It’s no secret that in 2020, we’re living in the age of technology. Whereas once upon a time, kids would spend their days playing outside and creating their own entertainment, youngsters born in the last ten-fifteen years or so are now entirely reliant on their iPads, smartphones and consoles for entertainment – and that’s only one way our world has changed due to the evolution of technology, and furthermore the internet.
Although the prevalence of the internet in our society is laced with many negative connotations – particularly listed in the media which is ironic in itself – it’s safe to say that it’s also helped to develop our minds and the ways in which we conduct much of our daily tasks. Today, we’re going to be taking an in depth look at the ways in which the internet has changed the way that we live since its creation and rise to prevalence.
The Way we Handle Our Finances
It doesn’t matter whether you’re an Online Gaming Guru, or you very simple use an online banking app in order to organise your cash. The internet has undoubtedly changed the ways in which we handle our finances.
Most – if not all – major banks now have a free app that’s available to download. So long as you’re downloading the officially recognised application, these are secure spaces in which you can check your bank balance, make transfers between accounts, and even make payments to your contacts when you owe them money. Whereas once, in order to complete actions such as these you’d have to go into your local bank and wait for the action to clear, now it’s easy to do, it’s instant, and you can do it literally wherever you are in the world. It’s literally never been easier to spend money or track your cashflow.
Likewise, if you are a gambling extraordinaire, or even just like betting on local sports events once in a while, you no longer have to go out in order to be involved. Apps and websites have made this, if anything, all too easy to do.
The Way we Communicate
Undoubtedly one of the biggest ways that the internet has changed the way in which we live our lives, is that it’s made communication more accessible than ever, regardless of where you are in the world.
There are so many news articles and studies that claim the internet and social media have divided us as a society, but if you look at it from a different angle, you’ll soon realise that in many ways, it’s actually connected us more than ever before.
Going back before the creation of the internet, the only way to get in contact with people was via telephone – which could cost dependant on how long distance you were calling – letter, and in person. When you think about a world like this, it was far more difficult to stay in touch with family and friends, particularly long distance.
Nowadays, with a connection to Wi-Fi and the click of a button, it’s never been easier to contact someone with immediate effect, with no further cost than you already pay for your internet provider. Likewise, due to the creation of social media sites such as Facebook (thanks Zuckerberg!) and Instagram, you can keep up to date with what family, friends and acquaintances are doing all over the world – without even having to make direct contact. We take for granted how easy it is to view life changing moments that are uploaded online for us to see. Take a babies first steps for example – they can now be immortalised on the internet, forever, for all of their loved ones to see. Isn’t that kind of amazing?
The Immediacy of News
Last of all, but by no means least, we are now immediately able to see news from around the world as it’s happening, live.
Whereas once we had to wait for local broadcasting stations to get on board, or for newspapers to be released the following morning, now live news bulletins are sent directly to our phones, and alert us via notification.
Take the recent terrible wildfires in Australia, for example. Only because of the internet were we able to hear about them so quickly, from the other side of the world. This then spurred on a huge charitable gathering, where people worldwide donated to money the cause which helped to shelter families and rescue wildlife.
When you consider these three major lifestyle changes, the internet really has revolutionised the way the human race exist and operate.
