Because the internet is literally an interconnected system throughout the globe, no one entity really owns it in its entirety, technically speaking. There are those that hold major footholds within its ever-expanding landscape, but more than who controls it, the continued prominence of the internet shows that, if you think about it, the internet really owns us as a collective. In every sector of society, the internet has become a crucial part of what keeps the cogs turning.
If the world wide web were to shut down for just 10 minutes, chaos would ensue. Aside from being the home of social media, it would affect the media stream and the income generation of all the businesses throughout the world, and one only needs to imagine how many systems that rely on internet connectivity would suddenly fail.
This handshake agreement, wherein the internet owns us in exchange for the eternal convenience and well of connectivity with knowledge it provides, is simply a part of the modern world of technology. If you still feel skeptical, here are some hard and fast facts about how much the internet really keeps today’s world turning.
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Much of the world’s commerce thrives on the internet
From online marketplaces to website development services companies helping businesses build an online presence, there are tons of platforms and resources that you can use to have a thriving business online. Even if you’re simply on the consumer end of the spectrum, though, it’s hard to deny how much the online world dictates how shoppers buy and what they buy. On top of becoming a marketing tool, it’s literally become the place to shop from the comfort of your own home. This ease of access is a great convenience for buyers, but it also makes it that much more tempting to buy.
In 2020, there is an estimated 2.05 billion digital buyers throughout the world, already accounting for over 15% of retail sales throughout the globe. Considering its introduction to society, this growth is rapid and only looks like it will continue going up.
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A lot of the devices we rely on for everyday life are connected online
Even if you set aside the usual suspects like your cellphone, laptop, and game console, think about the little things like your smart watch, the GPS system in your car, and nowadays, even things like your credit cards, bike tires, and crockpots. This is all because of the onset of the “Internet of Things”, with people making the move over into completely “smart homes”.
Businesses encourage this, and while it does have its innovations, it is just another glaring sign of the times and our ever-growing dependency on the internet. If you have an automated home, you literally need to have good network connectivity in order to have your devices synced up and ready to communicate with each other. Without it, the system would go awry.
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It has become the global library
Whether you’re a Google, Bing, or DuckDuckGo kind of online searcher, the fact of the matter is that you likely have not gone a week in recent memory without looking something up on the internet. With the countless number of websites, uploaded articles, videos, books, and other educational resources, the world has made the internet its shared library. Why else do sites like Wikipedia work hard to keep their services free?
Whether you are a student doing research, a parent looking for recipes to cook, or an engineer looking for some suppliers to connect with, the search engine mechanism has become a solid part of our lives. In fact, studies (which, yes, you can find online) have shown that people are becoming more dependent on search engines when faced with unknowns. Any new task stimulates the brain to impulsively reach out to that trusty search engine.
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It has become the major resource for communication worldwide
Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and more. Social media has taken over, and most people have an account that they actively use. Ask a teen how they would feel if all their accounts got hacked, and they could no longer log on? Not only has this been a core communication tool for modern society, but it is used for other purposes related to messaging like marketing, education, and monitoring.
Another disaster scenario to consider is if the internet collapsed entirely. You may be surprised to find out that that means there would also be no more cell phone service. Their infrastructures are connected, so even things that used to be readily available like text messaging and satellite services would be impacted.
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Much of our sensitive data has already been linked online web development company
This doesn’t just mean any scandalous photos one might regret taking, either. Everyone puts personal information into an online platform in one way or another at some point. Banking details, personal addresses, work and medical history, names, friends, you name it.
Even cookies and tracking mean that the internet already knows what we like, hence the ads that seem to target us specifically. In today’s world, the internet is simply a core pillar of society already.
