As evidenced over the past thirty years the society has undergone some significant changes. These shifts are both positive and negative. Main influence comes bythe advancements in the field of science and technology. The society has also faced various movements that shaped our lifestyle. To be more precise, feminist movement, the industrial revolution and introduction of the internet. All these have worked to make our life much better, as compared to thirty years ago. As a result of these shifts, the society is becoming more complex. We are going to discuss some of the main changes that the society has gone through in last 30 years.
The society has discovered technological miracle
Thirty years ago there were no smartphones and tablets. In fact, not so many people could afford a computer. Additionally, social media was also not in existence. People back then used wired telephones. They had to walk around with phone books to be able to contact each other. Moreover, people had to read the papers, listen to radio or watch television.
With the help of these devices, they knew what was going around them. Fast forward, thirty years later people are using small wireless phones. The internet is easily accessible and people get information quite easily. Therefore, we are always updated with what is going on around us. In fact, internet is the giant that occupies considerable part of people’s lives today.
Social media rules the world
Over the past thirty years, the internet has had quite some significant impact on society. Due to the introduction of social media, internet has altered people’s way of life. Such websites, as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and MySpace make people addicted. Social media has reduced the world into a global village. In fact, internet is the place for dating, doing business, playing games, and many mooore.
For example, doing business has become much easier through these social media websites. As a result, the whole concept of doing business is different with the use of technology. Today, people can afford doing business online. Finding new clients, offering available products, marketing- we can do these sitting at home with a smartphone. Imagine the surprise of people living 30 years ago when they’d find this out back then!
Relationship changes
People 30 years ago would also be surprised to know how modern society is building relationships. Unsurprisingly, meeting someone knew is much easier today. It’s not even necessary to know someone personally. We find new friends and our love through social media. Dating has also been simplified through the introduction of dating apps, such as Tinder. Did you know that many young men have problem with dating women in real life? For them it’s much easier to communicate through internet. When they try to date someone, they face failure.
One more interesting fact is that social media has led to the intrusion of people’s private lives. However, people have welcomed the idea of posting information about themselves. Their daily lives are visible online, so that anyone can track what you share. You can easily become a blogger and show your “followers” what you eat and do. Sounds fun, doesn’t it?
I’m addicted to you…
Although the internet exists to make life easier it has its own disadvantages. Internet addiction has disoriented most people to a serious extent. Unfortunately, psychologists even refer to it as a real health disorder. Internet addiction has led people losing their jobs and relationships. Losing touch with the real world is also one of the symptoms. Health practitioners have found it difficult to find a permanent solution to internet addiction. That is because people can use their phones any time and internet is easily accessible.
Marriage in our society
Talking about changes in the society, we must also mention marriage. In the past, people viewed marriage as a rite of passage. Once one graduated a college and had a stable job, marriage was seen as the next step in life. Over time things have changed and 50% of people are having second thoughts about marriage. Besides, there is a considerable number of people opting out.
On the other hand, there is a new understanding of family. Today, there are numerous examples of homosexual relationships. Families with two moms or two daddies are becoming normal for many. As compared to normal marriages, gay marriages have been on a steady increase. In the past, people were stigmatized for their sexual orientations. However, more people are changing their perceptions towards homosexual movement.
Unsurprisingly, at the beginning the society was not friendly to such shift. There were many cases of cruelty and discrimination to homosexual couples. However, governments had to take steps in order to protect the rights of these people. As a result, the society had to change its attitude. Moreover, there are special laws that allow homosexial marriage. Though, not all countries recognize such marriages.
Lack of trust
One of the reasons as to why people are opting out of marriage is the sharp rise in trust issues over the past three decades. Moreover, lack of trust has also affected friendships, businesses, and families. Recent advancements in technology are a key reason of this problem. Technology has aided the art of deception. For instance, a person can date someone online and erase it to hide everything from his/her partner. Besides, the society has discovered for itself online crimes. Hacker attacks, financial crimes, and deception through social media are common examples. Consequently, people begin separating themselves from others.
Another significant change over the past decades is the unprecedented rise in the rate of divorces. More than half of marriages done today end up in divorce. On the contrary, before the rate of divorces used to be around 0.3%. In fact, in the past, divorce was considered as a taboo. Infidelity is a major contributor to recent divorces. Unsurprisingly, this has been mostly aided by the internet. Here, people can easily interact and meet someone new. Other reasons behind the increase of divorce are lack of trust and communication between the partners.
Women fight for their rights
The past three decades have also witnessed a steady increase in feminist movements. More and more women have joined this bandwagon in order to demand social change and how they are viewed in society. They are campaigning for a review on sexual harassment, violence (both domestic and sexual), reproductive rights, etc. Through the increased numbers of women participating in these movements, significant strides have been made.
Today, women occupy totally different positions in comparison to women in previous generations. Before, women did not have voting rights. However, now they can vote for elective positions in their respective countries. Most governments have two-thirds gender rule. It ensures that more women are in government offices.
Moreover, women’s maternity leaves have been reviewed. As a result, they don’t lose their job once they apply for the leave. Additionally, women are now protected more than ever against domestic and sexual violence. They are also enjoying high positions both in the government and in various companies.
The way you look
In the past, people did not care how they look or how they eat. With social media, they are very concerned about how other people will think of them. This has led more people to hit the gym. Some even decide to purchase their own equipment and workout at home. Additionally, more people control their weight. Following healthy diet plans and doing liposuction are very popular today.
In conclusion, change is quite inevitable. Some of the changes are good, while others are not really beneficial. However, it’s up to us to prevent occurence of major problems that will affect future generations. Therefore, we should be more attentive to each other. In order to change the society we must start from ourselves.
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