There is no doubt about the fact that the internet has taken over the world by storm. Everything, as far as the eye goes, is connected to the cloud, and in constant communication with each other. According to Statista, almost 4.57 billion people around the globe use the internet daily. That makes roughly 59% of the world population, which is saying much!
The internet bridges the gap between continents, ushers information to your fingertips, opens up multiple avenues of entertainment, creates virtual marketplaces, reinvents social networking, turns the dream of smart living into a reality, paves the way for industrial reform, and most importantly, lays the groundwork for even more advanced, futuristic technology. In other words, it brings progress and success within an actionable margin, and speeds up processes, while taking care of human convenience. Without the internet, nothing would be as it is today. Let’s see the kind of impact this remarkable technology has made in our daily lives.
The Backstory
Surprisingly, the internet had humble origins. Starting as an information-transference experiment between two small hosts in the 60s, this technology quickly caught on after the developers realized its true potential. Then, during the 90s, the real explosion took place, and the World Wide Web became publically available. Consequently, multiple companies began distributing the internet service through landline-dependent connections to homes and net cafes, having bulky-backed computers. With the advent of the 21st century, coaxial-based networks, fiber-optic technology, satellite, and other broadband varieties graced the internet scene, with services like
Time Warner Cable internet delivering extremely fast, wall-to-wall speeds. Moreover, wireless internet and 5G enabled people to go online right from their handy smartphones, tablets, or laptops anywhere and at any time.
Internet Impact on Social Communication
In the olden days, people used to be unaware of each other’s existence, because the instruments of social communication were inefficient and unrealistic. The internet removed these dull curtains from their lives and opened them up to a world of instant interaction. The introduction of email, chat messengers and social media platforms turned things around, bringing everyone closer to each other online. Nowadays, you can easily get in touch with your friends, family, colleagues, and clients without having to wait for letters or invest in telegrams. Communication has gone global, indeed. Haven’t seen your high-school pals in a while? Search them up on Facebook, Instagram, or Snapchat, etc. and send them a follow request. See what they have been up to all this time. Chat with them on WhatsApp Messenger, even though you live on the opposite ends of the world. Float thousands of emails in a matter of seconds.
Internet Impact on Information Accessibility
Previously, people had to spend so much time, money, and resources just to get their hands on a particular piece of information. Fortunately, the internet has removed this struggle altogether. You can easily find what you are looking for online in the fastest way possible. For instance, if you face a problem, like removing grit from a tiled floor, all you need to do is type this ‘how-to’ query in the bar of a search engine and you would be presented with many highly recommended and highly relevant solutions. Your time will be saved and your problem will be solved. This is how the internet has made ready learning possible and allowed the elaborate expansion of knowledge in the virtual medium.
Internet Impact on Entertainment Channels
Do you remember the VCR player, Walkman, and CRT television, which used to fill your free hours and fuel your childhood imagination? Now, you don’t really need these cumbersome devices to ward off boredom. All you need to do is connect your chosen device (smartphone, laptop, streaming player, projector, speaker, gaming console, tablet, or HD TV) to the internet, and stream your favorite movie, TV series, music, and whatnot on your device without a problem. Along with information, entertainment has also blossomed online, and the credit goes to internet technology today.
Internet Impact on Commerce
Currently, most of the commercial ventures operate over the internet. Hardly anyone shops from an actual marketplace in the street corner these days. Things of necessity and luxury are bought and sold online and delivered to doorsteps within a day. E-commerce offers a great competitive advantage to sellers, enabling them to reach an audience on a worldwide scale, promote their brands on social media channels, predict the future consumer trends and finalize financial transactions with automated help. For buyers, purchasing goods or services, of a local and/or international quality, from the comfort of their home is convenient enough. All because of the internet.
Wrapping Up
This post shows you only a glimpse of the impact internet connectivity has on our collective daily lives, and it is just the beginning. More advancements are to follow. So, hang tight and keep upgrading your life with the best internet speeds.