Human behaviour evolves just as rapidly as technology does. In many ways, it evolves because technology does.
If we look back to the transition from the Pre-Industrial age into the Electronic age in the early 1900s, the world began shifting from mechanical processes to electrical systems. Communication accelerated. Production accelerated. Life accelerated.
By the late 1900s, we had electronic portal gadgets, home computers, early mobile phones and the first glimpses of the internet becoming mainstream. Information was no longer locked in books or filing cabinets — it was on a screen.
In the early 2000s, smart devices became part of daily life. Laptops, smartphones, tablets — always connected, always updating, always improving. The digital world became portable.
Now in the 2020s, we are living in the age of usable and practical Artificial Intelligence. Not theoretical AI. Not experimental labs. Real tools that write, analyse, automate and decide — instantly.
And as technology changed, so did we.
The Shift in Human Behaviour
With each technological leap, our habits shifted:
- From waiting days for letters → to expecting instant messaging.
- From researching in libraries → to Googling in seconds.
- From structured work hours → to constant connectivity.
- From long-form reading → to short bursts of scrolling.
Attention spans have shortened. Patience has thinned. Reflection has reduced.
We scroll faster than we read.
We respond faster than we think.
We expect results before understanding the problem.
The modern digital environment conditions us for immediacy. Everything loads instantly. Everything updates instantly. Everything delivers now.
And so we expect the same from people.
What Are We Becoming?
This is not necessarily good or bad — it is simply evolution. But it does raise a question:
Are we becoming more efficient, or less patient?
More informed, or more reactive?
More empowered, or more dependent?
Technology has given us extraordinary capability. But it has also removed the tolerance for delay.
In business environments, this behavioural shift is very visible.
The ICT Services Reality
From an ICT Services perspective, we see the impact daily.
Clients expect:
- Immediate responses.
- Immediate fixes.
- Immediate explanations.
- Immediate solutions.
However, traditional IT support models were not designed for instant gratification. They were designed for structured troubleshooting, staged escalation, vendor coordination and documented resolution processes.
Technology has accelerated. But vendor ecosystems have become more complex.
Today:
- Operating systems update without warning.
- Cloud platforms change interfaces overnight.
- Security policies shift automatically.
- Hardware firmware updates remotely.
- Applications introduce new features without training.
Vendors, operating system builders and hardware manufacturers frequently change systems under our feet — often without foreknowledge. End users encounter something new and unfamiliar, and naturally turn to their IT team expecting immediate clarity.
But here is the reality: the IT team is often learning about the change at the same time.
The Cost of Staying Current
Keeping ICT teams fully up to date today requires:
- Continuous certification.
- Ongoing vendor training.
- Monitoring multiple product roadmaps.
- Testing updates before client rollout.
- Maintaining security compliance.
- Supporting thousands of business systems across diverse industries.
Every business uses a different mix of:
- Accounting software
- CRM platforms
- Industry-specific applications
- Cloud services
- Security tools
- Collaboration platforms
To remain proficient across all of them requires constant investment.
It is achievable. But it is not effortless.
And it is certainly not free.
The Expectation Gap
There is a growing gap between:
The speed at which technology changes
and
The expectation that support costs should remain the same as they were 10–15 years ago.
You cannot reasonably expect:
- The latest operating systems
- The newest AI integrations
- Advanced cybersecurity
- 24/7 cloud uptime
- Immediate response times
…while paying what you paid at the very start of your IT Helpdesk journey.
The complexity has multiplied.
The risk landscape has expanded.
The responsibility has increased.
Support models must evolve just as behaviour has evolved.
A Balanced Perspective
This is not a complaint. It is an observation.
Technology has empowered businesses enormously. It has created opportunities that did not exist 20 years ago. But with that power comes responsibility — both for users and for organisations.
We must recognise:
- Change is constant.
- Updates are continuous.
- Learning is ongoing.
- Professional ICT support is a skilled discipline.
As we embrace Artificial Intelligence and the next wave of digital transformation, perhaps the real question is not just what technology is becoming — but what we are becoming alongside it.
Are we building systems that serve us?
Or are we allowing the speed of change to dictate unrealistic expectations?
The Bottom Line
Yes, modern ICT teams can deliver extraordinary support.
Yes, solutions can often be found quickly.
Yes, innovation is achievable.
But there is a cost to staying current.
You cannot expect to have the latest and greatest technology, real-time support, proactive monitoring and AI-driven systems — while compensating your IT services at the same level as the “pennies” from the early days of helpdesk support.
Technology evolves.
Human behaviour evolves.
Support models must evolve too.
The organisations that recognise this balance will not only keep up — they will lead.