We live in a world where we are constantly depending on technology and on the media. We are bombarded by information and we continuously seek for ways to get more of it, at a faster rate and for a cheaper price.
From the second we wake up, we are not once left untouched by the media. Whether it means checking our Facebook in the morning, or watching the news on television, or picking up a magazine at the store, or even catching up on the latest episode of Family Guy on Netflix; we are surrounded, and it is almost impossible to escape. It is hard to imagine a time when the media didn’t run our lives, and it’s even harder to believe that there was a time when media didn’t exist at all. Of course this time was very much real, and considering all of the technological advancements that have occurred, it wasn’t all that long ago. Amidst these advancements there are a few particular revolutions and inventions that have completely changed the world, and the way society functions. These revolutions have brought us to where we are today.
Perhaps the most revolutionary invention, at least for our generation, was the Internet. This new creation allowed information to flow rapidly for everyone with access to use and share not only with the surrounding people, but also with people from all around the world.
It allowed for communication that was previously unthinkable and it basically changed, little by little, the style of living. A simple example would be doing a research paper. When Internet wasn’t available students would spend hours on encyclopedias, at the library finding different resources while now everything is done online. I can't even imagine, as a college student, how stressful and time consuming that must've been. Today, search engines, like Google or Yahoo, help make research quick and easy without having to spend time to select the right information; they will do it for you. In a sense we’ve become sort of lazy, but in another this has allowed us to be very efficient. Nowadays, we can read the news online, get the latest gossips, watch videos to entertain ourselves; all factors that have definitely changed the dynamics of our society. Newspapers, for instance, have lost their importance in our lives as we can get the exact same information for free. The same goes for books that can be simply downloaded and read from a screen, or music and TV shows that can be now streamed online. The Internet allows us to pick and choose what media we want our lives to be impacted by. This is both dangerous, as it can lead society to become slightly ignorant and closed-minded, and convenient.
One of the most recent revolutions in communication, is the mobile phone revolution, especially in regards to smart phones. Internet, television, radio, magazines and newspapers are all more accessible today. They can literally be carried inside your pocket, in your phone. This means that the media never leaves your side. Not only does this make communication easier and faster than ever, but it helps us be in contact with the world at all times. Whenever anything, anywhere happens, we are immediately notified whether it’s through social media or a news app. In other words, we can’t miss a thing. You don’t even need a computer anymore; everything can be done from the phone no matter where you are. Society therefore becomes more demanding and impatient as people want everything done and ready as fast as possible.
Many people like to bash on today's way of communicating, and the lifestyle built around these new technologies. The truth is that yes, there are many problems with our society largely caused by our constant use of cell phones and social media. Another truth, however, is that it is a magnificent advancement that has made our lives so much easier, and it would be naive not to recognize that.
