How Have the Internet and Technology Made Our Lives Better?

I want to hear how you think the internet and technology have made our lives and the world better. Share this post and let me know how your ideas.

Every once and awhile I like to take a look at how the world has changed through technology as well as think about how it has made our lives better. This year the exercise seems to be more relevant than ever. With the backlash Facebook, Google, and other tech companies are getting, as well as looming GDPR enforcement date (May 25, 2018), it may seem like technology is something bad.

With great power comes great responsibility

It’s true tech and data companies have become very powerful. Some people say too powerful. They know more than ever about us and this data is so easily distributed. So we must always be conscious that all the great things we are creating can also be used in bad ways. It would be irresponsible for companies, as well as individuals, to ignore the bad side of the equation.

I’m not here to solve those challenges. I think to keep us from slipping into “Techno Panic” mode (Thanks to @JeffJarvis for the quote), it is also a good time to think about how the internet and technology have made the world and our lives better.

The last time I wrote a post about this was in 2010. How the Internet Makes our Lives Better. I first asked people via Twitter and Facebook the following question, “In what ordinary ways has the internet simplified life?”  I received some great answers

“I use the internet to find locations and people. This makes getting to who & where easier.” -@OttomatedSuccess (Melissa Otto)

“It has made finding information, both useful and useless, extremely easy. discovering music, events, people, etc takes seconds.” -@AdamChlan

“Living in a rural area it is great for shopping and banking.” -Charles Coe

Fast forward back to 2018 and three examples of how things are better today:

1. Communication: My son is able to communicate and have a relationship with his grandparents across an ocean.
2. Work: There are now companies where all their workers are remote. They don’t need to be in the same building let alone the same continent. This opens up workers many more job opportunities and companies all-new talent pools.
3. Entertainment: Most of us walking around with a device in our pocket that connects us to endless forms of entertainment: Music, TV shows, Movies, Podcasts… I could go on and on.

Now it’s your turn please comment below or share on social media with your favorite ways technology and the internet have improved your life and made the world a better place.

I’m looking forward to your responses!