Historians have a habit of classifying distinct ages of human civilization according to the tools people use. For instance, you have heard of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Then there was the Industrial Age that began in the late 18th century. We are now in the Internet Age.
Each of history’s recognized ages are important in that they show significant jumps in human progress. The Industrial Age was birthed by the Industrial Revolution, a period of time in both Europe and the Americas where people started abandoning agricultural practices in favor of industry and manufacturing.
The Internet Age has arguably brought about more change than all the ages that came before it. It has brought about a transition from analog to digital. Meanwhile, it has continued to influence industry, manufacturing, and agriculture alike. It is simultaneously a unifying and dividing age that will probably go down in history as one of the most transformative ever.
Humans Thrive on Information
If you look throughout the many ages of human history, you see one continuing theme that affects progress: access to information. Whether it is turning copper into farm implements, learning how to grow crops in new lands, turning petroleum into plastic, or transmitting digital data around the world, it all relies on information.
That information stems from knowledge. The knowledge stems from curiosity and research. Put it all together and you have the engine that drives human progress. What is most remarkable about the Internet Age is that it has accelerated everything: research, learning, and transmitting the information.
The World Is Much Smaller
The Internet Age has done a remarkable job of making the world much smaller. A century ago, the fastest way to transmit information around the world was via telegraph. We still relied on newspapers, magazines, and handwritten letters to learn whatever we could about the world. These days, we have an endless stream of real-time news at our fingertips.
If someone sneezes on the other side of the world, all it takes for the news to be broadcast around the world is someone willing to post it on social media. In mere seconds, anyone who sees the post will instantly know about the sneeze. But it is more than just news. Real-time data powers everything from banking to healthcare and government administration.
Some Are Still Left Out
As amazing as the Internet Age has been thus far, some are still left out. In some developing nations, there is literally no access to the internet at all. In rural America, access is available but often limited. How does that affect human progress?
Where there is no internet access, cultures are not keeping up. Where access is limited, keeping up is much harder than it otherwise would be. For example, we need to look no further than rural Americans who need to contend with slow internet or going to nearby cities for access.
Options like Blazing Hog’s 4G rural internet and HughesNet satellite service do exist. Both are adequate. But as the world moves to fiber optic and 5G fixed wireless, even these two options will be less attractive.
A Unifier or Divider
You could make the case that the various ages of human history acted as unifiers. But you could also argue that they divided. What will history say about the Internet Age? Will it declare the age as one of unity and the progress that comes from it, or will history see it as a further divider between the haves and have-nots? Time will tell. Either way, the Internet Age will be remembered as profoundly transformational.
