7 things you won’t have to wait for in 2020

Our culture today moves fast, and we need our devices to do the same. Call it instant gratification, or just keeping up with the modern pace of information and expectations, but we are an action-oriented generation and we don’t have time for lines.

Even though we demand more from our limited time these days, some things still require patience. Luckily, that’s changing too. Here are seven things that you won’t have to wait for in the next decade. 

1) Shipping 

Ordering online is great, but even next day shipping can be too delayed. Whether it comes through delivery drones, better logistics and local sourcing, or the increasing prevalence of on-demand delivery services, by 2020, we’ll expect any reasonably populated area to be serviced with immediate action. And yes, it will be as wonderful and convenient as it sounds.

Photo by Don McCullough/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
 

2) Commuting 

The average commute to work in the United States is 25.4 minutes. More than ever, we’re migrating to where jobs are. Whether that means flying from New York to Boston once a week, or driving from the D.C. suburbs to the nearest Park and Ride into the city, our commute times to work have been steadily rising since 2009. Enter Hyperloop. Enter driverless cars. Both could be just a few years away, and they will make travel so. much. better.

Photo by sam_churchill/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
 

3) Car Inspections and Maintenance 

Car advancements seem to move so slowly, but expect some of these upgrades in diagnostics and monitoring to develop fully withinin the next decade. It’s easy to envision your car’s maintenance being monitored through connected apps and dashboards, and having sensors that automatically call for service when needed. When your car is ready for an oil change, or even electric upgrade, it will ping your service provided and then appear at your workplace. Likewise, your car can send a maintenance report to your garage for automatic inspections, and maybe even avoid the interminable lines at the DMV forever!

Photo by brownpau/Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
 

4)  Grocery shopping 

We already plan meals online, create shopping lists on our smartphones, and order special ingredients from the Web. The next logical step is to automate the entire process. There are a number of services already exploring the logistics of online grocery ordering and delivery, but that’s just the beginning. In the next decade, online grocery shopping will be faster and cheaper. In addition to day-of delivery, we’ll have automatic ordering straight from our meal plans, and a wider selection of specialty foods for specific dietary needs.

Photo by Grandpa & Grandma T./Flickr (CC BY 2.0)
 

5) Doctor’s visits 

There’s a law of nature that says that no matter how early you arrive at the doctor’s office, you will be seen at least 15 minutes after your scheduled appointment time. Soon though, patients will interact with robots and virtual assistants before they even need schedule an appointment. Advanced AI assistants will be able to route patients towards the appropriate action based on a natural conversation, health tracking, and fitness monitoring. Feeling sick? Maybe you better make an appointment. Need your medical record sent to a specialist? Done. Need advice about that little ache in your big toe? Quit whining and get back to work.

Photo by Infinite Jeff/Flickr (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)
 

6) Banking 

How does any respectable institution close their doors at 5pm anymore? And remain closed on Sundays? Physical banks have crappy hours, and it’s kind of crazy that we still have to wait in line at a bank to deposit a check or exchange currencies. That’s rapidly changing as most major banking outlets improve their mobile apps and functions. In the next few years, all-online and mobile banking will become ubiquitous, and more services that allow you to easily pay and manage your money will arise. Even ATMs will seem too inconvenient and time-consuming.

Photo by pennuja/Flickr (CC By 2.0)
 

7) 3-D printing  

How impatient can we be? 3-D printing has real promise in automating certain kinds of manufacturing and giving DIY a whole new meaning in the home, even if right now it still takes hours to churn out creations. We can expect 3-D printing to get exponentially faster, more accessible, and affordable very quickly over the next decade. As designs proliferate online, we’ll be able to print up everything from home fixtures, to art, to our own prototypes for ideas and inventions!

Photo by kakissel (CC BY 2.0)
 

What other services are you tired of waiting on, and excited to see streamlined for us in the future? Let us know other ways that you can anticipate how our mobile impatience will ultimately improve our lives.

Screengrab via The Mobile Movement/YouTube