For most people, the way computers work, the underpinning technology, is all invisible. Those that grew up with any given technology already around are used to it simply working as we want it to. Errors are freak events—massive interruptions with big consequences. Imagine if your phone suddenly stopped working.
But not so long ago, all this technology was clunky. Awkward. You had to be knowledgeable to even use the device for basic operations, let alone anything complex. To see what I mean, get someone used to a modern smartphone to use a rotary phone. This isn’t because of some generational character flaw—it’s a testament to the hard work of engineers making technology more user-friendly.
All of this is to say that Web 3.0 adoption, in whatever its fully realized form takes, will likely happen when the technology underpinning it is so frictionless that the average user doesn’t even understand what they’re working with anymore.
This is not to say that some non-I.T. people aren’t already finding Web 3.0 technology and embracing it. General technological literacy seems to be on the rise, possibly because the existing technology allows anyone to learn. Many people already have crypto wallets, for instance.
But more “mundane” technologies already has a leg up on some of this because they often only requires typing, button-pressing, or vocal inputs to interact with it—but if hard-working developers continue down the right path, the same will happen for Web 3.0-based technologies and software.
And, for those of us who already know some of how it all works, don’t shake your head at someone being uninformed about their newly downloaded app. Delight in what it means. Delight in knowing the world changed forever.
