(ThyBlackMan.com) What’s the next uber? Technology is moving at a pace like never before. As a Generation X member, who grew up at the start of the internet and dial up modems and America Online, even I feel overwhelmed at the pace at which things are changing and growing. Sure, flying cars were once the projection for this time in history. And no, we are not exactly there yet (although self-drive and no motorist driven vehicles are being tested and used in some places), but some of this stuff is down right crazy.
Technology is everywhere. It is becoming more adaptable and useful in many everyday situations. And not just technology, but products and services that are simple, user-friendly, and readily available to consumers minute-by-minute. Today you can order groceries, clothing, televisions, car services, and even house cleaners and 
maids, all with the click of a button or a tap with your finger on your cell phone device. A friend of mine, two years ago told me that he was going to “go light on happy hour items” because he was still paying off his cell phone! I laughed because I thought he was joking. You finance cars and houses, not celly’s. He was not. He had financed this premier, high tech cellular device for upwards of $2,000, all in. This of course, from what I personally have experienced, is a rarity. But with great advertising and product features and capabilities, folks are willing to dish out whatever cash (or credit) they deem necessary.
The options for consumers are becoming more and more readily available. For frequent travelers, how much easier has it become to get from an airport to their hotel, without expensive taxis or airport shuttles that have multiple drop offs along the way to their desired location? How often are we now looking for Uber’s instead of renting cars to get around our destinations while vacationing? Just this past three months, personally I have used Uber, Lyft, Amazon, instacart, and WalMart delivery just to name a few. Taxis, standing in long check out/check in lines, and the general need to wait for the simple things like a cashier to service guests before they service you, is becoming a thing of the past. Convenience in many cases. Maybe laziness in some as well. But no ones doubting the success of companies like google wallet and Airbnb.
For entrepreneurs and business-minded individuals, what are some other ways we can expand this Market? What’s the next cash app? The next delivery service to your front door? Who will be the next Steve Jobs or Jeff Bezos? 15 years ago, nobody would have thought about a need to get Alexa to do anything. Grocery delivery may have been joked about by house wives on the go, but up until recently, the business never existed in its current state. Flying cars anyone? Maybe not today….but I wouldn’t doubt a thing with all the possibilities at an arms length away.
With all the good, convenience, and comfort, there is a downside too. Humanity and technology walk a tight line around one another, and for millennials the “right now” gratification provided by technology is just about all they know. Famed film producer and director Steven Spielberg once spoke on this very issue, stating: “Technology can be our best friend, and technology can also be the biggest party pooper of our lives. It interrupts our own story, interrupts our ability to have a thought or a daydream, to imagine something wonderful, because were too busy bridging the walk from the cafeteria back to the office on the cell phone.”
Staff Writer; Charles Foster Jolivette
This talented young man can also be found over at; The California Creole and also Charles Patreon Page.