Can You Imagine Life Without The Internet And 4g Service?

Sometimes it seems that the Internet is more trouble than it's worth. Facebook, e-mail, and other services demand that we are reachable on a moment's notice, and viruses and hackers pose dangers to our bank accounts and other sensitive information. By thinking a little about what life was like before the Internet became so widespread, we might be able to again appreciate how valuable this tool is on a daily basis, especially now that it has been introduced in wireless Internet form.

The beginning of the typical workday wasn't really that different in the pre-Internet age. We still use alarm clocks to wake up (unless our alarm clock is programmed to download a different waking-up song every day using a wireless Internet connection, of course!) then groom ourselves and hop on the bus or train to the office. The commutes of many people have changed drastically in the Internet age, however. If you drive to work, you probably still have to focus more on the drive than anything else, but on public transportation Walkmans and portable CD players have given way to wireless Internet devices. While this technology allows people to play Angry Birds or listen to music, if that is how they choose to spend their commute, they can also listen to music or podcasts in a foreign language to brush up on their language skills, catch up on the news, or even get started on responding to work e-mails and voice mails. The Internet has turned a potentially time-wasting commute into an opportunity for personal growth or time-saving for many people.

The Internet has also massively changed the working environment for many people. For example, lawyers used to have huge libraries at their firms which often needed to be updated many times a year with supplements and new documents. Internet services such as Westlaw and Lexis now permit lawyers to conduct almost all of their research online. In the opinion of many people, e-mail over the Internet is another service that has drastically improved productivity in the workforce. While formal written communications are still required for many purposes, e-mail allows businesses and customers to have easy and fast written records of transactions and communications at a moment's notice. Additionally, as Internet research services such as Google Scholar grow, people working at just about any office that requires a significant deal of research, from secretaries researching potential executive travel itineraries to professional statisticians, have access to a wealth of data at their fingertips.

After work, the wireless Internet facilitates social interaction through its ability to help people make and adjust plans on the go. Before the widespread introduction of the Internet and mobile phones, if you and a friend decided to meet on Fifth Avenue at 6pm, you and he or she simply had to be there, come hell or high water. With wireless and Internet service, it is easy to adjust plans on the go, making everyone's free time just a little more flexible.