Digital Trends to Watch in 2023

Despite what some may claim, no one is able to predict the future. Sure, we can speculate on what might happen one year based on what has happened in the past year, but we’ll never know with absolute certainty. That said, there are a few digital tech trends that have developed toward the end of 2022 that are likely to influence what will happen in 2023.

If you’ve been keeping up with the news, you’re probably aware of some of them. But others have quietly developed in the background and their effects are not quite known to the larger world yet.

In this article, we’ll be going through a few digital trends to watch out for in 2023.

EV Cars and SUVs

Have you noticed that almost every traditional car manufacturer has introduced an electric vehicle? Chevrolet, Kia, Hyundai, Ford, Volkswagen and Toyota are just some of the names that have released electric vehicles that are far more affordable than you may think. For example, the 2023 Chevrolet Bolt EV is offered at MSRP of $25,600 to $28,800.

Beyond this, Tesla is no longer the only automobile manufacturer to offer an EV SUV. The 2023 Hyundai Ioniq 5, Ford Mustang Mach-E, and Volkswagen ID4 are just some of the many EV SUVs that have been released. Most notably is that these three vehicles fall in the $41,000 to $61,000 price range, compared to the Tesla Model X which has a starting price of around $105,000.

Many new electric car companies like Lucid Motors and Rivian are also hitting their strides this year. This, combined with the traditional car company EVs, and Tesla’s disappointing Consumer Reports scores, means that the electric vehicle market may be shaken up in 2023.

Social Media and Free Speech

How does freedom of speech apply to social media sites like Twitter and Facebook? This has been the question since Elon Musk completed his $44 Billion Deal to Own Twitter. Musk’s goal was to create Twitter a space where more types of commentary and speech are free of moderation. What has resulted, however, is several months of drama and legal challenges as misinformation and inflammatory content have spread.

While it’s not quite clear what the long-term effects will be, one thing is sure: Advertisers may be thinking twice about using Twitter as a platform for their content. In just three months, advertising revenue of Twitter dropped from $1.4 billion to $1.1 billion, according to Investopedia.

2023 may be the year that we see some new and old social media sites rise.

Blockchains and Cryptocurrency

In 2022, the hype for blockchains, cryptocurrency, and NFTs has died down a bit. Monthly NFT Sales are 80% lower than last year, according to Bitcoin, and the founder of crypto exchange FTX, Sam Bankman-Fried, was arrested and accused of securities fraud and money laundering. This led to FTX crashing and crypto being hurt. This may signal the death, or at least a significant reduction in popularity, of cryptocurrency in general.

And yet, 2022 has also seen Ethereum’s Merge. This event refers to the switch over from proof-of-work to proof-of-stake for minting new cryptocurrency. What does this mean? It means that Ethereum’s energy consumption has been reduced by 99.95%. Crypto mining farms requiring hundreds of GPUs to solve complex equations in order to create new coins are no longer necessary. Does this mean that crypto is now green? Will graphics cards no longer cost thousands of dollars? Does this mean crypto is much more sustainable than traditional currency?

Only time will tell.

Web Browser Limits

Google has announced that it will be switching over to a new version of its extension platform for the popular web browser Chrome in 2023. This is considered controversial because it may reduce the functionality and effectiveness of certain ad blockers. Because Google makes a lot of money through advertising, they have a naturally uneasy relationship with popular web browser ad blockers.

This may be the beginning of a greater trend for big tech sites to crack down on ad blockers so they can make more money through advertising. It may end up being the year for you to switch over to a new web browser, or at least experiment with some others.

Cybersecurity Risks

With new tech always comes new loopholes and security threats. 2022 has seen a rise of Malware and ransomware which are malicious programs that get into your computer or business. These programs can do anything from spying on your data to locking down your entire system unless you pay a “ransom” to get your computer back.

Fortunately, there are many ways to protect yourself against malicious programs and hackers. Remember to always be suspicious of unknown calls, messages, and emails that may not seem legitimate. Don’t download unknown programs from suspicious sites. Use a mic or camera blocker, such as the one built into OneLaunch’s dashboard, to avoid damage from a program or person spying on you.

Telehealth

If you’ve gone to the doctor or hospital in the past couple of years, you may be aware of just how long the wait is to get in for an appointment. This is especially difficult when you just have a couple of questions or concerns about your health and don’t need a complicated hands-on procedure.

Enter telehealth: The ability for you to be connected with a doctor or nurse from your home through a computer or smartphone. Telehealth reduces the barriers that come with a physical clinic and allows patients to get quicker diagnoses and treatments for their conditions. In 2022, there have been several permanent changes to telehealth. For example, Medicare patients can now receive telehealth services for mental/behavioral health care. Video-based mental health visits are also codified in Medicare.

Consider looking at the list of telehealth services to get an idea of the landscape of the industry. It will likely continue to grow into 2023.