I remember marvelling as a kid at the rumours that it was a possibility that one day we could be talking to each other on the phone and actually be able to see each other. “Oh man, what if we hadn’t got dressed yet, or hadn’t done our hair? That’s going to be so embarrassing “ we thought.

Little did we know just how very transparent our lives would soon become.

So what are the predictions for our kids future? Most of us dare to even contemplate.

Whilst talking to each other via a video link up is now common fare, there are other changes that have been bought about by advancing technologies that have made significant impacts to the way we live our lives. These changes will continue to evolve and play a part in our changing lives both as a society and as individuals.

We know for example there are already changes to the way our brains are being wired. These neural pathways will most likely continue to transform in order to cope with the different demands of a life lived largely online. Our thinking is less linear as we go from one screen to the next, switching through links, spontaneously and instantaneously scouring information. There are changes to the way we work. The opportunities to work from home or on the move are now very real.  Connectedness with others makes the world a much smaller place,  and the ways we get information, communicate and are entertained have all been forever transformed.

The greatest transformation and the one I believe faces us with the most challenges however, is the evolution of a digital persona that is fast being on par with our real life, flesh and blood person.

Whilst for many adults today, the online world has been an extension of our lives, a new technology to work with, adopt and change with, for our kids and all the children to come, this is just one world. The digital divide will cease to exist as the two worlds finish colliding and evolve into one.

Despite this, the online world is even more transparent, more reflective and more magnified than anything that happens in ‘real life’. The person we are is more transparent, the choices we make are more lasting, the opinions more scrutinised, the comments more accountable and the friends more measurable.

It is for this reason that we have to increase and magnify our teaching. We must amp up the social skills. We must start earlier with the critical thinking. We must educate at a rate that is on par with the changes. We must embrace and learn rather than fear and deny.

This immersion into and online world means that so much of our daily practises are carried out in cyberspace. Our shopping, our banking, our socialising, our research, our work, play and everything in between. As such, much more of our personal lives, information and personal details are circulating……sometimes relatively safely, sometimes for the world to see.

Now those of you who have been here before, know that I am a big advocate of not relying solely on filters, settings and software to protect ourselves from certain online dangers and behaviours. But when it comes to our personal information and privacy and the safety of keeping our devices free of malware and viruses, then we must look to protect with products made to do just that.

McAfee are one of the great providers of such software and are also at the forefront of researching  kids behaviours online to help create their products.

The McAfee LiveSafe software is available to protect your data, your identity and all of your digital devices. It helps protect from viruses and malware, avoid identity theft by protecting your data and identity, can help you manage all your passwords (big bonus!) and includes secure cloud storage to safely store your documents online. (Although we all know after some iCloud leakages this week that nothing is ever really 100%)

McAfee are happy provide 4 readers with a copy of McAfee Live Safe valued at $79.95. If you would like to win one, simply leave a comment below telling me what are some of the technological advances you don’t think you could live without…….or wonder how those before us ever did!

Competition is open to Australian residents only and closes 5pm AEST  Friday 19th September 2014.

I was not paid to write this post, however McAfee did give me 4 copies of their software to give away and all opinions are my own. 

So….what technology do you think you couldn’t live without?