How Widespread Internet has Changed the World

The internet is easily one of the most incredible inventions in the history of humanity. It has quite literally changed every aspect of life, from how we shop, to how we work, receive help, and how we connect and communicate with other people.

Places with high speed internet and places with slow internet have the same opportunities and benefits in very similar ways due to this amazing invention. Here is how widespread internet access has shaped our lives.

Research

Only a few years ago, we had to get all the information we wanted for a school project, an essay, or even a scientific experiment, from books and the library. Information wasn’t so easy to find as it is now.

We now live in a time where you can open Google on your phone or laptop and just search what you need and be met with everything you need to know about the searched topic. In short, the internet is making us more educated.

While the other side of the coin is that we are seeing many more people become ill-informed due to the spread of misinformation. However, as a whole, more people have used the internet to become more informed about a broader range of topics.

Education

How we educate ourselves has gone through a revolution due to the internet. While traditional schools and universities are clearly still needed, online learning has swept the globe.

No matter where you are, as long as you have an internet connection you can join a website such as Udemy, and take courses to improve a skill or field of knowledge. You can take a TEFL course to become an educator and help international students learn English.

Many universities offer online classes, and there are also more and more completely online universities popping up every day. It gives more people the chance to further their education without being tied into attending an education facility every day.

Communication

The internet has also clearly changed how we communicate with each other. A long time ago, it was letters, then letters and the telephone, then the cellphone came along. We have that, plus messaging apps, video calling apps like Skype, and social media like Instagram and Facebook.

We can now communicate with anyone, no matter where they are on the planet, in a matter of seconds. This allows us to keep in contact with friends, family, people at work, or just strangers you met through a game or something similar.

Healthcare

Healthcare is a sector that you wouldn’t think would be drastically changed by the internet, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. In particular, when it comes to remote consultations and the ability to meet with patients online.

The field of mental health is seeing great benefits from this. The shame of visiting a psychologist or a couples therapist still runs deep in some people, but being able to do it from home has changed that.

This means more people also have access to a mental health professional, something that many people don’t have if they live somewhere remote or somewhere with poor infrastructure.

Work

Work and how we work is another area that has seen drastic changes with the spread and improvement of the internet. Not only can you now very comfortably work from home and stay up to speed, but you now don’t even need an office to run a business.

There are thousands of companies that operate every day that are entirely remote, with employees from across the globe doing business like every other brick and mortar business. How people get to work and do work has also changed.

There are numerous websites where you can register and offer your services freelance, such as Fiverr. You can also apply for jobs dotted across the globe and work remotely. There is no need to live near your office or even live on the same continent as the business.

Relationships

The ways we find love and keep relationships going has also changed. Once again, back in the day, all you had was letters and then phones. Nowadays, the internet allows for long-distance relationships to flourish.

Online dating has also become a way for people to meet and fall in love. Some struggle with the idea of dating as well, whether that be because of insecurities or shyness; either way, online dating has added a level of comfort to allow people to ease into relationships.

As mentioned before, long-distance relationships were very rare a decade or two ago, and even fewer of them survived. Nowadays, couples can stay in contact and keep their relationship alive from anywhere on earth.

Shopping

Shopping has always been popular, but the internet has changed how we shop, as well as how small businesses operate. Websites like Etsy have allowed for small, one-person businesses to be seen and sell products without the need for a brick-and-mortar operation.

As consumers, we also have access to far more brands and shopping than before. You can be sitting in Italy and order a box of American snacks, and they’ll be at your door in less than 48 hours.

Online shopping has opened an excellent avenue for businesses; it is also cheaper than having outlet stores which is a huge plus for small and struggling businesses. There is no need to wait for customers to walk through the door when they can just click and find your business online in a matter of seconds.

Final thoughts

The internet continues to change and improve our lives almost on a daily basis. New schools of thought surrounding the internet have also become more famous, particularly the idea of “the internet of everything

This is the idea of connecting everything via the internet, like your water bottle sending a notification telling you to drink, your fridge automatically ordering food when it senses something is running out. The internet has been one of the biggest game-changers we have ever seen, and it is only getting better