The Hong Kong lifestyle became more and more digitally- and internet-reliant after the year 2000.
The Octopus electronic payment system came into operation on September 1st, 1997. It was first implemented on public transportation such as the bus and MTR, but it wasn’t long before the system was widely employed, greatly reducing the need for coinage. Various aspects of Hong Kongers’ lives became linked to this smart system, from shopping to consumption, transport to accommodation and even roll call at school.
Dr. Jim, a former IT technician from the banking sector, made the most of the dot-com frenzy during the period of rapid internet technology development by setting up a website disseminating PC- and hardware-related news with his colleagues in 1999. With the change in social culture, the site has further evolved into a one-of-a-kind forum representative of the Hong Kong psyche – a place nurturing sub-cultures such as image parodies and even facilitating the formation of an orchestra.
With broadband technology coming to maturity after the millennium, a parenting website saw a boost in user numbers due to the 2003 SARS outbreak. Connecting a younger generation of mothers and fathers together, this platform enabled families to search for information and exchange thoughts with each other. The site has also provided a means for users to arrange group activities in real life.
Hong Kong stepped into the age of electronic transactions and online interactions with the onset of the millennium, a time when our brands became more hi-tech and abstract.
