While "unicorn" was once a term bestowed upon startups who reached a billion dollar valuation, the presence of such organizations isn't so mystical anymore. That's one reason why a Wired article suggests we buck that term for the future.
The article lists a handful of terms and trends that were once relevant "but have suffered from overuse, coming very close to losing their meaning altogether."
Here are three IT terms and trends worth forgetting about in 2016, according to Wired.
1. Unicorn. In 2009, just four startups were valued at $1 billion — a unicorn-esque trait, indeed. Now, more than 120 companies have attained this valuation, making their presence less rare.
2. "Smart" anything. Healthcare is mainly concerned with smartphones and smartwatches that collect biometric data and link up to providers' offices and EHRs. But the Wired article argues simply being connected to the Internet and having these wireless capabilities does not make an object "smart." The opposite often appears to be true, according to the article. "In moments when [technology] is blurting and beeping and disrupting my flow, my smartphone seems like the dumbest thing on my desk," the article says. "Powering objects with the Internet opens the opportunity for them to be useful, and thus, smart. But only good design can make them so."
3. Wearables. The Wired article predicts so-called wearables are going to become less present and require less interaction from users while still giving users information. As these devices become more seamlessly ingrained in everyday life and less noticeable, perhaps the word itself should be minimized. "After all, has anyone outside the navel-gazey worlds of Silicon Valley and tech journalism ever really said it?" the article asks.
Click here for Wired's full list of words to eliminate in 2016.
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