It’s no less than astonishing to look back and see how much the world has changed in a short 30 or so years. The evolution has been rapid and the rate of movement is one that is not likely to slow down, but rather speed up as technology expands into new horizons and the internet gives us more power to do things never thought possible before.
As the world sits back and merely watches technology form before their eyes, it’s good to take a trip down memory lane to reflect upon what the world was like before the internet took over and completely redefined what it means to be alive in the 21st century. Here are 3 ways the internet has transformed the world:
You Can Talk the Talk
Before the internet, communication was extremely limited in how far it could go. Imagine the progress of communication if you will. It begun as a face to face activity. People then realized that they needed to figure out how to communicate over long distances.
Thus fire signals were created, owls and birds were trained to fly messages, people ran to deliver letters, the pony express streamlined the process more, morse code was invented…technology took steady steps toward clearer communication until one day-BAM! The internet took form and everything was as easy as the click of a button….in theory at least.
You Can Buy Anything
Back in the day, people were pretty limited to the resources and products that were available in their immediate metropolitan area. Emperors and kings would establish trade and bring in the finest of goods from other worlds, but only the richest could often afford these items.
Today, this is not the case. If you want to trade in gold and silver, you can easily do it with an internet connection, a computer, and a credit card. Though each element had an evolution of its own to make commerce so easy, the fact that it’s so easy now is a testament to how incredible the internet is and how much it has completely transformed the way the average individual lives their day to day life.
You Can Become A Scholar
Before the age of the internet, finding out information was an arduous task. If you wanted to write a paper or a thesis, you had to go straight to the source or spend countless hours hunting down the information you needed in encyclopedias and books.
The internet is a database that has organized everything you could ever possibly want to know for you. You have to make sure your sources are legitimate, but because of the internet, everyone can be a scholar. Your birth, sex, and class level have no bearing on what you’re able to learn. That’s pretty remarkable.
You Can Find Your Match
Online dating is the thing that nobody really wants to do, but everyone is curious about it. Does it really work? Can you really find your match? Is it a sign of being desperate? Are you going to end up meeting a creep? All are legitimate questions, but just think about the miracle that is online dating. It’s a step up from arranged marriages! It might be arranged in the technical sense, but at least you have a choice to swipe right or swipe left or leave somebody a wink.
Thanks to the internet, you won’t be forever alone. It might be a last ditch effort, but maybe it shouldn’t be. Why fish from the pond when you can have your pick of the sea?