The internet has made things a lot easier for us in terms of gaining access. People who had no idea that others existed outside of their community suddenly had whole worlds opened up to them. People, who had no way of contacting or communing with others across the world in real time, now had a fast and efficient way of doing so. The internet was a great enabler and had a great impact on several different industries that were hitherto completely disassociated from the internet.
The Money World
E-commerce was something that came up pretty quickly on the internet, in the early 2000’s in fact. This was recognition of the transactional possibilities of the internet. It took some time for the transactions to be safe, but one online stores were up and running, it was only a matter of time before e-commerce, e-marketing and all sort of e- everything became a trend. Today, it is a simple matter to get a quick finance loan online by going on a website, filling out an application and then having the paper work processed (if everything is in order) in less than 48 hours. Large money transactions are almost never done by cash now; the internet is used for everything from paying bills to purchasing property.
The Art World
Interestingly, the money world is not the only one that found a permanent home on the internet. The art world also realized the potential, to the point where there are apps today that you can use to bid on auctions that are happening in real time, either in real life or online. Picture this: you are randomly searching for a Turner painting and you come across an auction that is due to take place tomorrow. You can participate via video link, but you don’t have enough liquidity for the buy-in. You can search for quick and easy online personal loan, America, Europe or wherever is closest to you, have it processed in record and be ready to bid by the next day.
The Social World
In addition to money and art, another ‘world’ that has changed irreversibly is the social world. There are libraries full of research (online now, of course) that show that social media platforms online have completely taken over and even determine the course of human interactions. It is inevitable that new friends will exchange phone numbers, emails and then, ‘friend’ each other on social media. There are long-term relationships that started over these platforms; there are lovers who have never seen each other IRL. There are friendships that were maintained thanks to online social interactions while others splintered because of it.
Like it or not, the internet is here to stay and as much as there are dangers, the internet has also made our lives much more convenient.