In a lot of ways nowadays, we’ve become used to the concept of quick progression. Whether that’s in terms of societal, technological, or ideological development, the 21st century so far has been two decades of non-stop progress and innovation.
But, how exactly has this progress occurred in terms of the technology we do and don’t use on a daily basis? And how has this technological development affected our lives in a positive and efficient way?
Smartphones
GPS
One of the most important and meaningful technological developments of the past two decades is, of course, smartphones. Merely a bit over a decade ago, half of the resources that we readily use on our phones would have to be found via a laptop, desktop, or various other means. For example, nowadays we all make use of our GPSs on our phones to get to and from various destinations on a day to day basis. But a little over a decade ago, a lot of people were still navigating from memory or printed directions from Mapquest!
Communication
Our ability to communicate with people has also improved significantly. Being able to use texting applications like WhatsApp, iMessage, and Facebook messenger has allowed people not only to communicate much more easily, but also to communicate from extremely long distances — speaking with people around the world has truly never been easier.
Scientific Development
Experiments & Processing Power
The technological progress of our computers has made a huge difference as well — on a scientific front, the more processing power we’re able to put into computers, the more we’re able to use computers on a scientific front. More processing power allows us to conduct more accurate experiments and it allows us to take various experiments further.
In cases like psychological experiments that require statistical processing of large amounts of data, or computer science projects where large amounts of processing power are needed, we’ve never been better equipped with the resources that we need!
Practical Technology
In addition, though, we’re also able to use our computers much more efficiently on a practical level. Whether you’re making use of your computer in a work environment, or even just for personal enjoyment, it’s become exponentially easier to get a computer to do exactly what you want (in comparison to a decade ago or more).
Transportation
Ride-Share Apps
Transportation has been definitely been a constantly developing industry — but in the past few decades, some of the changes that have occurred in this industry have been revolutionary, for us and for the industry. An example of this is the introduction of ride-share apps like Uber and Lyft that allow customers to much more easily get to and from a destination.
A little over a decade ago, the only methods of transportation available for those without access to a bus or train were cars and taxis. But now with ride-share apps, people are much more easily able to get to their destination. Furthermore, these rides are significantly more affordable and maintain a steady and consistent price, rather than varying based on an odometer.
Highway Convenience
In the past few decades, one of the easier technological advances that made people’s lives easier is the E-Z pass. It made it much easier to handle tolls, providing a simple way to be charged rather than having to pay for tolls with change.
Nowadays, though, paying tolls has become an even more efficient process — with toll booths being completely removed on certain highways, and being exchanged for cameras that charge you or take a picture of your license plate and send you a notice for the toll by mail. This is just one of a few ways that highway travel has changed through technological progress, but is a particularly useful change that has made people’s lives much easier.
Homes: Comfort and Relaxation
Household Items
One of the main domains where technology has progressed and benefited us the most is in our own households. Many of the different pieces of furniture or devices that we use commonly in our houses have been progressively updating, getting more and more effective for the sake of making our lives easier.
Common examples of this would be household items like fridges, televisions, routers, and boilers improving the quality of life in a household. Fridges, allowing us to have better filtered water and to alter the temperatures of the fridge and freezer to desired degrees. Televisions beginning to use the internet and applications, routers improving the reception of our internet, and boilers improvising the efficiency with which heat in a house may be created.
Beds
Some of the casual items we use in our households have been changed in slight, yet drastic, ways over the years as well. Some of the best beds that you can get for your house are adjustable — using a connected device or remote, you’re able to alter the incline of the bed and find your ideal positioning!
Cleaning Items
Even household items for cleanliness have been made better by technology. For example, some of the best vacuums, like Shark vacuums, are better able to clean and suck up dirt and debris on your floors than ever before. And with this level of efficiency, you’re able to get the floors of your house fully clean with a significantly shorter and more convenient number of steps being involved.
Although these aren’t all the ways that the progress of technology has been able to make our lives easier, these are definitely some of the important changes that have occurred and improved our general livelihoods. Generally speaking, there’s quite a large amount of technological developments and changes that have improved our lives — and it’s important to try and stay aware of the best ways to take advantage of these improvements.
All in all, technological progress continues to make our lives easier on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis, and it’ll be exciting to see the many new ways that technology continues to make our lives easier and, in some cases, better.
Resources —
https://thriveglobal.com/stories/how-technology-has-made-an-impact-in-making-our-lives-better/
https://www.engadget.com/2016/10/17/6-ways-on-how-technology-has-made-our-life-easier/
