The world has forever changed since the onset of the internet. It has went from a small network of computers to a worldwide network. Every year the momentum for growth accelerates at an exponential rate. What was once a small server base, is now a monstrous connected web of servers with a bottomless well of information. Whether the information is used to promote liberty, marketing, or education, the playing field has been forever changed.
Take journalism for instance. The world has arrived into a time where almost everyone is accountable for their actions. We aren’t completely there yet but it can be argued the internet helps keep corporations and governments honest. There’s the protests on wall-street, to the riots in Egypt being tweeted around the world. In minutes people are more informed on a subject than if they had to wait for news corporations to supply the same information.
Another growing trend changing the world on the internet is education. For the first time in modern history anyone with internet access has the opportunity to learn anything they desire. There’s online tutorials, videos, and online colleges. A child in Africa with a computer can educate themselves on a collegiate level using uploaded video lectures from prestigious institutions. We’ve also seen an explosion in recent years in regards to people earning their degrees online. I imagine this will continue to expand in the future.
The internet has also impacted the world’s economy in ways never imaginable. There’s an ever growing number of opportunities to detach ourselves from the monotonous 9-5 schedule while make a respectable living online. It’s created a wealth of jobs in areas like marketing and sales, and has given entrepreneurs a vehicle to practice their passions of starting a business.
The internet has indeed changed the world, or at least empowered people with the right tools to make those changes themselves. I suspect in the future it will only become more prominent in our life.
