Contactless interactions
In the near future, digitalization reshapes interactions in the Philippines, transitioning from physical to online realms.
Contactless shopping emerges as a dominant trend, marked by subscription-based services capitalizing on Filipinos' brand loyalty and the rise of cashierless stores akin to Amazon Go. Despite this shift, human involvement persists in delivery services, with people continuing to handle shipments, albeit with increased emphasis on pick-up centers as an alternative.
In healthcare, telemedicine platforms undergo enhancements in security and user-friendliness, facilitating easier access to medical professionals and reducing miscommunication risks during remote consultations. This advancement streamlines the healthcare-seeking process and diminishes reliance on personal networks for referrals.
Overall, virtual interactions become more prevalent, with less emphasis on in-person socialization and increased engagement on social media platforms, potentially driven by captivating algorithms. As digitalization pervades daily life, contactless interactions offer convenience and efficiency while retaining essential human connections.
Selected Quotes
So just a breeze through socialization as it is right now, there are a lot of perpetually online people, and the value of that could increase or decrease depending on how well we act. And as it is right now, I think it's going worse.
...For socialization, I think the most realistic [thing to happen] is less social interaction, less human interaction, and still clinging to technology to communicate remotely...
...[T]here will also be a rise in the number of pick-up centers...[you know] how when you order online, you have the option to pick it up somewhere, right? So I think there will be much more centers like that, that is possible, because that is also more cost-efficient on them; [all] they [have to do is] just deliver all of the stuff into one place, then...people can go and pick it up there.
AI would be utilized to assist health professionals in decision-making and improving their productivity. Apps would be developed to make finding a doctor easier, addressing the current challenge of relying on personal connections for medical recommendations. There would also be advancements in telemedicine, with a more secure and user-friendly platform that allows for the integration of personal data, reducing the possibility of miscommunication during remote medical consultations. Overall, they envision a more accessible and efficient healthcare system driven by technology.
I do think that e-commerce and online shopping will continue to be a thing. I'm not sure if Shopee and Lazada will still be the most popular sites or apps in 20 years time, but I do think that they're here to stay for the most part, unless another third party comes in. I do think na parang getting things delivered to your house is here to stay. Like online shopping...it really does help people who are sick also, people can't leave the house since COVID happened, parang I do know that but a lot of chronic illness has been a thing, so it's made things easier for people who suffer from that. I think that's here to stay.
But then, of course, door-to-door is still very...advantageous for someone...I don't think we're gonna have drones. I just thought of that now, at least for like the...optimistic aspect of e-commerce. Amazon in the US is already testing drones, right? Even in the optimistic aspect, I don't think we'll have drones because, I don't know, I don't see it as a a thing that's picking up now. Maybe...in the optimistic view it could be [possible], but then in the realistic scenario, there would be only automated options available [for] deliver[ing] things, I guess. I don't know what that looks like, but then maybe there would be [options like that] for urban centers.
I feel like...subscription shopping is going to be more common. So either subscription shopping or like pure contactless shopping. So, for example, you have...Amazon Go...[a chain of convenience stores] where you don't even have to see anybody like a cashier; you just have to come in, get stuff, [and] get out. I think this would be a lot more common in the future, assuming that there's not as much crime compared to now, I don't know.
