Societal Changes: A Reflection Over Time, Numerous

¶ … Societal Changes: A Reflection

Over time, numerous changes have taken place in the society. Some of these changes have had a significant impact on the lives of millions of people from across the world. However, based on their impact, some changes have been consistently ranked higher than others in terms of significance.

For my dad, the most important change he has witnessed during his lifetime is the internet revolution. In his words, "…the internet has changed everything from the way we learn, communicate, socialize, do business…to the way we access news, shop and even work." Prior to interviewing dad, I had never really given much thought to the relevance of the internet and the impact the same has had on our lives. However, after this particular interview, I began to appreciate the power of the internet and the role the same is playing in the transformation of the society. Dad has had the opportunity of having a taste of both worlds -- the one devoid of any kind of internet connection, and the one where the internet (as we know it) is the key driver of change. Indeed, at some point during the interview, dad recounted to me how life was in the 80s and early 90s before the internet as we know it today became commercialized. Instead of emails, people were used to communication using letters which would in some instances take hours or even days to reach the intended receiver. If an individual wanted to conduct research on anything, hitting the library was the only option available. Further, without the social media, including but not limited to Face Book and Twitter, socialization used to take place at the very basic level.

In dad's opinion, the internet has opened up the world to new possibilities. Thanks to the internet, we have become a truly global village. To highlight this, dad points out that today, the traditional barriers to trade no longer exist. With e-commerce, buyers in China or India can do shopping right here in the U.S. without ever leaving the comfort of their homes. As dad further point out, the internet has also brought with itself "unimaginable convenience." Today, it is possible to do banking, pay utility bills, and even book movie tickets from your office desk. In dad's own words, "…three decades ago, no one could have even dreamt of these possibilities."

I agree with dad's assertion that the growth of the internet is one of the most important changes that has taken place in the society in recent times. This is more so the case given that such an assertion is coming from a person who was there long before the internet revolution. Apart from easing our access to information, the internet has also made communication quicker and dependable. Further, and perhaps most importantly, the internet has made it easier for people and institutions from across the world to interconnect in a way that further facilitates business, education and even banking. The national and international boarders that were largely viewed as barriers to communication as well as commerce no longer exist.