Benefits of Living with Today’s Technology

Life with today’s technology is often taken for granted by the younger generation. Infants play with iPads before they can talk, and they master its use in a fraction of the time it took their parents to do so. By elementary school, almost everybody in class has a cell phone, a laptop, or some other electronic device that just a few years ago was a market that was seemingly dominated by adult users.

For many in the older generation, these changes can be quite troubling. More often than not parents are faced with the struggle to stay abreast of the latest technological advancements. However, despite these new challenges, today’s technology seems to have made our lives a lot easier than it was before, and you are just as likely as the next person to be benefiting from these developments in your every day life. Here are just some of the ways parents and other adults are enjoying the benefits of modern technology.

• Health and fitness: The arrival of treadmills and exercise cycles was only the beginning. Today, you can find a slew of mobile apps and devices meant to help people make healthier lifestyle choices and stay fit. For example, some digital programs aimed at helping people lose weight even have systems that measure calorie intake and usage to help calculate the user’s weight at a fixed date in the future. There are also devices that help chart workout programs and measure progress, making it easier to develop and maintain a regular fitness routine. Additionally, plenty of online workout videos are used today to help people get their daily dose of exercise at a time and place that is most convenient for them.
• At home: Whether it is sharing recipes, household tips, or your baby’s developmental milestones, the internet has empowered mothers through easy access to important information. For example, the perks of online shopping now mean that moms don’t have to brave traffic jams (or even get out of bed) to buy that handy vegetable peeler they saw at their neighbor’s house or any of their other household essentials. Paying bills and getting bank work done has also become less daunting without the long queues. These day simple online transactions are able to accomplish the same goals as a trip to the bank. For busy moms, there are even monitoring devices that help you ‘keep an eye’ on your baby from any room in the house. Embracing technology at home can be just the time saver parents need to stay on track with errands and other important tasks throughout the day.
• Socializing: As society becomes more global, social networking sites such as Facebook have helped millions of people from around the world stay in touch with each other in a way that was never possible before. With today’s video calling technology grandparents are now allowed to be an active part of their grandchildren’s lives no matter how far away they live. By connecting online, individuals can join interest groups and discussions from the comfort of their homes, and meet new people with similar interests from around the world. In virtual worlds like Second Life, online socializing takes on a whole new meaning as people get to attend virtual events, join virtual clubs, go on virtual dates and even take virtual vacations with like-minded individuals.
• Traveling: With the aide of modern mobile devices like smartphones, travelers visiting new places for the first time can find their way about the city and go about their day-to-day activities with as much ease as they would if they were long-time residents. Pre-travel planning is made a lot easier by websites that share traveler reviews for hotels and travel packs. Street maps, GPS navigation systems and turn-by-turn navigation assistance make moving around a new environment a piece of cake. There are even mobile apps that locate nearby banks, telephone booths, ATMs, restaurants and theaters at a moment’s notice.
• Entertainment: No matter where you are, instant entertainment lies in your pocket. Phones come with basic games for users, with the option of downloading many more from the internet. Handheld game consoles are in a different league altogether. With the Wii, PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, video gaming is no longer what it used to be. Massively Multiplayer Online Games allow for immersive entertainment and a much greater level of involvement within games. Additionally, books, movies and music need no longer take up shelf space. All three can be bought and used entirely through digital devices like tablets, phones, or laptops.

Many of these technological advancements are ones we make use of regularly, and have easily adapted to through the years. And, although we may take these terrific time saving perks for granted today, the buzz surrounding new and upcoming technologies may very well make the standard of living that much better in the years to come.