life without computer and internet essay

Essay on Life Without Computer

Students are often asked to write an essay on Life Without Computer in their schools and colleges. And if you’re also looking for the same, we have created 100-word, 250-word, and 500-word essays on the topic.

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100 Words Essay on Life Without Computer

Introduction.

Imagine a day without computers. Sounds tough, right? Computers have become an integral part of our lives.

The Role of Computers

From school projects to office work, we depend on computers. They store information, help us connect with others and entertain us.

Life Without Computers

Without computers, life would be slower. We’d rely on traditional methods for work and communication. We’d write letters, read physical books, and use paper maps for directions.

While challenging, a life without computers could also be simpler and more connected with nature. It would be a different, but not necessarily worse, experience.

250 Words Essay on Life Without Computer

Life without computers, in the current digital age, seems unimaginable. Computers have become an integral part of our lives, from education and healthcare to entertainment and communication. However, let’s delve into a hypothetical scenario where computers do not exist.

Impact on Communication

Without computers, communication would revert to traditional methods such as letters, telegrams, and landline phones. The immediacy of communication, which we take for granted today, would be lost. Social media platforms, email, and instant messaging would be non-existent, leading to a significant slowdown in global communication.

Effect on Education and Research

Education would be severely impacted without computers. The vast resources available online, including e-books, online courses, and research databases, would be inaccessible. Research would become more time-consuming and less efficient, hindering scientific and technological advancements.

Healthcare and Business

In healthcare, the absence of computers would mean no electronic health records, making patient care less efficient. Similarly, businesses would lose the ability to analyze large data sets for strategic decision-making, affecting profitability and growth.

Entertainment

Entertainment would be limited to traditional forms such as books, outdoor games, and live performances. The world of online gaming, streaming platforms, and digital art would be a figment of imagination.

In essence, life without computers would be slower, less efficient, and more labor-intensive. It would greatly impede progress and limit our ability to connect on a global scale. This hypothetical scenario underscores the pivotal role computers play in shaping our modern society.

500 Words Essay on Life Without Computer

Life without computers seems unimaginable in today’s world. They have become an integral part of our daily life, influencing various sectors such as communication, education, healthcare, and business. However, it is intriguing to envisage a world without these digital devices and explore the potential implications.

The Pre-Computer Era

Before the advent of computers, life was undeniably different, but it was not necessarily worse. People relied on physical interaction for communication, handwritten letters, and telegrams. The pace of life was slower, and people had more time to engage with their surroundings and each other.

Communication

Without computers, we would revert to more traditional forms of communication. The instant messaging, video calls and emails would be replaced by letters, face-to-face conversations, and phone calls. Despite being slower and less convenient, these methods have their charm and depth, fostering stronger interpersonal relationships.

In the field of education, the absence of computers would mean a return to traditional teaching methods. Libraries would regain their importance as the primary source of knowledge. Students would engage more with physical books, enhancing their comprehension and retention. However, the loss of online education platforms would limit access to global knowledge resources.

Business and Economy

In the business world, operations would slow down without computers. Manual record-keeping would return, increasing the chances of human errors. The absence of digital marketing would limit businesses’ reach, affecting globalization and economic growth.

Without computers, the healthcare sector would face significant challenges. Advanced diagnostic tools and telemedicine would be non-existent, leading to a potential decrease in the quality of healthcare. However, doctors would likely spend more time with patients, possibly improving the doctor-patient relationship.

Entertainment without computers would see a shift from digital to physical forms. Board games, outdoor sports, reading, and live performances would regain popularity. This shift might lead to more active and healthier lifestyles.

Life without computers would indeed be challenging in the modern context. However, it would also offer opportunities for more personal interactions, physical activities, and a slower pace of life. It is crucial to remember that while computers have brought numerous benefits, they are tools that should serve us, not control us. Striking a balance between digital and non-digital life is the key to enjoying the best of both worlds.

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Life Without Computers Essay

Introduction, communication, health care, human skills, list of references.

What do you think a life without a computer would look like? Technology is a fundamental aspect of our society and therefore it is hard to imagine existing without it. Read “A World without Computers” essay below to find out more. Since the development of the first computer, technology experienced an exponential growth that has led to the concept of globalization and the enhancement of the quality of life for people across the world. It is apparent that the computer technology fostered many positive changes in the society, and computers are an indispensable part of the modern society because they have enhanced the survival of humans.

One of the major contributions of the computer technology in the world has been the enhancement of the quality of communication. The computer technology alongside the discovery of the internet has eliminated the slow communication platforms that were used in the past (Boothroyd 2011). For instance, without the computer technology, people would have to communicate with their distance relatives through letters. It would be extremely slow to share information with relatives from different parts of the world, and it would be especially difficult to be updated on different global developments (Olsen 2012).

Computers facilitated instant messaging and access to information from the mass media companies across the world. Additionally, the growth of the social media platforms has made the world a global village where people from different parts of the world can share information easily. Living without the computer technology would be characterized by slow and limited access to information.

Living without the computer technology would also be characterized by a high mortality rate because the quality of the health care services would be very low compared to the status in the modern world. It is apparent that computers have facilitated the development of technologies that have enhanced preventive health care in the world, as well as the development of medications for various illnesses. Computers are used to analyze different specimens in laboratories to detect illnesses and their potential remedies (Hawkin 2012). Without computers, health care providers would only rely on the knowledge of symptoms to treat patients. This would result in many deaths because illnesses like cancer would not be easily detected without the use of the computer technology.

The computer technology has become an indispensable aspect of the modern world. Scientists have overly concentrated on the enhancement of the capabilities of the computers instead of investing in the enhancement of human skills (Baldry 2012).

It is apparent that computers have taken over different jobs and made human skills obsolete (Ford 2016). The world without computers would compel the authorities to invest in human skills and knowledge, and this would result in a society that is highly specialized in different doctrines. This implies that the rate of unemployment would be relatively low across the world because the corporate sector would require a high number of employees to handle the tasks that computers perform on a daily basis.

Life without computers would be difficult for humankind because the modern world has overly depended on the computer technology to enhance the quality of life. Communication would be relatively slow and limited, and the quality of health care services would be very low. However, the world without computers would compel the authorities to invest in educating the human assets in different doctrines to cover the gap that would be created by the lack of computers. It is vivid that computer technology has had a positive impact on the global society.

Baldry, C 2012, Computers, Jobs, and Skills: The Industrial Relations of Technological Change , Springer Science & Business Media, Berlin.

Boothroyd, J 2011, From Typewriters to Text Messages: How Communication Has Changed , Lerner Classroom, Minneapolis.

Ford, M 2016, Rise of the Robots: Technology and the Threat of a Jobless Future , Basic Books, New York City.

Hawkin, D 2012, Twenty-first Century Confronts Its Gods, The: Globalization, Technology, and War, SUNY Press, New York.

Olsen, K 2012, How Information Technology Is Conquering the World: Workplace, Private Life, and Society , Scarecrow Press, Lanham.

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Home — Essay Samples — Information Science and Technology — Internet — Imagine What Life Would Be Like Without The Internet

Imagine What Life Would Be Like Without The Internet

• Categories: Impact of Technology Internet World Wide Web

About this sample

Words: 1509 |

Published: Oct 17, 2018

Words: 1509 | Pages: 3 | 8 min read

Table of contents

How would having no internet affect the general personal user, life without internet-communication, life without the internet – effects on business, access to information & resources cut, a life without internet: impossible or not, works cited.

You may also be interested Free Online Conclusion Generator

• For getting Information
• Communication is another way to use the internet.
• People use various mail services like Gmail, Yahoo mail, AOL, and Hotmail etc to send files.
• There is a very close relation of the internet to entertainment. It’s watching videos on YouTube, playing live games, or downloading movies
• People can make money online by using the internet.
• Internet marketers use the internet to sell products.
• Online education
• Adner, R. (2006). Match your innovation strategy to your innovation ecosystem. Harvard Business Review, 84(4), 98-107.
• Castells, M. (2001). The Internet Galaxy: Reflections on the Internet, Business, and Society. Oxford University Press.
• Chaffey, D. (2019). Digital Marketing: Strategy, Implementation and Practice. Pearson.
• Evans, P. (2012). The Internet of Things: How the Next Evolution of the Internet Is Changing Everything. CISCO IBSG.
• O'Reilly, T. (2005). What Is Web 2.0: Design Patterns and Business Models for the Next Generation of Software. O'Reilly Media.
• Rheingold, H. (2000). The Virtual Community: Homesteading on the Electronic Frontier. MIT Press.
• Shirky, C. (2010). Cognitive surplus: Creativity and generosity in a connected age. Penguin Books.
• Tapscott, D., & Williams, A. D. (2008). Wikinomics: How Mass Collaboration Changes Everything. Portfolio.
• Turkle, S. (2011). Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other. Basic Books.
• van Dijck, J. (2013). The Culture of Connectivity: A Critical History of Social Media. Oxford University Press.

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Could you live without the internet? People in these countries say they can’t imagine it

82% of Indians surveyed said they couldn’t imagine an offline life Image:  REUTERS/Mike Segar

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Stay up to date:, internet governance.

Given the amount of time we spend on our smartphones, tablets and computers, an unconnected world would be anathema to many of us.

Estimates place the number of internet users worldwide in the region of 3.6 billion – around half the world’s population – while Facebook has more than 2 billion active monthly users .

Ipsos surveyed more than 18,000 people across 23 countries and two thirds said they couldn’t imagine life without the internet.

However, some nationalities appear to be especially reliant on the internet – 82% of Indians surveyed said they couldn’t imagine an offline life. India has the second highest number of internet users worldwide by headcount, although at 635.8 million this accounts for only 26% of the population .

The UK, while having fewer internet users than more populous countries such as India, China, the US and Brazil, was placed second, with 78% unable to contemplate getting by without it.

China, which has the highest number of internet users of any country – 731 million as of March 2017 – is third, with 77%.

