Technology 101: Ways the Internet Has Shaped and Changed the World

“We are all now connected by the Internet, like neurons in a giant brain.” –Stephen Hawking

There has never been any doubt that the Internet has shaped, molded and changed the way we live. By utilizing it to its fullest potential, Internet users are now given the unique avenue of real-time correspondence with overseas contacts, a convenient alternative to retail shopping, and an opportunity for engaging in free enterprise— these are just a slew of the things made possible since the inception of the World Wide Web. However, it has also been argued that not everything the Internet brings would be beneficial as others have been found to exploit its prowess for deception or sinister results.

But, regardless of how you see the Internet as a tool, it is undeniably an integral aspect in technology which in one way or another, afforded conveniences to its users. In any case, whether you are accessing the internet via Wifi connect or other means, here are some of the ways it has transformed our modern world:

1. There is no room for downtime

Back in the day, we used to laze around and get easily bored when we have nothing to do. Today, the Internet has given us an avenue for perpetual connection with people all over the world. Moreover, it has provided its users with a myriad of things to do. From browsing social media feeds, watching videos to playing games, you can easily kill time just being on the Internet.

2. We self diagnose

Although people are hardly accurate in their research about certain symptoms they may be having, the prowess of the Internet has been it easy for individuals to research what they might be suffering from. This can be a good or bad thing as it makes people more health conscious but on the other hand, there seems to be an increased prevalence of hypochondria. In any case, should you be suffering from any ailment-like symptoms, there is no harm in doing your own medical research. Just be sure to seek consult a physician thereafter.

3. Face to face communication is now possible

Today, the webcam is a ubiquitous item that most individuals are familiar of. Back in the day, correspondence from contacts overseas took a long time to arrive. Now, not only is real-time communication possible, but apparently, you can also do it face to face. This makes it easier for people with families living abroad and who constantly want to keep in touch.

4. We tend to multitask more

As the power of the Internet involves, so does the way we are using it. Multitasking can be a great thing if you are rather adept at it. However, multitasking tends to make you lose focus and cause you to be less productive and efficient. You might have a lot of tabs open, but if you are hardly doing any progress with anything, you might as well just focus on one tab instead.

5. People have shorter attention spans

Depending on where you are situated in the globe (and what kind of internet service provider you have), Internet speed can be pretty fast. As a result, people expect webpages to load the moment they click on it and videos to immediately stream when they view it. In fact, any form of buffering is seen as an annoyance and laggy webpages can easily get dismissed. Consequently, because everything is much faster nowadays, people have shorter attention spans. One such example would be if a video takes longer than ten minutes to download, the viewer is seen to close it rather than wait for it to buffer.