The Pre Covid-19 and the Post Covid-19
As we all may guess from the name, COVID-19 was found in 2019. The year 2020 was the year of COVID-19. So-called, “the pre COVID-19” when normal life has been shifted drastically and changed our lifestyles as well as our thinking towards a life with digital gadgets. We all knew that we were already in the digital era before COVID-19, however, we did not know how we could integrate our lives with digital technology into everyday life. And, COVID-19 forced us to live with digital technology. The Post COVID-19 era is the beginning of integrated digital life.
We already had the technology to have an online drinking party or an online business meeting before COVID-19, but it seemed that nobody was seriously thinking about them. But now we are at the beginning of the post-COVID-19 era, online drinking parties and online business meetings have become very common in our lives. Digitalization has drastically been integrated into our lives consciously or unconsciously through the COVID-19 time.
Due to COVID-19, I had to spend so much time at home and it made me start something new, yes, eToro! eToro is an online application that provides a platform to transact CFD trades including cryptocurrencies. I got to know Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH) through the eToro. Please refer to my previous blog <(_ _)>よろしくお願いします
COVID-19 affected our daily lives significantly, however, as vaccines for COVID-19 have been provided to the elders gradually but steadily, we started to hear some positive news. And, I also heard the happy news that my grandparents, at last, got vaccinated!
At last, my grandpa and grandma got vaccinated!
Last week, my grandfather called me that they (my grandpa and grandma) got vaccinated. My grandparents are elder and we could not meet each other since the end of 2019. As we know, COVID-19 causes very serious sickness especially to elderly people, and we decided not to meet due to the possibility to infect COVID-19 unconsciously. From time to time, we chatted through the phone, however, with some limited digital knowledge of my grandparents, we could not even meet through the digital devices. According to them, COVID-19 made them very “old” because it forced them not to interact with people. We get old mentally and physically when we do not think about ourselves. For them, it was a very sad and lonely year, one of the worst years they remembered, they said to me.
So, I decided to visit them. I have not met them since the end of 2019, so it was very nice to meet them, finally.
They welcomed me with the warmest heart and I even felt a bit embarrassed (overwhelmed) because they made my visit very special. Their smile on their faces made me happy and forgot that the tedious 4-hour long trip to visit their house. They were waiting for my visit with a feast which I waited for such a long time. Thank you, grandpa and grandma. ｳﾘｳﾘ(*´Д)つ))´∀)
They told me that it was such a boring and lonely year of 2020 since they could not meet their friends and relatives. They are old so that many of us decided not to visit them since we just did not want them to get sick, however, it seemed that the loneliness and boredom caused them even negative effects. But they told me that they also started something new because they had to spend so much time at home. They started soring out old VHS which my grandfather videotaped for a long time.
They spent some time sorting out old VHS from the garage, and they also found a VHS player. It was fun for them to watch these old VHS tape cassettes recalling some vivid memories once they shared.
They asked me to restore the old VHS movies to their PC and it was one of the reasons why I visited their place. It was fun to watch old movies which my grandfather taped with his VHS tape recorder, and I realized that they keep some old digital gadgets and devices. I can see how the digital goods transferred from one generation to another checking what my grandparents keep in their house.
VHS（Video Home System）
According to Wikipedia, ” VHS (short for Video Home System)[1][2][3] is a standard for consumer-level analog video recording on tape cassettes. Developed by Victor Company of Japan (JVC) in the early 1970s, it was released in Japan on September 9, 1976, and in the United States on August 23, 1977.” I know that some information that is listed on Wikipedia is not reliable, but, well it is convenient to use it to gather some information at a basic level. VHS was simple of digital Japan from the 70s to 90s, which Japan used to be very innovative. They even were leading the industry to standardize VHS and many other electronic devices. In my grandparents’ house, there were some other electronic devices, which once Japan produced (maybe still producing) such as radio of Panasonic, VHS tape cassettes of TDK, and a heater of Sanyo.
However, when I continued to look for some other electronic devices, I started realizing that Japanese goods disappeared. They use Samsung TV, but not Sony TV. Their PC is not made by Toshiba, but by Lenovo. They use Apple smartphones. They stopped watching VHS, but they started watching Netflix on their Samsung TV.
It was interesting to realize that many “used to be” well-known Japanese brands were very innovative from the 70s to 90s. Well, what happened in Japan?? Sad sad sad!!
(´･ε･̥ˋ๑)ｻﾐｼｲ
Then, looking at these VHS which was produced by JCV made me recall a story of three different types of innovations which Clayton Christensen claimed in his book a few years ago.
Three types of Innovations
According to Mr. Christensen, there are three types of innovations. Empowering innovation, sustaining innovation, and efficiency innovation.
１． Empowering innovation
It is an innovation that changes precise and expensive products to a simple and reasonable price.
２． Sustaining innovation
It is an innovation that replaces the old products with new products.
３． Efficiency innovation
It is an innovation that changes the efficiency of existing products to reduce the price.
More interestingly, Mr. Christensen claimed that Japan has been continuously doing sustaining innovations, which will not produce any new products and assets, however, she only did one efficiency innovation, which was by Nintendo, yes!! Wii!! According to him, Japan could not create enough empowering innovations which create new jobs but continued to focus on creating sustaining innovations such as the famous “kaizen” by Toyota Motors. What only one efficient innovation?
Σ(ﾟдﾟlll)ｶﾞｰﾝ
It was sad to face the reality of the Japanese manufacturing industry, but it was very clearly stated, and the transformation of digital gadgets which my grandparents have and use show the reality.
Do you know Bitcoin (BTC) and Bitcoin Cash (BCH)?
My grandparents asked me how I spent time in 2020. And, I explained how I encountered the CFD trading platform, eToro, and cryptocurrencies. And, I continued to explain what Bitcoin is to my grandmother. I explained like this “Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that was invented in 2008 and started in 2009 by an unknown person or a group of people called Satoshi Nakamoto. Satoshi Nakamoto created Bitcoin which is a digital and decentralized currency that is not governed by any financial entities such as banks. Everyone can join the Bitcoin network as long as people have a computer network, so you can join too if you are interested. And, Bitcoin Cash is an evolved version of Bitcoin like Pokemon.”
The picture is from Bitcioncash.org
An answer from my grandma was “Well, I am OK with it. But it is good to hear that you have started something new. Well then, I will start preparing dinner.” Grandma! Well, she nicely ditched since my explanation sounded super dubious, perhaps. LOL!
((´∀`*))ヶﾗヶﾗ
It was such a nice weekend I spend with my grandparents watching the old VHS tape cassettes together realized the importance of human connection and love. And also I realized that I have to continue learning Bitcoin and Bitcoin Cash to explain them well to my grandparents next time. Haha!!
Mizuo – April 13th, 2021
References
1) Experience Japanese Culture Online
https://www.japan.travel/en/blog/experience-japanese-culture-online-from-zen-to-geisha/
2) VHS（Wikipedia）
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VHS
3) Clayton Christensen (Wikipedia)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clayton_Christensen
4) Clayton Christensen – Distruptive Innovation
https://claytonchristensen.com/key-concepts/
5) Wii (Britanica)
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Wii-Fit
6) Bitcocincash.org