Digital downtime

Millennials and the post-millennial generation are more connected than any other age group, but the rise of social media has coincided with increased levels of depression, anxiety and loneliness among young people .

In the UK adults now spend an average of 25 hours online per week, up from nine hours in 2005. This figure increased to 29 hours for young people aged 16-24, according to a survey by the country’s communications regulator Ofcom .

The study found that more than a third of UK internet users did a “digital detox” at some point last year, and the age group most likely to take a break were 16 to 24 year olds.

As a result of their digital detox, more than a third said they felt more productive, almost a third found it liberating and a quarter enjoyed life more. Although 16% said they experienced a “fear of missing out”, known as FOMO, and 15% felt lost and 14% cut off.

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Life Without Computers: Pros & Corns

Article 09 Feb 2023 13039 0

Computers and technology have become ubiquitous in our daily lives. They have changed the way we communicate, work, and entertain ourselves. However, for some individuals and communities, a life without computers and technology is a deliberate choice. In this article, we will explore the impact of technology on society and the benefits and challenges of living a life without computers.

History and Evolution of Technology and Computers:

The first computer was created in the mid-20th century, and since then, technology has evolved rapidly. The development of the internet has further changed the way we communicate and access information. Today, computers and technology are integral to our daily lives, and it is difficult to imagine life without them.

Impact of Technology and Computers on Society and Daily Life:

The impact of technology and computers on society and daily life has been profound. They have made communication, work, and entertainment more accessible and convenient. The internet has provided us with an endless source of information and a new way to connect with others. However, technology has also created new challenges and raised concerns about its effects on our privacy, security, and well-being.

Pros and Cons of a Life Without Computers:

Living without computers and technology has its pros and cons. On the one hand, it can lead to a simpler and more relaxed lifestyle, free from distractions and stress. It can also promote face-to-face communication, increased physical activity, and a deeper connection with nature. On the other hand, living without computers can limit access to information, limit opportunities for work and education, and lead to social isolation.

• Reduced Stress: Living without computers and technology can help to reduce stress levels, as individuals are free from constant distractions and notifications.
• Increased Focus: By disconnecting from technology, individuals can concentrate better and be more productive.
• Stronger Relationships: Living without technology can promote face-to-face communication, leading to stronger relationships and a greater sense of community.
• Deeper Connection with Nature: Disconnecting from technology can result in a deeper connection with nature and the world around us.
• Simplified Lifestyle: Living without technology can result in a more relaxed and simplified lifestyle, free from the demands and distractions of technology.
• Limited Access to Information: Without computers and technology, individuals may have limited access to information, which can impact their work and education opportunities.
• Social Isolation: Living without technology can lead to social isolation and decreased competitiveness in a highly technological world.
• Significant Effort and Adaptation: Living without computers and technology may require significant effort and adaptation, as individuals must find alternative methods for communication, entertainment, and information-seeking.
• Decreased Competitiveness: In a highly technological world, living without computers can result in decreased competitiveness and limited career opportunities.
• Lack of Convenience: Living without technology can be less convenient and may require more time and effort to accomplish everyday tasks.

Additionally, while living without computers and technology has its benefits, it also has its challenges. It is important for individuals to consider their priorities and weigh the pros and cons before making a decision. Whether one chooses to embrace technology or reject it, it will continue to play a significant role in our daily lives.

Practical Aspects of a Technology-Free Lifestyle:

Living without computers and technology requires a certain level of planning and preparation. Alternative forms of communication, entertainment, and information-seeking must be sought out. For example, individuals without computers may rely on libraries, community centers, or pen and paper for communication, entertainment, and information-seeking.

Adopting a technology-free lifestyle can be a significant challenge, but it is not impossible. Here are some practical aspects to consider:

• Communication: Without technology, individuals must find alternative methods for communication, such as writing letters or using landline phones. Socializing in person and participating in community activities can also provide opportunities for communication.
• Entertainment: Individuals must find alternative forms of entertainment, such as reading books, playing musical instruments, or participating in sports or hobbies.
• Information-Seeking: Without computers, individuals must find alternative methods for information-seeking, such as using libraries, asking experts, or seeking advice from others.
• Education: Without technology, individuals must find alternative methods for education, such as attending workshops or classes, reading books, or participating in apprenticeships.
• Work: Without technology, individuals must find alternative methods for work, such as manual labor or working in traditional industries.
• Shopping: Without technology, individuals must find alternative methods for shopping, such as visiting physical stores or bargaining with local vendors.

While a technology-free lifestyle may require significant effort and adaptation, it can lead to a more relaxed and simpler life, free from the distractions and demands of technology. However, it is important to consider the challenges and limitations of this lifestyle and determine whether it is the right choice for you.

How People are Able to Live and Function Without Computers:

Despite the challenges, there are many individuals and communities who are able to live and function without computers and technology. They often find alternative methods for communication, entertainment, and information-seeking. For instance, they may use traditional forms of communication, such as letter writing or face-to-face conversation. They may also participate in physical activities, such as sports or hobbies, for entertainment. Additionally, they may rely on local libraries or community centers for access to information.

Living without computers and technology can seem daunting, but it is possible for individuals to lead fulfilling lives without these modern conveniences. Here are some examples of how people are able to live and function without computers:

• Alternative forms of communication: Individuals who live without computers often rely on alternative forms of communication, such as writing letters, using landline phones, or participating in community activities.
• Reading and education: Without computers, individuals may engage in more traditional forms of education, such as attending workshops, reading books, or participating in apprenticeships.
• Physical recreation: Engaging in physical activities such as sports, hiking, or playing musical instruments can provide entertainment and recreation without technology.
• Community involvement: Participating in community activities and volunteering can provide social interaction and a sense of purpose.
• Traditional work: Engaging in manual labor or working in traditional industries, such as agriculture or craftsmanship, can provide a sense of accomplishment and financial stability.
• Shopping locally: Shopping at local markets and engaging in bartering can provide a more personal and fulfilling shopping experience.

These examples show that it is possible for individuals to lead fulfilling lives without relying on technology and computers. While it may require effort and adaptation, it can lead to a simpler and more relaxed lifestyle, free from the distractions and demands of technology.

Benefits of Disconnecting from Technology and Living a Simpler Life:

Disconnecting from technology and living a simpler life can have numerous benefits. It can reduce stress and increase focus, as individuals are free from constant distractions and notifications. It can also promote physical activity and face-to-face communication, leading to stronger relationships and a greater sense of community. Furthermore, living without technology can result in a deeper connection with nature and the world around us.

Potential Challenges and Drawbacks of Living Without Computers:

While living without computers and technology has its benefits, it can also present some challenges and drawbacks. It can limit access to information and opportunities for work and education. It can also lead to social isolation and decreased competitiveness in a highly technological world. Moreover, living without computers may require significant effort and adaptation, as individuals must find alternative methods for communication, entertainment, and information-seeking.

Outlook for a Future Without Computers and Technology:

The outlook for a future without computers and technology is difficult to predict, as technology continues to evolve at a rapid pace and has become deeply ingrained in our daily lives. While some experts predict that technology will continue to play an increasingly dominant role in society, others believe that there may be a shift towards a more balanced relationship with technology, where individuals and communities seek to disconnect and return to a more simple and traditional way of life.

There are a few potential scenarios for a future without computers and technology:

• A Technological Apocalypse: Some experts warn that our reliance on technology may lead to a catastrophic collapse of society, whether from cyber attacks, technological failure, or environmental collapse.
• A Return to Simplicity: Others predict that there will be a growing demand for a simpler and more sustainable way of life, where individuals and communities reject technology and embrace a more traditional way of life.
• A New Era of Human-Machine Interaction: Some experts predict that technology will continue to advance and become even more integrated into our lives, but that humans will learn to balance this relationship and find ways to connect with each other and the natural world.

Regardless of the future outcome, it is clear that the impact of computers and technology on our lives will continue to be a topic of debate and discussion for years to come. For those who choose to live without computers and technology, the outlook is a commitment to a simpler and more connected way of life, free from the distractions and demands of technology.

Case Studies or Examples of Individuals or Communities Who Have Chosen a Life Without Computers:

There are many individuals and communities who have chosen to live without computers and technology, either by necessity or by personal preference. Here are a few examples:

• The Amish Community: The Amish are a religious group known for their traditional lifestyle and rejection of modern technology. They rely on manual labor and traditional forms of communication, transportation, and education.
• Colin Wright: Colin Wright is an author and speaker who has lived without a computer for over ten years. He travels extensively, relying on physical books, a manual typewriter, and alternative forms of communication and entertainment.
• The Luddites: The Luddites were a 19th-century social movement in England that opposed the rise of industrialization and the use of machines in the workplace. Today, some individuals and communities continue to reject technology and embrace a simpler way of life.
• The Simple Living Movement: The Simple Living Movement is a modern-day movement that promotes minimalism, environmental sustainability, and living a life free from consumerism and technology.

These case studies demonstrate that it is possible for individuals and communities to live without computers and technology, and that this lifestyle can be fulfilling and meaningful. While it may require adaptation and effort, it can also lead to a more relaxed and connected way of life, free from the distractions and demands of technology.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, living without computers and technology can offer numerous benefits and challenges. While it may lead to a simpler and more relaxed lifestyle, it can also limit access to information and opportunities. It will be important for individuals to consider their priorities and find a balance between technology and other aspects of their lives. Whether one chooses to embrace technology or reject it, it is clear that it will continue to play a significant role in our daily lives.

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Offline: day one of life without internet

Paul miller describes his first 24 hours away from the internet..

By Paul Miller

Share this story

Dear Diary,

I just spent 24 hours entirely without the internet for the first time I can remember in my adult life.

I think there are two kinds of people who live with technology constantly in their face: people who freak out when they're forcefully separated from their devices or connectivity, as if their arm has been cut off, and people who feel really chill when they're forcefully separated from their devices or connectivity, as if they've been let out of prison. I've spoken to many of both kinds as I've prepared for leaving the internet, and thankfully I fall in the latter camp.

