This summer I’m spending a fair amount of time with my family elders. I enjoy listening to their stories about them growing up during and after the war, and how life has changed over the years. The other day while doing something on her iPad, my aunt said to me with a smile – ‘life really has improved on so many levels!’. This was a pleasant surprise since our elders usually remark on how things used to be beter ‘back in the day’.
When we think of the past, we often remember it as simpler and more secure than the present. However, when we look back further, it’s not always so straightforward. Technology has brought enormous advances, expanding our life expectancy, and making things more convenient. Of course, it has also brought with it new pressures that young people weren’t exposed to before, such as those found in social media.
Simply put, it has never been better to be alive than today – it really is as good as it gets. This is not to ignore the greater global challenges around us, or the hard work needed to continue to improve and keep striving forward, but rather to recognise that life today has never been easier or more accessible.
Take for example my own family elders. My aunt is 86 years old, yet she still travels the world on her own with the help of advanced booking technology and intelligent navigation aid systems. My Dad, who is 80 years old, is able to continue teaching 25 hours a week to refugees with the help of online learning systems.
Technological advances, in particular, have changed and improved our lives at a breathtaking pace and will continue to do so in the coming years. The internet has opened up a world of information, goods, and services, increasing access to people and ideas and allowing for increased communication, collaboration, and global knowledge sharing. Outdated, generational norms can be dropped, allowing us to shed a bit of the baggage of the past as we break through barriers to age, gender, and accessibility- my father discovered ChatGTP, and thinks its the best thing since sliced bread!
Of course, plenty of challenges still persist, but the ability to assess, implement, and iterate changes has never been more accessible. Yes, things may have been different in the past, but the widespread acknowledgment of the improved quality of life in many facets is clear.
It is evident that life today has come a long way from what it once was. The advances in technology have made life more convenient and accessible, allowing for great success stories such as my family’s Elders who are able to experience life in ways that would have been unimaginable not too long ago. Through embracing these advances, it has become possible to create an improved quality of life for people all around the world.
So let us be grateful for the progress made and continue to strive towards further improvement!