Looking for ways the internet has changed our lives has prompted me to think outside of the box. In my research, I’ve found all of the obvious ways, you know, cell phones, the internet lingo, and some of the other topics I have blogged, and will still blog about. For this entry though, I’ve decided to list the ways it has changed us that we don’t tend to think about, just for fun.
- Your Lunch break – No longer do we even leave our desks, am I right? Isn’t lunchtime really “eat in front of your computer screen while personal e-mails are sent and facebook is checked” time? Look around your office at lunch time. Are people eating together, or making their food in a common area, and bringing it back to their respective “ designated holes”?
- Watches – I recently bought my boyfriend a really nice watch for his birthday. I later realized, that we don’t really use watches anymore. While we’re either in front of the computer which has a built in clock, or holding on to our phones dearly, we’ve got a clock at our fingertips, and no longer on our wrists.
- Giving Directions – Ahh, mapquest. Gotta’ love it. GPS, who can live without it nowadays? I remember on a road trip to Florida a few years ago, I had asked friends we were visiting (who might I add, lived in the area) for directions from Universal Studios to their own home. They simply replied, “Type it into your GPS!” Really? Thank goodness one of us actually had one, otherwise, we never would have gotten there.
- Privacy – Think about this. Before facebook, did you walk around with all of your photo albums, every last one, including the “Oldies but goodies”? Or the “Embarrassing Christmas Party Photos”? I didn’t think so. It actually seems kind of silly! Now, we broadcast this information for everyone to see, and it’s accessible at any time. Tangible photography is losing its luster.
- Confidence – This is a little more abstract, but if you’ve got a twitter, or a face book account, you will agree. You are definitely more confident with your thoughts. Letting everyone know what you’re doing. Before facebook, did you get up from your desk to announce that you are going to make a bangin’ ham and cheese sandwich for lunch? Did you call every one of your friends to tell them your plans for the rest of the day? Did you walk around quoting song lyrics aloud?
- Mail – Not sure if anyone’s heard this recent decision, but they are thinking about stopping mail delivery on Saturdays! This is due to the lack of paper mail now that we can make payments online, e-mail our friends and relatives, and share photos over the internet. Is the postman going to be a thing of the past as the milkman is?
- Debate – Let’s say you don’t agree with something someone you know (or don’t know, for the sake of the blog) is doing. Normally, you might just walk away, tell a friend about it later. Now, with the power of the internet, you can simply hide behind your computer, and not only tell multiple friends and family how you feel about said disagreement, but you can tell that person, and with confidence! (see Number 5)
- Down Time – There is just no more of it! I guarantee if you’ve got a smart phone, with the internet and you have a second of downtime, you’re logging on to see what’s going on, or looking up that video the guy at the office was telling you about at lunch.
- Memory – Ok, let’s play a little game of memory. Think about your contacts list in your phone. Which numbers could you dial at a payphone from memory, had you lost this precious handheld device? Probably only the ones you knew from way back when … before you even had a phone! With the luxury of an electronic memory, we no longer need to memorize numbers! (Except of course, the easy ones!)
- Concentration/Productivity – How can you possibly concentrate on your work, when you’ve got the entire world literally at your fingertips? Enough said.
I hope that was a little break from your ever-so-busy day, and I hope it got you thinking! I still want to know what you think! Get involved. Post some ways you think the internet’s changed our lives… I can’t wait to hear your answers!
Until next time,
Nicole