I've lost my phone for weeks at a time before (in my pre-iPhone days), and let my current dumbphone run out of charge numerous times, and I always feel at peace knowing nobody can call me and demand anything of me. I know it's really frustrating for people who do want to reach me, and I'm always in danger of missing out on a party or failing to make a rendezvous, but overall I feel like it's a positive.

I felt like school was out for the summer

The moment I reached down and unplugged the ethernet cable from my computer, I felt like school was out for the summer, and the simultaneous relief and boredom that last bell brings. I stood up, and I realized that I'd been anticipating this moment for ages, but for some reason I hadn't made any plans. It was a stark contrast to the hectic day I'd just experienced, which had culminated in a 3-hour, ultra-insane livestream of myself playing StarCraft and Minecraft simultaneously while Skyping with friends and playing jams in Turntable.fm.

I stood up, stretched, and then played local-multiplayer video games in the office for a couple hours, naturally. All that was missing was a beanbag and string cheese and I would've been 12 again.

To get my PC rig home I took a cab. Since Jordan, one of our video producers, was following me with a camera, recording this momentous evening, my cab driver asked me what we were shooting.

"Oh, I'm leaving the internet for a year," I said.

"Why?" he asked.

It was a good question, and he didn't seem to find my answer very interesting. Our conversation ended there.

I deleted the app, tweets unseen

At home I listened to records with my roommate and the peaceful boredom continued. I found myself really engaging in the moment, asking questions and listening closely, even more than if I'd just closed my computer or locked my phone, because I knew neither of those things could demand anything of me. Not tonight, and not for another 364 nights.

My first major temptation came the next morning, when I pulled out my iPad. I had forgotten to turn my iPad's Wi-Fi off for about five minutes after midnight, so I knew there were post-disconnect tweets cached on there. They'd be about me. They would stoke my ego, or maybe deflate it. I was very curious.

I deleted the app, tweets unseen. In fact, I've been keeping my internet-reliant apps in a folder on my iPad, so I deleted all of those. Twitch.tv: I'll miss you most of all.

I went into the office a couple times for various errands, and heard snippets of news, but didn't stay long. I'll let the second-hand information stream start some other day. I heard something about a "BlackBerry 10" and something about Diet Coke that I plan on searching for in the next issue of my daily paper. More interesting to me was hearing Joshua Kopstein talk about some of his first-hand experiences that day with the Occupy Wall Street crowd. I guess I'm a bit of a first-hand fanboy right now.

It's almost intimidating to have someone be that attentive to you

I spent much of the day catching up with a friend from out of town. He's actually a major authority on limiting phone-based distraction. He doesn't text, and his phone is often off. While I had to field a bunch of calls the whole time we were hanging out, he wasn't interrupted a single time by any of his gadgets. It's almost intimidating to have someone be that attentive to you.

The whole day was really refreshing. All my internet-based social engagement the day before had been about how what I was doing was "brave" or "insane" or "inspirational" or a "publicity stunt" or "stupid" or "a waste of everyone's time," as if I was planning on going on a hunger strike or basejumping off the Empire State Building. But while hanging out with a fellow Luddite, it felt like my undertaking is the perfectly natural thing.

I haven't settled into a rhythm yet. In fact, I haven't even made a new schedule for myself. I've done a little writing, a little reading, and a lot of chilling. I don't really know what the next days and weeks are going to look like. All I know is that so far I'm loving it.

Paul Miller will regularly be posting dispatches from the disconnected world on The Verge during his year away from the internet . He won't be reading your comments, but he'll be here in spirit.

Apple apologizes for iPad ‘Crush’ ad that ‘missed the mark’

The beginning and end of the ipad, apple doesn’t understand why you use technology, verizon, at&t, and t-mobile’s ‘unlimited’ plans just got a $10m slap on the wrist, a rare geomagnetic storm is heading to earth — here’s what it means for critical infrastructure.

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Offline: how to use the internet, offline: boiling it down to the essentials, offline: making music and fighting my computer, offline: love, loss, and dating without facebook.

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The unconnected life: an interview about growing up without internet

The Guardian talks to a young woman struggling without a computer or internet access, while her generation lives online

I t's common to hear executives, lawmakers and venture capitalists talk about our "increasingly connected world", as they pour millions into tech startups and apps. What they don't often say is that the world is connected for those who can afford to pay for broadband.

The rollout of the Affordable Care Act, promising healthcare to every uninsured person online, leaves out a major group: those without regular internet access. The promise of easy internet enrollment is only for those who can afford at-home internet, the cost of which is forbiddingly high for working-class Americans. The digital divide is a major problem in the US, with no regular internet access for over 46% of households that have incomes below $30,000 . Lacking internet access, it's difficult to do homework, apply for jobs, or apply to government programs, including unemployment benefits and food stamps. 

Just ask Destinyjoy Balgobin, a 19-year-old living in East Harlem. She is a member of the most connected generation in history, which never knew a world without email, and yet she grew up without a computer or internet access at home. She is no stranger to computers, which she has used in school to learn to type and complete assignments. Yet homework, which often required typing or internet research, required a trip to the public library.

Balgobin, who recently graduated from high school, is not alone. Libraries are becoming hubs of research in many places not because of their books, but because of their banks of public computers.  According to a 2013 Pew report on library services , 77% of those surveyed said that free access to computers and internet are a “very important” services of libraries. What's more, 66% of those who used internet at a library in the past year did so to do research for school or work. Even while smartphones become more prevalent, their smaller screens, expensive data plans (costing up to $100 a month), and slower connection speeds make them unsuited for tapping out 10-page papers or research beyond Wikipedia. 

This past month, Balgobin has moved back in with her mom, who has internet and a laptop provided by her employer. Balgobin is hopeful that soon she might be able to save for a computer of her own. In the meantime, she has an iPhone for her immediate needs.

In this edited transcript of our conversation, Balgobin describes what it's like to grow up without internet.

Was there ever a time when you felt that you didn't need internet? When you thought to yourself, "I can go to the library" or has your reason for not getting it always been cost?

No, it's always been cost. I've never felt like I didn't need it. Especially when wanting to further my education, I have always felt like I needed it for everything: to log onto college applications or to write your college essay or even to research anything. I've never been able to look into anything unless it was on a need-to-do basis, like homework that's assigned right then and there.

Did it ever come up in conversation? Do you ever feel judged? Are people surprised?

They kind of overlook it, [as if] I am just saying it. It probably doesn't matter to them, because they have internet. So they don't …

… realize how hard it is?

Yeah. And I am over here [thinking], "But how am I going to print that? And if it's due tomorrow? But I have to type it first, too?" And everybody is like, "Well …" And I am like, "Can I email it to you and then you print it and bring it back to school?" It’s hard. You don't want to rely on someone else, and you know you could have it done, but you just don't have that accessibility to do it.

Do you feel that if you had internet before, your life would be a little different right now?

Yea, I feel like it would be a little easier. I would have more done. I would feel more self-confident. I wouldn't have to reach out to others to help me do things or when they show me a website, I would already be familiar with it, and at least be halfway done. But [as it is] I always feel brand new, as if they were teaching me something that I should have already known.

What do you do in order to get online?

I try to use it on my phone.

Did you always have an iPhone?

No. I got an iPhone two years ago. Before that I had myTouch, but it was the first one so it was hard to configure the Word documents. I would just try to tell my teachers, "I'll handwrite it perfectly on looseleaf. Or I can come in early and type it while we are in class." Because I didn't have a way to print it, either. Plus, I could've used the library, but with working and everything, I would never be able to do it.

What school was this in?

My high school, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis High School. I'm starting college in March.

Were most teachers forthcoming?

I feel like I had to be more responsible. I couldn't slack off in order for them to understand me. I couldn't just have fun in school, I had to pay attention and show them that I knew what I was doing, in order for them to realize that I can't write it at home. When they [would] say, "Oh, everybody come in tomorrow with a printed article or print out this article" – at the time I wasn't on good terms with my mom, but when I was I would call her in between classes and ask, "Mom, can you print out this article? All I have to do is bring it in as homework assignment." But if I don't have it physically printed out, I can't show them.

It was hard for me to tell everybody else how important it was when it really isn't that important to them. And for me to access it in a computer lab, they would be just say, "Well, go home and do it." I don't have a printer at home, how can I do it?

It was more rushing around, trying to prove that I did want to do the homework and did want to get it done, I wasn't trying to slack off. I guess I had to show them my personality the whole time, that I was determined about it.

Do you have a computer now?

No. I should work on [getting one], though.

Did you ever have a computer?

Does your mom have a computer?

Yes, but it's for her job.

What if you had to do a research paper? How would you do that? Did you ever use the public library?

Yes, I used the library. But then with the time frame it was hard, because I would just take notes of everything really quickly, skim through the research, read it, not print out the pages and just write my own essay based on the notes that I took down.

What's the time frame for that like? 30 minutes?

Yes. To get all information down, write body paragraphs, write everything in 30 minutes. You know, I just want to print it out. I wish I was at home [and had] my own flexibility to do it.

Are there ever lines at your library?

Yes. Sometimes I just walk out and come back. I sign my name, then people skip you. For the most part, I wait. It's discouraging in a way. You have to wait in a long line, you just got out of school, time's going by, and then you have to go home and do more homework.

Do you ever worry about privacy and your data on public computers?

I do worry about that sometimes. I delete all my documents. I have also noticed on some computers they don't let you save it anymore. I mean, maybe that's good but it was kind of bad when I update a whole resume and wanted to send it to myself. Some of the privacy settings are good. Some are bad.

You're about to start college now. Was applying to schools without a computer difficult?

Yes. For instances, yesterday LaGuardia [Community College] emailed me and told me to go on their  VIP page . I tried to click the link through my iPhone and it didn't bring me to the right page. I tried to set a new password for it and it didn't work. When that happens, I just forward the email to my college adviser, I go there and she uses her computer for me and we access everything together. And I told her that when she gets back into the office, we can work on whatever this email is when I see her. 

