If there’s one thing I really hate it’s queuing. You too? And we’re not alone.
Innovators are spending their time working on projects to make frustrated one-click, 21st century humans worry less about the time they might be wasting, just waiting. There are red traffic lights with countdowns that encourage drivers to be more patient, real time transit information at stations to alleviate uncertainty and automated voices that tell us we are number three in the queue.

We’re designing efficiencies. Optimizing every moment.

This week my local gym installed two electronic self-service kiosks for members who want to book into classes. Swipe. Choose. Click. Then print your own ticket. No more waiting. No more going to a desk to look a person in the eye and pass the time of day.

We’ve never had a more connected society, but as a race we are unwittingly uncoupling ourselves from real intimacy. And what are we sacrificing for the sake of all this urgency? When we strip out every bit of humanity from our lives and our businesses with automation, where will the value lie then?

The opportunity of the future might just be, that we will be falling over each other to pay a premium for a simple, “good morning”.

Image by Jorge Quinteras.