There are certain points of social evolution that once crossed, it becomes difficult to imagine how life could ever return to a time before their profound advent. And for every Fight Club-loving anarchist who not-so-secretly wishes the contemporary world could return to a simpler time, there are those of us who’ve embraced the progression and possibilities offered by social/technological advancements.
I noticed on the PopSci front page today that the internet is on the cusp of having its five billionth device connected. Within the next decade that number is set to increase fourfold, meaning that there will be more devices connected to the internet than people in the world. This article was profound for a very simple reason: I don’t think the developed world could ever go back to a time before the conveniences and possibilities of the World Wide Web.
It’s not just that the ways in which we work, interact and are entertained have all changed from the rather fast rise of the internet; it’s also that it’s become so ingrained in our culture. Everything digital has to be delivered to us quickly these days—communication, information and entertainment—and if it isn’t, we have all too many spare moments to question why we’re waiting on it and how to make it quicker.
Personally speaking, I find it difficult to go on a vacation without feeling an overwhelming sense of withdrawal in the first 24 hours if I can’t readily access some form of internet-connected technology. Nowadays, it feels more as though I’m forcing myself to holiday in technologically challenged locales because I believe it’s good for me to get away from technology, more-so than I actually actively want to visit them. I know that it’s healthy for me to not be constantly surrounded by technological things, and yet I find it so hard to break away.
As technology advances and as Australia eventually (hopefully) upgrades its broadband internet infrastructure to world-class speeds my dependency and, dare I confess, addiction to internet-related gizmos is only bound to increase.
And to tell you the truth, I’m a bit worried. What about you?
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I am not, the internet is totally awesome.
I agree that the internet is totally awesome and, in fact, I wouldn’t be able to do much of my work without it (there’s a scary thought). What I do worry about is that we seemed to have crossed a point where we will always need the internet, and it’s happened rather quickly too.