Where does your college adviser work?

It’s called  Options [College Counseling ], it's on 110th street and Manhattan Avenue.

That's another issue, too. I can never handle it all by myself without asking somebody for help, who actually has internet and a desktop that runs well and a printer.

But your college advisor has been helpful? She has printed out your college application?

Yes. Then I'll say, "I need five copies of my resume. Can you help me with this CUNY application?" She sits there and helps me with everything.

Once you start school, you might need a computer. Can you afford to buy one?

Not right now. But I'm looking into a way of how I can possibly save some money, or I know I can always go to the Options office or a library, but that's tedious, [because] after class, I doubt they'll be open. I am working also and doing both is … eh.

What are some of the hardest things you've dealt with not having internet?

Applications when looking for better work. A lot of the good jobs you have to go through the application process online first, and then speak to them and give them [reference numbers] for after they verify your background check. That's been a hassle.

Is looking for jobs hard as well? Have you tried applying through Craigslist?

I have tried to do Craigslist from my phone, and then when I try to respond by email, the link takes me to somewhere else where I can't include my resume as an attachment. So I'm reaching out and they can barely see what type of person I am. So it's kind of hard because I just emailed all these places, I know I'm qualified and that I would be really good if they saw me in person.

I use internet for everything ≠ to look up where I'm going to go eat, to find directions, to find movie times. Do you do all of that on your phone?

Yes, I do all of that on my phone.

Do you have an unlimited plan on your phone? Did you ever use up all your data?

Yes, I have an unlimited plan because of that, 'cause at first I was paying like $200 for my phone [plan].

Did you not realize that you were going over your limits?

Yeah, going over the usage, because of apps I was opening. But now I have a lower price. It's $65 a month for unlimited everything. But still, using a search engine from an actual computer is way better than from your phone. Your phone doesn't open the same way. It doesn't let you access the same websites, the same links. It's hard.

And plus, I would want to write on it and not on my phone. I would want to open Word, save documents in favorites, open the next link, and have more sources for the paper. I would just prefer for my work to be better.

I bank online. It's how I make sure I don't go over and everything is paid on time. How do you bank?

I have a debit card and a checking account. I use an app on my phone but it only helps me with so much. Sometimes when I call and tell them I need to speak to customer service, they tell me to go on the computer. You can't access everything from a cellphone, I guess because of privacy settings. So I end up having to go to the bank. Luckily, it's right down the stairs from me, so I just speak to one of the representatives there.

Have you ever had to apply for a government program like food stamps or unemployment?* 

I haven't, but I've thought about it. Because I know you can get free food through it. And I'm thinking, "Well, I wonder if I qualify."

[*You can apply for food stamps  by mail, fax or in person .]

Have you ever tried to look it up?

I have tried to look it up. I looked up the address of where you're supposed to go, from my phone.

Do you think that if you had a computer, you would look it up and apply for it? Would that make it easier ?

Yea, I would have already applied for an  [affordable housing] apartment , because I know you can do it through  nyc.gov  – at least do the  raffles in the city . I have wanted to do that for a while. Even though I am paying rent with my mom, I wouldn't mind paying rent on my own place.

What about applying for unemployment?

I haven’t, but I do think of it when I've gone over six months and then left my job, and then I think,"Ok, well I need to just rush and go find [a job]." I know for the unemployment process, you have to go online even after  the first time , and you have to  go online and register  [to claim weekly benefits*]. I've seen people do it. And I'm just like, if I had to do this, I would be shit out of luck. I would have no way to control it and maintain it.

[*While one can initially apply for Unemployment Insurance by phone, the New York State Department of Labor websites advises that " it is best to apply for UI online ."]

We often hear about people too much time online. Do you spend think you spend a lot of time on your phone – as much as some people do on their computer?

With the phone I get frustrated. Maybe if I was on the computer, I would be spending days online, too. But not like using a social website or something. The only thing I have is instagram. I don't have Facebook or Twitter. That's why when I was doing my college essay recently for my placement test, they spoke about Facebook. And it was so easy for me to write about it, because they were saying how everybody has bad time management skills, based on how they don’t do good research because they're too caught up on a social network.

Do you watch movies online? Or do you just watch it on TV?

Yeah. People watch movies online? [laughs]

Wait, you knew about this, right?

I knew you could put a CD-Rom in [the computer].

Have you heard about Netflix?

Oh, yeah, but I thought that was only for the PlayStation. I didn't know it was on the computer also.

[Laughs] Oh my god. Learn something new everyday.

Do you watch YouTube videos?

Um, sometimes. But for my phone it takes a long time to load so to listen to music and download stuff it's a longer process. I have an iPhone, but I have no music on it.

Do you read news online?

Where do you get your news from?

The TV. I will just sit there at 10 o'clock and watch the 10 o'clock news. If it's interesting and I want to know more about the topic or whatever is going on, then I will try to research it. But I don't know. As I said before, the internet service on your phone is not as good as on an actual desktop.

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What Would a World Without Internet Look Like?

A thought experiment

Not long ago, browsing the Internet, I happened to stumble on a list titled, "The Best Sci-Fi Books of All Time, According to the Internet."   Like most lists of its kind, it was subjective and far from definitive, but still, it represented an interesting challenge. As someone who reads for pleasure as much as for job security, I decided to finish as many of the titles as I could handle.

After completing over a dozen (and taking in many of the film adaptations) the following occurred to me: Not one of these acclaimed futuristic stories—at least none of the many I was exposed to—took place in a world with any version of the Internet. All instances of published media, daily communication, romance—all offline.

In part, this has to do with the constraints of narrative writing, explains the technology writer Clive Thompson. “A lot of science fiction was primarily focused on moving people and things around in exciting ways,” he says. “These forward-thinkers were using flashy visuals to hook their readers, while understandably overlooking non-sexy things such as inaudible conversations.”

And inaudible conversations are the bread and butter of the world wide web. As Jon Stewart once put it, the Internet today “is just a world passing around notes in a classroom.”

But my experience led me to an interesting thought experiment: How might we live without the world’s largest note exchange? Or, in other words, what would the world be like today if the Internet ceased to exist?

The easiest starting point may be to just look back at life before 1990—a time of landline telephones, 9-to-5 work schedules, and VHS-rental stores. But that historical reality doesn’t really answer the question, because in an alternate history, we wouldn’t have known what we were missing. “The Internet has so permeated our lives that its influence is becoming impossible to see,” says the philosopher Clay Shirky . “Imagining today minus the Net is as content-free an exercise as imagining London in the 1840s with no steam power, New York in the 1930s with no elevators, or L.A. in the 1970s with no cars. After a while, the trellis so shapes the vine that you can’t separate the two.”

For the sake of this exercise, though, let’s try. As an example, let’s look at the life of Brian Lam, the former editorial director of the technology site Gizmodo . In 2011, Lam quit and moved to Hawaii to found the gadget-review blog The Wirecutter , a move that redefined his professional relationship to the Internet.

“As a business owner, I couldn’t do what I do today without the Internet,” Lam says. “My team and I would be forced to live in a big market, probably New York. Consequently, I’d have less access to the outdoors, no access to the global talent I currently employ, and a narrower perspective.”

But in some cases, he acknowledges, the digital age hasn’t been as kind to workers. Rather than use the Internet to offer their employees more flexibility, some employers may use it to more easily exploit them, demanding more work or longer days without paying overtime.

In addition to blurring (or obliterating) the lines between work and home life, the Internet has dramatically changed our cultural conception of patience. “Without it, we wouldn’t expect instant gratification as often as we do,” notes Michael Calore, a senior editor at Wired magazine. “Not just the ability to get an online answer immediately, or same-day delivery. Because of the Internet, the anticipation of waiting for things is largely gone.”

When Steve Case co-founded America Online 30 years ago, just 3 percent of Americans were online (mostly academics). Before the web was invented, these early adopters spent less than an hour a week online (mostly email). Today, 85 percent of Americans use the Internet.

“We designed it to connect people with shared interests and ideas, to produce more durable offline relationships,” says Case, who’s now the CEO of the investment firm Revolution LLC. “We tried to level the playing field by reducing the cost to communicate and increasing efficiencies so that more voices and greater perspective could be found.”

How have those voices and perspectives changed, though? In a recent column in The New York Times , Sherry Turkle, an MIT professor who researches online behavior, argued that having the Internet in our pocket has fundamentally altered how we form relationships. She pointed to a recent University of Michigan paper that reviewed past studies on empathy in college students, and found a 40 percent decline over 30 years, with most of the drop-off taking place after 2000.

“Across generations, technology is implicated in this assault on empathy,” Turkle wrote. “We have found ways around conversation that is open-ended and spontaneous, in which we play with ideas and allow ourselves to be fully present and vulnerable.”

Lam has mixed feelings. “I wouldn’t be happy without the Internet,” he says, “but it does make me miserable at times.”

But antisocial behavior existed well before the Internet did. Thompson believes the ills of compulsive Internet use have been greatly exaggerated. “I’m not convinced it’s the epidemic it’s made out to be,” he says. “It’s called frequency illusion. In this case, seemingly obsessive phone use understandably annoys us, so we notice more than it actually occurs.”

“Truth is, we had this same argument with the telephone.” he reminds me. “That it would reduce total social encounters when, in fact, it facilitated more of them.”

Shirky, meanwhile, believes any attempt to separate the Internet from everyday life is futile. “The only credible post-Internet visions are all tied to civilizational collapse: zombie apocalypses, global pandemics, nuclear catastrophes,” he says. “The hidden message in all of those scenarios is that if the only way to convincingly imagine a world without an Internet is to imagine a world without civilization, then to a first approximation, the Internet has become our civilization.”

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Essay On Internet for Students and Children

500+ words essay on internet.

