A kettle and a fridge walk into a bar…

Data’s great in the right places

Data’s having its moment. There are articles about it everywhere. It’s revolutionising the insurance industry, bringing joy and pain in equal measure to the banking sector, helping people develop and deliver more effective medicines more quickly, and its helping our fridges talk to our kettles to make sure that they are both feeling really positive about themselves.

Three of those things are great. Decent information to improve risk management and reduce the cost of insurance? Fabulous. Helping participants and regulators get a better understanding of the vagaries of the market to ensure a level playing field? Superb. Better medicine that will help us respond more quickly to the impending zombie apocalypse? Yes please. The fridge and the kettle discussing life, the universe, and everything? The first reaction is that I’ve seen both Marvin the Paranoid Android and the Terminator in action and I’m not sure that I want either of them in my kitchen.

But what happens if you run out of broccoli?

For all of the articles extolling the virtues of data and how it’s changing our lives, the personal aspects have often been the least convincing. I can just about keep on top of what’s in my fridge by using my eyes, and generally I can tell how much water’s in the kettle by how much it weighs or whether it makes a sloshing sound when I lift it up. Do I need to live in a world where the kettle blabs to the fridge about how many cups of tea I have each day so that the fridge can warn my phone when I need to buy more milk? In many ways, I do not.

The thing is though, enhanced data is creeping into every aspect of our lives without us realising. Even as someone with an intrinsic distrust of gimmicks and gadgets, I’m welcoming big data with open arms when it suits me.

After every parkrun, you’ll tend to find me circling my phone while I wait for the email that gives me a detailed breakdown how terribly I’ve done. I can’t say I have the time to really crunch the numbers, but the data provides an incentive for my semi-regular lumber round the scenery. My swimming pool has also introduced a smart wrist band that confirms how many lengths I do and, impressively, what strokes I’ve been doing (doggy paddle and the flounder are due to be added to the system in v1.3 apparently). My smart meter is not only helping my gas and electricity provider manage demand more effectively, it’s also letting me know when my son has put on his light to read a book after he’s supposed to be asleep.

Technology gains traction in the consumer market when it helps people do the mundane more efficiently. Very few of us have the time to revolutionise our lives every six months, but we absolutely welcome anything that helps us get through the day with less hassle. The internet took off because frankly it’s easier than going to the library and tablets took off because they are easier to carry around than a cookbook.

So no, I’m not ready for the fridge to take control of my shopping, or my kettle to warn me that exceeded the daily recommended level of tea consumption for an average adult, but I’m more than happy to embrace anything that gives me useful information and makes my life a little bit easier. Headlines about big data are fascinating, but it’s people that will drive adoption.

I’m a freelance communications consultant with experience across a variety of industries including technology, construction, technology and insurance. Feel free to have a look at my LinkedIn profile or follow me on Twitter, @Zatag1234