We’re in the third decade of the 21st Century, and the world around us has certainly changed since the beginning of this new millennium. There is a lot of technology. It was a time when the Internet was new, owning a cell phone was a symbol of luxury, computers were being revolutionized, and playing 16-bit games was the best pleasure of all time. Basically, that was a time that we didn’t even want to get familiar with so much revolutionizing tech. It never mattered whether we owned some gadgets; in fact, we hardly used one. And, now there are things that we can’t survive without. Dependency on technology has immensely increased, and the Internet has become a necessity of life.
From social media, video streaming, and G-Suite, to music players, online booking services, and artificial intelligence, everything has been deeply embedded in our daily lives. It’s hard to imagine leaving for a place without booking a cab on Uber, and Wikipedia is our one-stop knowledge base . Instagram has taken over our cameras, Amazon is your new retail store, and we are lazy enough to have our meal delivered to the door. With all that’s going around, the Internet remains the foremost requirement as nothing works without that. We do have AI-based smart assistants, but it’s too early to deem it as a necessity right now. Instagram and Facebook are a part of our lives; as two platforms offering not just personal but also professional recognition and presence.
There’s too much to tell in just one article. So we have shortened that list for you. Let’s check out what all stuff that didn’t even exist back then has a long-lasting role in our daily lives now.
Best Addictive Modern-Day Technologies That Were Never On Our List When They Arrived
1. Internet
Anything related to tech we use today is worthless without the Internet. Two decades ago, the Internet was something people craved for. And those who were privileged enough to have it used it bits-by-bits, saving it more carefully than their hard-earned money. Today, the amount of time spent on the Internet and the solutions it has provided through various applications, we require an unlimited high-speed connection that runs without lags at constant browsing, downloading, and uploading speed.
2. Wireless Earbuds
First came earphones, then wireless earbuds, and now genuinely wireless earbuds. From a 3.5mm wired-jack to no-wire Bluetooth supported in-ear buds, this gadget is an all-time buddy. You can’t travel without them, work without them, and not even sleep without them. Today, we’ve got headphones and earphones of tens of kinds explicitly designed for different purposes, ranging from music to playing games. What once was an electronic accessory is a separate industry of its own now.
3. Facebook and Instagram
Congratulations Mr. Zuckerberg, despite so much talk about your negligence towards your platforms’ users, you still made a list and that too on No. 3. No matter what Zuckerberg has done, the dependence of people on Facebook and Instagram not just for social belonging, but also business needs has outgrown our concerns for data privacy. Now Instagram is an addiction, and Facebook is a one-stop solution for business promotion and social updates.
And for those who have forgotten, Facebook wasn’t even a thing until 2004 and was not yet public until 2006. So, just recall how life has just changed in less than two decades.
4. Google Applications
I think Google is what made us really dependent on the Internet. It was just a search engine earlier, and even then, it mesmerized us all with the information it could offer us. Later it became a mail client, and slowly and gradually, Google has become an entire suite of applications that we are using in every aspect of our personal and professional lives.
We never used emails two decades ago, and now complex tasks and conversations are carried out in minutes via mail. From document creation to cloud storage, Google has expanded its arms exponentially since its origin, and we willingly keep falling into them every single time.
5. Wikipedia
Search for anything on the web, and the first link, you’ll find will direct you to Wikipedia. The authenticity of the information on Wikipedia is indeed questionable; after all, it’s all user-fed data. But, a majority of information, especially something which is established and known, is accurately summarized in a single article here. It covers a wide range of subjects and genres and offers everything necessary you ought to know at a single platform.
6. Smartphone
Going mobile is the most common tech trend these days. There is an app for every single platform, which allows you to execute their respective operations on the move. Earlier phones were a luxury, used only to call and send text messages when required. And now, smartphones have Internet connectivity, Bluetooth, and Camera. Google, Facebook, Wikipedia; everything is available on mobiles. Smartphones were once also an expensive revolution brought by Apple in 2007, which has now spawned into an industry consuming the entire globe.
7. Amazon
Gone are the days when you traveled to the supermarket and spent hours selecting your groceries and other household stuff under your strict budget. Thanks to Amazon, we can now shop on our mobile phones and get all the things delivered at our doorstep without even paying for delivery. With Amazon’s Prime services, the delivery is even faster than ever. From groceries and apparel to electronics and travel accessories, Amazon has it all on its shelves.
8. WhatsApp
Chat messengers have saved people from long calls and have enlarged your conversation circle by offering instant messaging and even internet calls. Though this was a feature that Yahoo and Google launched way back before WhatsApp, thanks to smartphones, Whatsapp ultimately took the credit. WhatsApp was the application most of the people from the millennial generation were introduced to. It was the only app that existed on a mobile platform and was available for free. Plus, this was the app that was a fresh face when the Internet entered into every household across the globe. And now, there is hardly any smartphone that does not have WhatsApp installed on it.
9. Music and Video Streaming
Netflix, Spotify, Prime Video and Music, Apple Music, etc. All these names were nothing before Y2K. Netflix existed but as a DVD rental service company and not as an online video streaming platform. And now, online streaming subscriptions have killed DVDs. These services are available on cross platforms. What was the last time you paid for cable and soundtrack cassettes?
10. Uber
Yes, Uber does have issues. It runs on a shared economy model so, services do get hampered every now and then. But it has indeed made travel easier than ever. Finding a cab in rushed city streets has always been a tough task, and Uber has made it quite easier and somewhat a bit cheaper at specified instances. Cars and motorcycles were one thing; it is even transporting people on choppers now. Could you have imagined sitting in a chopper before Y2K?
11. Online Banking and Payment Apps
I don’t remember the last time I visited the bank to deposit cheques or cash in my account. There is little cash in my wallet, enough to travel at shorter distances and buy an item or two from the shop. I never pay my rent and other bills in cash. And I even manage my credit cards on my phone. All thanks to these banking platforms operable via applications and browsers. I couldn’t have imagined this during my childhood days long back.
12. GPS Navigation
GPS was invented way back in 1978. But GPS was not embedded in mobile phones before 1997. And it was globally commercialized probably after 2005 when Google launched Maps. Today, we can travel to unknown places and wander in new streets due to GPS navigation devices installed on our phones.
13. Voice Assistants
“Alexa, change the song.” That has become quite a morning phrase when I’m getting ready for work and listening to my favorite playlists. Voice assistants have changed the way we live, and it’s just an initial glimpse of artificial intelligence. It’ll be something amazing when it expands its capabilities in the future.
Technology has come a long way since the last twenty years, and it has the potential to grow at much larger scales. AI is expanding to technological singularity; online streaming is increasing to game streaming platforms; we’re getting choppers for taxis; you can literally buy aircrafts online; chat messengers have evolved into calling applications; the list goes on.
This is just imagination. Virtual and Augmented Reality is also being researched further along with quantum computers’ capabilities like the one at IBM, and hundreds of different fields are emerging in this sector. It’s just hard to clarify what the next decade might have for us in the future, but we can rest assured that our lives are going to change on a large scale.
What Technologies Took You By Storm:
Tell us in the comments which of the modern-day tech. You got stuck to and have been using ever since. What do you expect from the technologies of the next decade?