We live in the age of the internet. Also, it has become an important part of our life that we can’t live without it. Besides, the internet is an invention of high-end science and modern technology . Apart from that, we are connected to internet 24×7. Also, we can send big and small messages and information faster than ever. In this essay on the Internet, we are going to discuss various things related to the internet.

Reach of Internet

It is very difficult to estimate the area that the internet cover. Also, every second million people remain connected to it with any problem or issue. Apart from that, just like all the things the internet also has some good and bad effect on the life of people. So the first thing which we have to do is learn about the good and bad effect of the internet.

Good effects of the internet mean all those things that the internet make possible. Also, these things make our life easier and safer.

Bad effects of the internet mean all those things that we can no longer do because of the internet. Also, these things cause trouble for oneself and others too.

You can access in any corner of the world. Also, it is very easy to use and manage. In today’s world, we cannot imagine our life without it.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

Uses Of Internet

From the time it first came into existence until now the internet has completed a long journey. Also, during this journey, the internet has adopted many things and became more user-friendly and interactive. Besides, every big and small things are available on internet and article or material that you require can be obtainable from internet.

Tim Berners-Lee can be called one of the main father of internet as he invented/discovered the WWW (World Wide Web) which is used on every website. Also, there are millions of pages and website on the internet that it will take you years to go through all of them.

The Internet can be used to do different things like you can learn, teach, research, write, share, receive, e-mail , explore, and surf the internet.

Read Essay on Technology here

Convenience Due To Internet

Because of internet, our lives have become more convenient as compared to the times when we don’t have internet. Earlier, we have to stand in queues to send mails (letters), for withdrawing or depositing money, to book tickets, etc. but after the dawn of the internet, all these things become quite easy. Also, we do not have to waste our precious time standing in queues.

Also, the internet has contributed a lot to the environment as much of the offices (government and private), school and colleges have become digital that saves countless paper.

Although, there is no doubt that the internet had made our life easier and convenient but we can’t leave the fact that it has caused many bigger problems in the past. And with the speed, we are becoming addict to it a day in will come when it will become our basic necessity.

{ “@context”: “https://schema.org”, “@type”: “FAQPage”, “mainEntity”: [ { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What are the limitation of internet?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Although internet can help you with anything but there are certain limitation to it. First of it does not have a physical appearance. Secondly, it does not have emotions and thirdly, it can’t send you to a place where you can’t go (physically).” } }, { “@type”: “Question”, “name”: “What is the ideal age for using internet?”, “acceptedAnswer”: { “@type”: “Answer”, “text”: “Nowadays everybody from small kids to adult is internet addicts. So it is difficult to decide an ideal age for using internet. However, according to researches using internet from an early age can cause problems in the child so internet usage of small children should be controlled or banned.” } } ] }

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The World Without the Internet, Essay Example

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You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work.

The question of what the world would be like and whether people will ever be able to live without the internet is a topic I find so compelling that it makes me lose track of time. The internet is a discovery that has radically changed communication and modes of commerce by connecting various computer networks globally. This discovery came forth in the United States in the 1970s but was not renowned by the general public until the 1990s. It was first invented for military purposes. Today, more than half of the global population is estimated to have access to the internet.

The internet provides a powerful and general capability; it can be used for any purpose dependent on information and can be accessed by every person who connects to any of its constituent networks, an aspect that captivates me. Firstly, it makes communication possible through social media, electronic mail, newsgroups, and audio and video transmission, making it easy for people to work in collaboration despite their locations. Secondly, access to digital information through the World Wide Web is quick and easy. Thirdly, electronic commerce has grown, making buying and selling goods by traders easy and advantageous due to a comprehensive customer reach and access to global goods.

Gauging the size of the internet is close to impossible considering the amount of data it holds. I tried researching whether the internet could run out of space, and technically, I discovered it could contain limitless amounts of data. This undertaking is because it is a network of connections between computers. However, the current data storage technology has evolved rapidly as the number of internet users increases.

On the question about how the world would be like without the internet, I believe it would bring benefits like more socializing because we would pay more attention to those around us, no cases of cybercrimes, and better sleeping schedules. Nevertheless, it is hard to imagine a life without it. Firstly, communication would be difficult as we would be forced to go back to making costly international telephone calls and sending formal letters and telegrams. This inclination would lead to a loss of connections with friends and families. Secondly, access to global goods and a broad customer base would be difficult because e-commerce would not exist. Businesses would not thrive, and this would lead to poor economies. Thirdly, opportunities to share our talents on platforms like YouTube would be lost because the internet offers a global audience. Fourthly, the entertainment world would be dull as few television and radio channels would be the only source. The web is a vital discovery in the world that people need to appreciate.

When I want to learn more about any concept, I turn to the internet itself. This undertaking is a significant source of information because one can access it from any location and any time. It provides a wide range of data on this topic, thus widening my conceptual knowledge. However, the internet has its cons, including addictiveness – wasting time and causing distraction, and it has become a platform for hackers and stalkers to access personal information. Further, it has been connected to health issues and obesity due to an unhealthy lifestyle. Furthermore, there is possible damage to valuable data because of malware attacks. Despite all these disadvantages, the internet has brought more advantages that have made life easy and more fun.

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School Life Balance , Tips for Online Students

How Was Life Before The Internet – What Did People Do?

Updated: July 11, 2022

Published: June 1, 2021

It’s hard to imagine a time in the world where smartphones and social media weren’t an integral part of your life. Let’s go back to what seems like an eternity ago, to see how life before the internet was different.

10 Ways Life Was Different Before The Internet

Amazon was just a river/rain forest.

If the word Amazon was mentioned in a sentence, it was only in reference to the river in South America. No one could think about the possibility of online stores .

Planning ahead

Last-minute plans were not possible once you left your house. You’d be very careful to set up exact meeting times and locations with your friends.

Recorded music off the radio / mix tapes

If there was a song that you loved, you would have to record it off the radio. Looking for a compilation of songs? You’d have to make that yourself too.

You needed to leave your house to socialize

There was no online shopping or Zoom — if you wanted to buy something or see a friend, you needed to get off the couch and out of your house to socialize.

You had to look up information in encyclopedias

Before the days of Google and Wikipedia, if you wanted information on a particular topic, you would have to look it up in an encyclopedia, listing everything in alphabetical order.

Tinder in real life was a piece of paper

When there was someone you were interested in, in order to ask them out, you needed to either pluck up the courage to ask them out in person, or else pass them a piece of paper with three boxes: check yes, no, or maybe.

Web design was done by spiders

Many jobs did not exist before the internet. Those that were web designers were most likely a spider.

Wasting time in the office was more obvious

It was a lot more obvious if you wanted to look at something other than the work in front of you on the computer . Staring out the window or looking at inspiring pictures on the office walls were far more obvious than they are today.

Posts were made on real walls

If you had an event or information you wanted to share with other people, then you needed to physically print it on a piece of paper and post it on a real wall for others to see.

Mobile games were much simpler

When mobile phones first came out with the ability to play games on them, they were much simpler than they are today. Nokia’s famous snake game became a “game changer” in the world of gaming.

Looking something up took a lot of time and work

As Google and Youtube were not available, if you wanted to learn something you needed to read it in a book. Before the internet, you had to spend hours within a library searching through books to find the information you needed.

Games with more than one player needed a table

Multiplayer games needed to be played on a table, and with the other players in the same room as you! You didn’t have the freedom to play with people from around the world.

Trolls were mythological creatures, not angry opinionated people

Trolls were seen in fantasy films or children’s stories. Today they are people who feel the need to share opinions that would never have been acceptable in public before the internet.  

Long-distance communication meant letters, not email

You would get excited when the mailman would come by, hoping that someone sent you a letter.

Selfies required sophisticated technology

If you wanted to take a picture of yourself you needed more sophisticated technology; you needed to get the Gameboy Camera.

Search for movie times in the newspaper

If you wanted to know what time your movie was playing at, you had one place to search for the answer — the newspaper.

Life Before Cell Phones

Being unreachable.

You could leave your house and focus on whatever task or activity you set out to do. No one could reach you or disturb you.

Looking someone up in a phone book was the original Google search

There was a huge book that had everyone’s phone number in it. You needed to look them up to find their number. If you wanted the number for a business, the yellow pages were the original Google.

Having fun outdoors

When not in school or doing chores, kids would be outside playing with each other for hours on end. Parents would send them out themselves and hope that when they were hungry for dinner or lunch they would come home to eat.  

Watching TV

You had to watch television shows when they were scheduled to air. This also meant you would have to wait a full week until the next episode aired.

Playing board games with your family

Family time was spent playing board games, many having established designated “game nights” each week. There were lots of different games you could play together. It was a great opportunity to have fun and bond with each other.

Used real cameras

People couldn’t use their phones to take pictures, you needed to use an actual camera.

Used maps or asked someone to get directions

When you went on a trip, you needed to be prepared and bring a physical map with you, or risk being left to constantly ask directions along the way. There was no Google Maps to reference.

Shared unfiltered pictures of yourself

People shared the pictures they took without any editing, emojis, or special filters.  

Used payphones

What happened when you were out and needed to call someone? Payphones. On every corner there were public phones, and it cost 25 cents to use.

Memorized people’s phone numbers

Before smartphones, if you wanted to call someone you had to actually know their phone number.

Life Before Social Media

There was a lot less fomo.

Today you are bombarded with everyone else’s pictures of their ever-so-fabulous lives, bringing up the feeling of FOMO, or fear of missing out. But back in the day you weren’t subjected to that unless someone showed you printed pictures of their trip or life.

Not everything had to be photographed

There wasn’t this deep desire to photograph every experience you had or thing you happen to see.

Didn’t search for approval from others

The reason for posting every aspect of your lives is to get approval from others to confirm that you are living correctly. Before the internet there was no way for you to get that kind of immediate, and consistent approval, so no one was searching it out.   

