet users, with China, India and the U.S. ranking ahead all other countries (Statista, June 2020). For many people, it would be virtually impossible to manage the holidays without high-tech gadgets and digital services.
A High-Tech New Year’s Eve
New Year’s Eve is one of the most looked forward events in the world. Most countries do something special to mark the end and start of the year. Some people gather with family and friends, while others travel far to attend the biggest festivals and parties in the world.
Several technologies come in handy when celebrating New Year’s Eve:
- Smartphones: These convenient, portable gadgets are equipped with voice and video calling, internet access, texting, social media apps (allowing users to communicate with a few or a million friends and followers at once), high quality cameras, and the capability of broadcasting and streaming live video.
- HDTV: Watching spectacular fireworks displays, the Time Square ball drop, and other New Year’s Eve events on high-definition television enables audiences to feel as though they’re in the midst of the action.
- Internet and Laptops: Why stick to one amazing fireworks show or fabulous club party when you can stream multiple shows as they’re happening live in numerous cities and countries throughout the world.
- Digital music: What’s New Year’s Eve without music? A fail. In the past, we needed vinyl records, cassettes, compact discs and their corresponding players in order to enjoy our favorite party music, or we could make do with the music choices of local radio stations. Today, you can listen to any music you like, anytime, anywhere via portable MP3 players, satellite radio and online music streaming services. The quality is unmatched, and the choices are endless.
Another holiday that has been significantly altered by technology is Christmas.
Not Your Parents’ Christmas
Fun parties, time with family and friends, shopping and gifting, festive decorations, annual letters, music, dancing, delicious food and a torrent of drinks—the basics may stay the same, but how we do it has changed dramatically in recent years.
Christmas Cards
Christmas cards have been a tradition in the U.S. for many generations, starting with beautifully crafted homemade cards and followed by printed cards for most of the 20th century. Then came the internet and smartphones, and with that came first emails, then e-cards, then texts and social media. Today, we can easily and quickly wish everyone we know happy holidays with a single Facebook post. Ironically, although most people say they still prefer to receive traditional cards to e-greetings, just as many say they’d rather not go through the trouble of buying, writing and mailing cards. The environment likes it, too.
Holiday Shopping
Gift-giving and the holidays go hand in hand. Holiday shopping has never been easier or more convenient. We don’t have to spend days at the mall or go through thick catalogs hunting for gifts weeks or months in advance. Online shopping offers customers countless of options and benefits. They can browse numerous products, compare features and prices, use apps to find the best deals, earn rewards, checkout promptly using a variety of payment options and discount codes, and arrange for delivery to any address. No driving around town, no crowded parking lots, no walking from store to store, no checkout lines—you can shop from your recliner or the beach.
Video-Call Celebrations
Technology can bring people together despite large distances, the increasing cost of travel and pandemics. Video chat services such as Skype, FaceTime and Zoom allow us to connect with loved ones in real time during the holidays. We can share a toast when the clock strikes midnight on New Year’s Eve via a video chat. Grandparents can see their grandchildren open gifts on Christmas morning. You can be there, with them, no matter where you are.
Decorative Lights
Traditional string lights are so last century. Virtual assistants, such as Alexa, Google Assistant and Microsoft Cortana, can control the lights (colors, brightness, flashing) and add holiday tunes for a more festive ambiance. Too lazy to hang or install lights? A Christmas light projector works by projecting lights onto walls in a variety of amazing displays. All you have to do is plug it in. It’s easier, cheaper and safer than hanging real lights.
Possible Future Tech
What kind of technology will change the way we celebrate the holidays in the future? Holographic Christmas cards? Artificial intelligence that does all the shopping? Virtual or augmented reality parties? Drones that deliver gifts? Robots that cook turkey and ham with all the trimmings? Teleportation? Someone somewhere probably already knows. But we won’t know what other technology will transform how we manage and spend the holidays until we find ourselves using it.