In this era where everything we do is online it is difficult to imagine that there was a time when there was no internet. Even though it has only been 32 years since we went online, many areas of our lives have been affected. If you still do not know the scope of the internet in your life, then you only need to look around you. Here are the ways through which the internet has changed our lives.
1. Education
The first area that the internet has changed is the education sector. With so much information online, one no longer needs to peruse through mountains of books in the library. With just a few keystrokes, you get information on whatever topic you want to learn. The internet has also given birth to online and long-distance learning. You do not have to pay a lot of money to commute for education purposes or travel to another country and study. There are various online programs that you can be a part of in the comfort of your home. While some of these programs are paid for, there are also free courses that will still earn you certification. More people can now study online thanks to the internet.
2. Entertainment
Another sector that has greatly benefited from the internet is the entertainment sector. You no longer have to go to an arcade to play some arcade games. There are also so many streaming apps and platforms that you can use to listen to music or watch a movie. Sites like freespingratis.it have also come up to give you options in the online casino world. Thanks to the internet, you can get entertained in the comfort of your home. The other area of entertainment that has also changed due to the internet is the gaming world. While in the past, you would need to get a gaming console and order your games in advance, you can now download the software online and use it. You can also compete with other gamers worldwide because you are all connected through the internet.
3. Communication
Another area that has greatly changed due to the internet has to be communication. While you would have to either write a letter or fax something in the past, you can now chat with someone from across the world. The other thing that has changed in the communication sector is that you can receive breaking news as it happens. Most of the time, you do not even need to be following a news platform. So many people are online, and they record a lot, so whenever something new happens, you can get it in that instant. While this has had dire consequences in most cases, it has also opened our eyes to so many things around us. It has made people more aware and sensitive to the needs of others.
4. Financial services
Banking was originally done in the traditional way where you would have to go to a bank, open an account, and deposit or withdraw your money. It made going to the bank a whole day’s affair because of the long lines. Now thanks to technology, this has changed. Currently, you can operate your bank account in the comfort of your home. You do not need to go to any bank to access these services. Other than just a bank account, there are many other banking options that you can take advantage of. You can use e-wallets and even bank using cryptocurrencies. All these options are made possible solely by the internet.
5. Shopping
Buying and ordering goods used to be such a hassle before the internet. You would need to talk through fax which was often in shorthand. Once the deal was closed, the months of waiting for your shipment to get to you would come. Thanks to technology, the wait has significantly reduced. Currently, you can order anything online, and it will be with you within a couple of hours or days. If you order from overseas, you can pay extra to have it fly in instead of coming through the ship. More people are now shopping online thanks to this convenience. It has also made it easy for sellers to set up online shops without needing a physical shop which adds to the allure of online shopping.
6. Healthcare
The healthcare industry is another area that has greatly benefited from increased internet use. You can get information from medical websites about your symptoms and see a doctor about it. While there are still some sites that aim to scare you, for the better part, the information you get online will give you a better picture of what to expect when you go see the doctor. Most hospitals have also taken their patients’ medical records online, making it easy to refer patients from one hospital to another or from one doctor to another. The new doctor can go through your file, see what treatment you were on, and figure out if it worked. It has made collaborations between doctors and hospitals much easier.
7. Employment
Looking at how so many people use the internet it is difficult to imagine that there was a time where the only source of employment was sitting in an office from morning till evening. Now thanks to the internet, all that has changed. There are so many people, especially millennials, who are currently freelancing. With this, one can work in the comfort of their home and come up with their work hours as long as they deliver on quality. All this has reduced the need for most offices to hire bigger office spaces. It also means freelancers can choose what companies to work with and their different rates. All this is a change from how traditional employment was done.
From the examples above, it is very clear that technology is in every part of our lives. The internet has taken over most, if not all, parts of our lives. As time goes by, we continue to see just how important the internet is.