Were not subjected to other’s toxic opinions

Once in a while at a family gathering you would be subject to a relative’s unwanted opinion on your life. But with the age of the internet came constant posts or comments in your newsfeed about someone’s toxic opinions daily.

You didn’t have something to waste so many hours of your life

Quickly checking one Youtube video for reference is never as simple as that. Before you know it, 4 hours have passed and you watched 100 videos and found yourself ordering something new on Amazon. Before you know it, half your day has been wasted checking your phone or computer.

Not exposed to such tragedy from around the globe

Global tragedies have always occurred, but they weren’t in your face every moment of the day. Not only do you hear of global horrors as they happen, but there are the tragic images and videos to go along with them.

No constant comparison between yourself and others

Maybe you would be jealous of someone’s hair, figure, or job, but it wasn’t shoved down your throat to see all day, every day.

Not able to spy on others

The ability to stealthily stalk everyone you went to high school with was not as easy as it is today. You would have to sit outside their house to spy on someone — sounds creepy, right?

Life before the internet definitely had its pros and cons. It was a time with more face-to-face interaction and time spent outside of your house. It can enrich your life to incorporate some aspects of these activities and help find a balance between the two worlds.

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Life without Internet (Essay/Paper Sample)

Table of Contents

Introduction

What would everyday life be like if there was no internet? We have gotten used to living online for such a long time that staying offline permanently is such an alien concept.

This essay example explores the tough question, “Is it possible to live without the Internet?” And if it is, is it something we would want to experience in this generation?

If you want to write your own opinion on this topic through an essay, contact our essay service so that we can match you with a writer who can help you piece your thoughts together on this topic.

Everyday Life without the Internet

Let’s face it: the internet has become one of, if not the most important invention in the modern world. It is difficult to imagine how life would be in the absence of it.

As going online has completely revolutionized communication, it is possible to accomplish so many things online. There is something on the internet that everyone can benefit from. But believe it or not, there are people who have lived without wi-fi to this very day. Have you ever thought about what their lives look like?

This essay seeks to imagine what life would look like without any internet connection, and whether or not the alternative reality seems equally attractive.

Reimagining Work Life without the World Wide Web

In the absence of going online, simple and speedy communication would no longer exist. Relaying and receiving messages would be a lot slower, so business transactions would definitely be affected. People would have to resort to traditional communication channels such as telephones and snail-mail. We all know how tedious both of these are. Business decisions will take longer to make, and ordering and delivering products will have longer lead times.

Without the Internet, digital media and marketing would no longer exist. Again, marketers would have to go back to older means of promoting products, such as direct marketing. Holding meetings would go back to physical spaces as video conferencing will no longer be possible without going online.

Yes, all of these methods are of a much slower pace, but surely people would adjust. They were able to thrive using those methods in the past before the internet was born, so they can do it again.

No Internet, Slower-Paced Relationships

In terms of relationships and socialization, the non-existence of the internet means the disappearance of social media sites. Instead of searching for and adding old acquaintances, people would have to go the longer route of checking the phone directory to find them. Keeping in touch with friends across the globe will likely be as difficult, as people would rely on snail-mail to reconnect and have conversations. Without social media, keeping up with people’s lives will be close to impossible.

Having said that, going online is a double-edged sword. While its pros and benefits are undeniable, there is much to be said about negative exposure. Young people gain access to a host of data that may not be appropriate. Pornography is a profitable business, thanks to the World Wide Web. Also, cyber-bullying emerged as one of the top issues young kids and young people alike face. It’s true that the internet connects people, but it also disconnects them, depending on how it is used.

One could say that a life without going online could be more peaceful. Without unnecessary exposure to information, you may not even need to know, you could enjoy life in your personal bubble. You won’t have to obsess over something that’s not relevant to you.

However, with the internet, need-to-know news is made readily available to you. When something important is happening across the world, you won’t have to wait for your relatives from that country to send you an update through the post. You’ll be notified of all related news items the moment you are online. You could say that it’s the pace and speed of the arrival of information that gives the internet an edge.

At the end of the day, with today’s hustle and bustle, we have learned to treat the internet as an essential tool for going about our days. Taking that convenience away would definitely slow things down. While this sounds unattractive to some, there is an opportunity here to innovate and to come up with other ways to speed things up without going online. People would have to relearn new ways to shop, bank, and work on relationships. At the same time, brands will be challenged to meet people where they are when these changes occur. They have to be ready with an alternative experience that’s just as appealing.

Have you ever thought about what life without your favorite apps and websites would look like? Are you the kind of person who would easily thrive without them?

Short Essay On Life Without Internet

As one of the most important inventions of this century, going online has become such an essential part of our daily lives that living without it doesn’t make much sense. But if you think about it, many generations before us have managed to thrive without this connection to the world. Have you wondered how you would fare without something to connect to?

Perhaps the biggest impact on our generation would be the loss of search engines and social networks. We have gotten used to accessing information in just mere seconds. Life before this required the use of phone books and directories, which could take quite a long time and plenty of finger-skimming through pages. It would also be hard to make friends outside our sphere without social media. The closest thing we could have would be pen pals. But since the internet has robbed us of patience to wait for messages to arrive, we may easily give up on such an idea.

Just the loss of these two technologies is already enough to make an internet-savvy person wince. Off-line living just doesn’t seem to be as exciting, and could take time to adjust to.

Advantages Of A Life Without the Internet 

What aspects of life could be positively changed without the internet? For one, people would actually spend time talking to each other in person. We would find plenty of families and groups of friends making the effort to meet up personally once again. Students would make use of school and public libraries once again. They would get to physically open a book and appreciate the smell of its pages as they look for the information they need. Loved ones from different parts of the world would find ways to connect by writing to each other. They would once again feel the anticipation of seeing letters in the mail from people who mean a lot to them.

Disadvantages Of A Life Without Internet

The biggest downside of living without the internet is slower access to information. We would lose the benefits of getting updates on the latest news events that could transform mankind’s history at the click of a mouse. It would be difficult to know on the spot what’s been happening in other areas of the world. Communication during crises would prove challenging. We may have to wait for months on end to hear back from family and friends who are hit by calamities or political events. Bank and retail transactions would go back to brick-and-mortar structures, so the risk of experiencing long lines is high. Businesses would lose their online presence, as the website as we know it would cease to exist.

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English Compositions

Short Essay on Life Without Technology [100, 200, 400 Words] With PDF 

In today’s session, you will learn to write short essays on the topic of Life Without Technology. There will be three sets of essays covering different word limits. 

Short Essay on Life Without Technology in 100 Words 

Today, technology has become an important part of our daily lives. Mobile phones, tablets and computers have made connecting with people around the world an easy task. We can send and receive pictures, videos and documents over the internet. Technologically advanced machines like automatic washing machines, dishwashers, cleaning robots, smart televisions and various smart appliances have made life very comfortable for people.

However, these appliances have also made people lazy. People today have lost the connection with nature, with real people, with their friends and families. They hardly need to do their day-to-day work by themselves and have become physically unfit. Life without technology seems impossible today, but one must make sure to strike a balance between depending on technology and doing their work themselves. 

Short Essay on Life Without Technology in 200 Words 

There is no doubt that technology has made life easier for people. A hundred years ago, people wouldn’t have imagined that today, we will have so many gadgets to help us with our daily life. 

Today, mobile phones, tablets and computers have made connecting with people around the world an easy task. We can send and receive pictures, videos and documents over the internet. Technologically advanced machines like automatic washing machines, dishwashers, cleaning robots, smart televisions and various smart appliances have made life very comfortable for people. Even students are now dependent on online platforms to learn and understand their subjects better. If we want to travel, we do not use physical maps anymore but depend on GPS. 

However, these appliances and applications have also made people lazy. People today have lost the connection with nature, with real people, with their friends and families. They hardly need to do their day-to-day work by themselves and have become physically unfit. If someone loses their mobile phone, it feels as if they have lost an organ. Life without technology seems impossible today, but one must make sure to strike a balance between depending on technology and doing their work themselves. Only then, technology will prove to be a boon and not a bane for us. 

Short Essay on Life Without Technology in 400 Words

Today, technology has changed the way we conduct our lives and it is hard to imagine getting through the day without help from one or the other type of gadget. 

Today, mobile phones, tablets and computers have made connecting with people around the world an easy task. We can send and receive pictures, videos and documents over the internet. Technologically advanced machines like automatic washing machines, dishwashers, cleaning robots, smart televisions and various smart appliances have made life very comfortable for people.

Even students are now dependent on online platforms to learn and understand their subjects better. For their research and assignments, they need the help of the internet. If we want to travel, we do not use physical maps anymore but depend on GPS. One needs so many gadgets in the office like desktops, printers, xerox machines, fax machines, et cetera. Even in the kitchen, one needs mixer-grinders, food processors, microwave ovens and refrigerators. If we want to go somewhere and need to book train, bus or flight tickets for the same, we still use the internet. 

However, these gadgets, appliances and applications have also made people lazy. People today have lost the connection with nature, with real people, with their friends and families. They are always glued to their phone screens, happy in their virtual world and dislike going out. They hardly need to do their day-to-day work by themselves and have become physically unfit. If one wants some information, instead of thoroughly reading about it and understanding the topic completely, they can just search on the internet and get a short, concise answer.

All this has slowed down our brains and made us lose our creativity. Our lives have become entirely dependent on technology and gadgets. One cannot survive without mobile phones today. Be it an office employee or a school student, everyone needs a phone to stay connected with their family, friends, work and school. If someone loses their mobile phone, it feels as if they have lost an organ. 

A hundred years ago, people wouldn’t have imagined that today, we will have so many gadgets to help us with our daily life. Life without technology seems impossible today, but one must make sure to strike a balance between depending on technology and doing their work themselves. Only when things are well-balanced, technology will prove to be a boon and not a bane for us. Otherwise, it wouldn’t take long for us to lose ourselves in gadgets and the virtual world and destroy our health and peace of mind. 

