The Impact of Technology on Society

 

Let's rewind 30 years ago, way back to 1990. To a time where technology was at an infant stage and the internet didn’t exist. 

 

A time where we used to use a cassette tapes, have a choice of only 4 television stations, do projects using encyclopedias and if you wanted to meet people - it required leaving the home. 

 

You know - back in the days - where you used to have to wind down your car windows manually, read a newspaper to find out what was going on in the world - and if you wanted to watch a movie, it was either a trip to the local cinema or the BlockBuster store.

My My, how things have changed right?

 

Some millennials are probably even watching this and asking “What’s a cassette tape?”

So where did it all start?

Technology has always been developing over time, However it was when the internet was invented that really had an enormous impact on the way society live their day to day lives.

So what exactly is the internet?

Well, in essence, the internet is a global network that connects billions of computers and electrical devices.

When a person is connected to the internet, it allows them to access the World Wide Web, which is a collection of different websites.  It gives them the ability to access a vast range of information and connect with people all over the world.

And it all started back in 1960, with the internet beginning its maiden voyage on big clunky computers as a way for government researchers to share information. 

However, by the 1990’s the internet had become a global commercial network and had reached most homes in Australia - via something that some people may recall…. dial up internet.

Back in those early days, dial up connection was a very slow and sketchy internet connection which was funnelled through your landline phone, via a modem and into your desktop computer.

Some people may remember that sound of dial up internet, you know -  that ear piercing washing sound with irritating high pitched beeping that could go on and on and on.

These days a much faster connection is used with the fastest being fixed broadband. 

Current data shows Singapore is leading the world with an average fixed broadband connection speed of 245 MB/S. 

As at April 2020, Australia’s broadband internet speed ranks 56 out of 100 countries on the global chart with an average speed of 77.88 MB/S.

Latest statistics tell us that as of January 2021 there were 4.66 billion active internet users worldwide, which is nearly 60% of the entire global population.

Keep in mind though, not everyone has access to the internet, mainly due to political repression or connectivity issues.

So now that the majority of the population can access the internet, what devices are we using to do this?

Well gone are the days of being stuck at a desk staring at a big bulky monitor - these days society has a range of devices it can use to access the internet. 

The most popular devices include Mobile Phones. Computers, Tablets, Smart TVs, Game Consoles, Smart Watches, Speakers  -  and even Home Appliances.

When using these devices, people can jump online and easily find what they are looking for via a search engine.  

Google currently dominates the search engine market, however social media channels such as Instagram and Facebook have the ability to search via hashtags rather than key words, which some consumers, particularly the younger generations prefer to use.

So with all the information we want and need at our fingertips - what are people consumers buying online?

Well, in Australia in 2019, data revealed the most popular category was clothing, with books, music, games, movies and electronics following closely behind. 

However, due to COVID in 2020 and people in lockdown, consumer behaviour changed and online sales peaked with the average online sale increasing by one million households every month in comparison to 2019. (Auspost). 

Food, liquor, home and garden purchases more than doubled compared to 2019.

Another thing that the internet has driven is online video consumption. 

Consumers use online video to watch music clips, TV shows, “how to videos”, gaming celebrities, beauty vloggers, humour videos, interviews, live news streaming and movies, 

YouTube is currently the biggest video sharing network in the world, and data from 2019 indicates that people spend an average of 6 hours and 48 minutes per week watching online videos, which is a 59% increase from 2016.

Unsurprisingly, video content is watched the most by millennials as this age group are more connected and familiar in comparison to older age groups.

And here's a fun fact - did you know that Google owns YouTube? And Facebook owns Instagram? I know right!

With the popularity and speed of the internet, it has opened doors to social platforms we never imagined. Social media has insinuated itself into most facets of our daily lives, and has become a fundamental way that people get information, purchase goods and connect with each other. 

In 2020, there were 3.96 billion people actively using social media in the world. In Australia, we have around 17 million active users a month - that's around 68% of the entire population!

It’s with no doubt that the introduction of the internet and creation of new tech devices has changed the way we live our everyday lives. 

We can access any kind of information, at our fingertips, any time of the day or night. We can connect with loved ones, immerse ourselves in a VR world, ask Google for directions, move our money online, meet new people, send emails and texts, drive our electric car, watch funny videos and “zoom in” to an online meeting. 

And these are just a few examples.

As time goes on, new technology will continue to change the way we live. Advancements are already in the pipeline for wearable devices, machine learning, cryptocurrency, driverless cars, 3D printed food and Nanobots - again just to name a few. 

It will be a very interesting time ahead to see how humans adapt to these new advancements and the changes in society that will follow. 

You can view the full presentation document on Slideshare or on the video presentation on YouTube.