For starters, you wouldn't be reading this right now.
You would have no choice but to communicate with others by phone, via letter, or in person, as social media wouldn't be available.
Chances are, you watch shows or movies via streaming services like Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu. You would instead be forced to watch them on TV or rent them through Redbox or the local video store.
Imagine how many people would not be together if it weren't for Internet dating sites like Match.com or eHarmony. (I'm the perfect example of this, as I reacquainted with my now-wife, who I first met in middle school, through MySpace.
You would have to make payments by mail, through the phone, or in person.
You wouldn't be able to make purchases online. Instead, you'd have to hit up brick-and-mortar stores or buy your stuff through catalogs that come in the mail. It's important to note that were in not for the Internet, stores like Circuit City and Borders would likely still be in business.
With no Wikipedia or Google to turn to, you'd have to look up conduct research in the library.
You'd only be able to peruse job listings in the local paper and apply by mail or in person. We would not be able to avail of sites likes like Monster, CareerBuilder, or Craigslist.
Consider how much lower companies' sales would be. They would have no websites consumers could visit to peruse and buy products. (An Amazon- and eBay-less world is hard to fathom.)
Consider the fact that doctor's offices, universities, and other businesses would have no choice but to maintain paper trails of all our information.
It makes you wonder one thing: How the heck were we able to function as a society before the advent of the Internet?
We've become so reliant on the Web that nowadays we couldn't imagine going a day without using it for something -- whether to check email or like a friend's status on Facebook.
It really allows us appreciate the fact that we're alive in this ever-expanding digital age.
While the world is in many ways more complicated now than it was, say, 30 years ago, there's no denying that the Internet has been a boon for people who want to do more in the comfort of their home. And with smartphones, we can do virtually anything while on the go.
There's no question that the Internet has revolutionized the world like nothing else in history.
What would life be like for you without the internet? Are you happy to be living in this digital era?
Comments