In today’s session, I have written these sample essays with a very simplistic approach for a better understanding of all kinds of students. If you still have any doubts regarding this topic, kindly, keep me informed through some quick comments. I’ll try to answer all your queries to the best of my ability. To read more such essays on various other important topics, keep browsing our website. 

Thank you for being with us. Have a great day.

Technology to defeat Ebola

Mathematics for a sustainable world, openmind books, scientific anniversaries, what is the purpose of music, featured author, latest book, how the internet has changed everyday life, what happened.

The Internet has turned our existence upside down. It has revolutionized communications, to the extent that it is now our preferred medium of everyday communication. In almost everything we do, we use the Internet. Ordering a pizza, buying a television, sharing a moment with a friend, sending a picture over instant messaging. Before the Internet, if you wanted to keep up with the news, you had to walk down to the newsstand when it opened in the morning and buy a local edition reporting what had happened the previous day. But today a click or two is enough to read your local paper and any news source from anywhere in the world, updated up to the minute.

The Internet itself has been transformed. In its early days—which from a historical perspective are still relatively recent—it was a static network designed to shuttle a small freight of bytes or a short message between two terminals; it was a repository of information where content was published and maintained only by expert coders. Today, however, immense quantities of information are uploaded and downloaded over this electronic leviathan, and the content is very much our own, for now we are all commentators, publishers, and creators.

In the 1980s and 1990s, the Internet widened in scope to encompass the IT capabilities of universities and research centers, and, later on, public entities, institutions, and private enterprises from around the world. The Internet underwent immense growth; it was no longer a state-controlled project, but the largest computer network in the world, comprising over 50,000 sub-networks, 4 million systems, and 70 million users.

The emergence of  web 2.0  in the first decade of the twenty-first century was itself a revolution in the short history of the Internet, fostering the rise of social media and other interactive, crowd-based communication tools.

The Internet was no longer concerned with information exchange alone: it was a sophisticated multidisciplinary tool enabling individuals to create content, communicate with one another, and even escape reality. Today, we can send data from one end of the world to the other in a matter of seconds, make online presentations, live in parallel “game worlds,” and use pictures, video, sound, and text to share our real lives, our genuine identity. Personal stories go public; local issues become global.

The rise of the Internet has sparked a debate about how online communication affects social relationships. The Internet frees us from geographic fetters and brings us together in topic-based communities that are not tied down to any specific place. Ours is a networked, globalized society connected by new technologies. The Internet is the tool we use to interact with one another, and accordingly poses new challenges to privacy and security.

Information technologies have wrought fundamental change throughout society, driving it forward from the industrial age to the networked era. In our world, global information networks are vital infrastructure—but in what ways has this changed human relations? The Internet has changed business, education, government, healthcare, and even the ways in which we interact with our loved ones—it has become one of the key drivers of social evolution.

The changes in social communication are of particular significance. Although analogue tools still have their place in some sectors, new technologies are continuing to gain ground every day, transforming our communication practices and possibilities—particularly among younger people. The Internet has removed all communication barriers. Online, the conventional constraints of space and time disappear and there is a dizzyingly wide range of communicative possibilities. The impact of social media applications has triggered discussion of the “new communication democracy.”

The development of the Internet today is being shaped predominantly by instant, mobile communications. The mobile Internet is a fresh revolution. Comprehensive Internet connectivity via smartphones and tablets is leading to an increasingly mobile reality: we are not tied to any single specific device, and everything is in the cloud.

People no longer spend hours gazing at a computer screen after work or class; instead, they use their mobile devices to stay online everywhere, all the time.

Anyone failing to keep abreast of this radical change is losing out on an opportunity.

Communication Opportunities Created by the Internet

The Internet has become embedded in every aspect of our day-to-day lives, changing the way we interact with others. This insight struck me when I started out in the world of social media. I created my first social network in 2005, when I was finishing college in the United States—it had a political theme. I could already see that social media were on the verge of changing our way of communicating, helping us to share information by opening up a new channel that cuts across conventional ones.

That first attempt did not work out, but I learned from the experience.I get the feeling that in many countries failure is punished too harshly—but the fact is, the only surefire way of avoiding failure is to do nothing at all. I firmly believe that mistakes help you improve; getting it wrong teaches you how to get it right. Creativity, hard work, and a positive attitude will let you achieve any goal.

In 2006, after I moved to Spain, I created Tuenti. Tuenti (which, contrary to widespread belief, has nothing to do with the number 20; it is short for “tu entidad,” the Spanish for “your entity”) is a social communication platform for genuine friends. From the outset, the idea was to keep it simple, relevant, and private. That’s the key to its success.

I think the real value of social media is that you can stay in touch from moment to moment with the people who really matter to you. Social media let you share experiences and information; they get people and ideas in touch instantly, without frontiers. Camaraderie, friendship, and solidarity—social phenomena that have been around for as long as humanity itself—have been freed from the conventional restrictions of space and time and can now thrive in a rich variety of ways.

Out of all the plethora of communication opportunities that the Internet has opened up, I would highlight the emergence of social media and the way they have intricately melded into our daily lives. Social media have changed our personal space, altering the way we interact with our loved ones, our friends, and our sexual partners; they have forced us to rethink even basic daily processes like studying and shopping; they have affected the economy by nurturing the business startup culture and electronic commerce; they have even given us new ways to form broad-based political movements.

The Internet and Education

The Internet has clearly impacted all levels of education by providing unbounded possibilities for learning. I believe the future of education is a networked future. People can use the Internet to create and share knowledge and develop new ways of teaching and learning that captivate and stimulate students’ imagination at any time, anywhere, using any device. By connecting and empowering students and educators, we can speed up economic growth and enhance the well-being of society throughout the world. We should work together, over a network, to build the global learning society.

The network of networks is an inexhaustible source of information. What’s more, the Internet has enabled users to move away from their former passive role as mere recipients of messages conveyed by conventional media to an active role, choosing what information to receive, how, and when. The information recipient even decides whether or not they want to stay informed.

We have moved on from scattergun mass communication to a pattern where the user proactively selects the information they need.

Students can work interactively with one another, unrestricted by physical or time constraints. Today, you can use the Internet to access libraries, encyclopedias, art galleries, news archives, and other information sources from anywhere in the world: I believe this is a key advantage in the education field. The web is a formidable resource for enhancing the process of building knowledge.

I also believe the Internet is a wonderful tool for learning and practicing other languages—this continues to be a critical issue in many countries, including Spain, and, in a globalized world, calls for special efforts to improve.

The Internet, in addition to its communicative purposes, has become a vital tool for exchanging knowledge and education; it is not just an information source, or a locus where results can be published, it is also a channel for cooperating with other people and groups who are working on related research topics.

The Internet and Privacy and Security

Another key issue surrounding Internet use is privacy. Internet users are becoming more sensitive to the insight that privacy is a must-have in our lives.

Privacy has risen near the top of the agenda in step with an increasing awareness of the implications of using social media. Much of the time, people started to use social media with no real idea of the dangers, and have wised up only through trial and error—sheer accident, snafus, and mistakes. Lately, inappropriate use of social media seems to hit the headlines every day. Celebrities posting inappropriate comments to their profiles, private pictures and tapes leaked to the Internet at large, companies displaying arrogance toward users, and even criminal activities involving private-data trafficking or social media exploitation.

All this shows that—contrary to what many people seem to have assumed—online security and privacy are critical, and, I believe, will become even more important going forward. And, although every user needs privacy, the issue is particularly sensitive for minors—despite attempts to raise their awareness, children still behave recklessly online.

I have always been highly concerned about privacy. On Tuenti, the default privacy setting on every user account is the highest available level of data protection. Only people the user has accepted as a “friend” can access their personal details, see their telephone number, or download their pictures. This means that, by default, user information is not accessible to third parties. In addition, users are supported by procedures for reporting abuse. Any user can report a profile or photograph that is abusive, inappropriate, or violates the terms of use: action is taken immediately. Security and privacy queries are resolved within 24 hours.

We need to be aware that different Internet platforms provide widely different privacy experiences. Some of them are entirely open and public; no steps whatsoever are taken to protect personal information, and all profiles are indexable by Internet search engines.

On the other hand, I think the debate about whether social media use should be subject to an age requirement is somewhat pointless, given that most globally active platforms operate without age restrictions. The European regulatory framework is quite different from the United States and Asian codes. Companies based in Europe are bound by rigorous policies on privacy and underage use of social media. This can become a competitive drawback when the ground rules do not apply equally to all players—our American and Japanese competitors, for instance, are not required to place any kind of age constraint on access.

Outside the scope of what the industry or regulators can do, it is vital that users themselves look after the privacy of their data. I believe the information is the user’s property, so the user is the only party entitled to control the collection, use, and disclosure of any information about him or herself. Some social networks seem to have forgotten this fact—they sell data, make it impossible to delete an account, or make it complex and difficult to manage one’s privacy settings. Everything should be a lot simpler and more transparent.

Social networks should continue to devote intense efforts to developing self-regulation mechanisms and guidelines for this new environment of online coexistence to ensure that user information is safe: the Internet should be a space for freedom, but also for trust. The main way of ensuring that social media are used appropriately is awareness. But awareness and user education will be of little use unless it becomes an absolute requirement that the privacy of the individual is treated as a universal value.

The Internet and Culture

As in the sphere of education, the development of information and communication technologies and the wide-ranging effects of globalization are changing what we are, and the meaning of cultural identity. Ours is a complex world in which cultural flows across borders are always on the rise. The concepts of space, time, and distance are losing their conventional meanings. Cultural globalization is here, and a global movement of cultural processes and initiatives is underway.

Again, in the cultural arena, vast fields of opportunity open up thanks to online tools. The possibilities are multiplied for disseminating a proposal, an item of knowledge, or a work of art. Against those doomsayers who warn that the Internet is harming culture, I am radically optimistic. The Internet is bringing culture closer to more people, making it more easily and quickly accessible; it is also nurturing the rise of new forms of expression for art and the spread of knowledge. Some would say, in fact, that the Internet is not just a technology, but a cultural artifact in its own right.

In addition to its impact on culture itself, the Internet is enormously beneficial for innovation, which brings progress in all fields of endeavor—the creation of new goods, services, and ideas, the advance of knowledge and society, and increasing well-being.

The Internet and Personal Relationships

The Internet has also changed the way we interact with our family, friends, and life partners. Now everyone is connected to everyone else in a simpler, more accessible, and more immediate way; we can conduct part of our personal relationships using our laptops, smart phones, and tablets.

The benefits of always-online immediate availability are highly significant. I would find a long-distance relationship with my life partner or my family unthinkable without the communication tools that the network of networks provides me with. I’m living in Madrid, but I can stay close to my brother in California. For me, that is the key plus of the Internet: keeping in touch with the people who really matter to me.

As we have seen, the Internet revolution is not just technological; it also operates at a personal level, and throughout the structure of society. The Internet makes it possible for an unlimited number of people to communicate with one another freely and easily, in an unrestricted way.

Just a century ago, this was unimaginable. An increasing number of couples come together, stay together, or break up with the aid—or even as a consequence—of social communication tools. There are even apps and social networks out there that are purposely designed to help people get together for sex.

Of course, when compared to face-to-face communication, online communication is severely limited in the sense impressions it can convey (an estimated 60 to 70 percent of human communication takes place nonverbally), which can lead to misunderstandings and embarrassing situations—no doubt quite a few relationships have floundered as a result. I think the key is to be genuine, honest, and real at all times, using all the social media tools and their many advantages. Let’s just remember that a liar and a cheat online is a liar and a cheat offline too.

The Internet and Social and Political Activism

Even before the emergence of social media, pioneering experiments took place in the political sphere—like  Essembly , a project I was involved in. We started to create a politically themed platform to encourage debate and provide a home for social and political causes; but the social networks that have later nurtured activism in a new way were not as yet in existence.

Research has shown that young people who voice their political opinions on the Internet are more inclined to take part in public affairs. The better informed a citizen is, the more likely they will step into the polling booth, and the better they will express their political liberties. The Internet has proved to be a decisive communication tool in the latest election campaigns. It is thanks to the Internet that causes in the social, welfare, ideological, and political arenas have been spoken up for and have won the support of other citizens sharing those values—in many cases, with a real impact on government decision making.

The Internet and Consumer Trends

New technologies increase the speed of information transfer, and this opens up the possibility of “bespoke” shopping. The Internet offers an immense wealth of possibilities for buying content, news, and leisure products, and all sorts of advantages arise from e-commerce, which has become a major distribution channel for goods and services. You can book airline tickets, get a T-shirt from Australia, or buy food at an online grocery store. New applications support secure business transactions and create new commercial opportunities.

In this setting, it is the consumer who gains the upper hand, and the conventional rules and methods of distribution and marketing break down. Consumers’ access to information multiplies, and their reviews of their experience with various products and services take center stage. Access to product comparisons and rankings, user reviews and comments, and recommendations from bloggers with large followings have shaped a new scenario for consumer behavior, retail trade, and the economy in general.

The Internet and the Economy

The Internet is one of the key factors driving today’s economy. No one can afford to be left behind. Even in a tough macroeconomic framework, the Internet can foster growth, coupled with enhanced productivity and competitiveness.

The Internet provides opportunities for strengthening the economy: How should we tackle them? While Europe—and Spain specifically—are making efforts to make the best possible use of the Internet, there are areas in which their approach needs to improve. Europe faces a major challenge, and risks serious failure if it lets the United States run ahead on its own. The European Commission, in its “Startup Manifesto,” suggests that the Old World be more entrepreneur-friendly—the proposal is backed by companies like Spotify and Tuenti. Europe lacks some of the necessary know-how. We need to improve in financial services and in data privacy, moving past the obsolete regulatory framework we now have and making a bid to achieve a well-connected continent with a single market for 4G mobile connections. We need to make it easier to hire talent outside each given country.

The use of e-commerce should be encouraged among small and medium-sized enterprises so that growth opportunities can be exploited more intensely. Following the global trend of the Internet, companies should internalize their online business. And much more emphasis should be placed on new technologies training in the academic and business spheres.

Modern life is global, and Spain is competing against every other country in the world. I do not believe in defeatism or victim culture. Optimism should not translate into callousness, but I sincerely believe that if you think creatively, if you find a different angle, if you innovate with a positive attitude and without fear of failure, then you can change things for the better. Spain needs to seize the moment to reinvent itself, grasping the opportunities offered up by the online world. We need to act, take decisions, avoid “paralysis through analysis.” I sometimes feel we are too inclined to navel-gazing: Spain shuts itself off, fascinated with its own contradictions and local issues, and loses its sense of perspective. Spain should open up to the outside, use the crisis as an opportunity to do things differently, in a new way—creating value, underlining its strengths, aspiring to be something more.

In the United States, for instance, diving headfirst into a personal Internet-related startup is regarded as perfectly normal. I’m glad to see that this entrepreneurial spirit is beginning to take hold here as well. I believe in working hard, showing perseverance, keeping your goals in view, surrounding yourself with talent, and taking risks. No risk, no success. We live in an increasingly globalized world: of course you can have a Spain-based Internet startup, there are no frontiers.

We need to take risks and keep one step ahead of the future. It is precisely the most disruptive innovations that require radical changes in approach and product, which might not even find a market yet ready for them—these are the areas providing real opportunities to continue being relevant, to move forward and “earn” the future, creating value and maintaining leadership. It is the disruptive changes that enable a business, product, or service to revolutionize the market—and, particularly in the technology sector, such changes are a necessity.

The Future of Social Communications, Innovation, Mobile Technologies, and Total Connectivity in Our Lives

The future of social communications will be shaped by an  always-online  culture.  Always online  is already here and will set the trend going forward. Total connectivity, the Internet you can take with you wherever you go, is growing unstoppably. There is no turning back for global digitalization.

Innovation is the driving force of growth and progress, so we need to shake up entrenched processes, products, services, and industries, so that all of us together—including established businesses, reacting to their emerging competitors—can move forward together.

Innovation is shaping and will continue to shape the future of social communications. It is already a reality that Internet connections are increasingly mobile. A survey we conducted in early 2013 in partnership with Ipsos found that 94 percent of Tuenti users aged 16 to 35 owned cell phones, 84 percent of users connected to the Internet using their phones, and 47 percent had mobile data subscriptions for connecting to the Internet. A total of 74 percent of users reported connecting to the Internet from their phone on a daily basis, while 84 percent did so at least weekly. Only 13 percent did not use their phones to connect to the Internet, and that percentage is decreasing every day.

Mobile Internet use alters the pattern of device usage; the hitherto familiar ways of accessing the Internet are changing too. The smartphone activities taking up the most time (over three hours a day) include instant messaging (38%), social media use (35%), listening to music (24%), and web browsing (20%). The activities taking up the least time (under five minutes a day) are: SMS texting (51%), watching movies (43%), reading and writing e-mail (38%), and talking on the phone (32%). Things are still changing.

Smartphones are gaining ground in everyday life. Many of the purposes formerly served by other items now involve using our smartphones. Some 75 percent of young people reported having replaced their MP3 player with their phone, 74 percent use their phone as an alarm clock, 70 percent use it as their camera, and 67 percent use it as their watch.

We have been observing these shifts for a while, which is why we decided to reinvent ourselves by placing smartphones at the heart of our strategy. I want to use this example as a showcase of what is happening in the world of social communication and the Internet in general: mobile connectivity is bringing about a new revolution. Tuenti is no longer just a social network, and social media as a whole are becoming more than just websites. The new Tuenti provides native mobile apps for Android, iPhone, Blackberry, Windows Phone, as well as the Firefox OS app and the mobile version of the website, m.tuenti.com. Tuenti is now a cross-platform service that lets users connect with their friends and contacts from wherever they may be, using their device of choice. A user with a laptop can IM in real time with a user with a smartphone, and switch from one device to another without losing the thread of the conversation. The conversations are in the cloud, so data and contacts are preserved independently of the devices being used. This means the experience has to be made uniform across platforms, which sometimes involves paring down functionalities, given the processing and screen size limitations of mobile devices. Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and so on are all evolving to become increasingly cross-platform experiences. But Tuenti is the first social network that has also developed its own Mobile Virtual Network Operator (MVNO)—the company is an Internet service provider over the mobile network. Tuenti is an MVNO with a social media angle, and this may be the future path of telecommunications.

Social media are evolving to become something more, and innovation must be their hallmark if they are to continue being relevant. Tuenti now embraces both social communications and telecom services provision, offering value added by letting you use the mobile app free of charge and without using up your data traffic allowance, even if you have no credit on your prepaid card—this is wholly revolutionary in the telecom sector. The convergence of social media with more traditional sectors is already bringing about a new context for innovation, a new arena for the development and growth of the Internet.

Just about everything in the world of the Internet still lies ahead of us, and mobile communications as we know them must be reinvented by making them more digital. The future will be shaped by innovation converging with the impact of mobility. This applies not just to social media but to the Internet in general, particularly in the social communications field. I feel that many people do not understand what we are doing and have no idea of the potential development of companies like ours at the global level. Right now, there may be somebody out there, in some corner of the world, developing the tool that will turn the Internet upside down all over again. The tool that will alter our day-to-day life once more. Creating more opportunities, providing new benefits to individuals, bringing more individual and collective well-being. Just ten years ago, social media did not exist; in the next ten years, something else radically new will emerge. There are many areas in which products, processes, and services can be improved or created afresh. The future is brimming with opportunities, and the future of the Internet has only just begun.

Related publications

• The Impact of the Internet on Society: A Global Perspective
• Implications of the Revolution in Work and Family
• Vision 2020+: A Future to Be Built

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