| Do We Take the Internet for Granted? |
Have you ever had to go without something, and just by not being able to have it, you realize just how important it is to you? Anyone who had to endure the blackout of 2003 that affected the most of the North Eastern US and Ontario knows just how important electricity is to us. I know that it made me admire those before us, who had to live without power. After the blackout, which only lasted about 24 hours in my area, I felt that I was invincible. Since I had lived without power for a whole day, I felt that I could pretty much live without anything. However, I was wrong. There is one thing that I really cannot live without and that is the Internet.
When I was young, I would laugh or roll my eyes when I would hear people start off a sentence with the ever popular, “When I was young, we didn’t have…” You can really end that sentence with a variety of items including TV, CD’s, and computers. Do you realize that one day, our kids will be doing the same thing to us when we say to them, “When I was young, we did not have the Internet”? It seems crazy to me that I actually lived my life until my early twenties, without the use of the Internet. How did I keep abreast of current events, or stay in touch with my friends and family? How did I book my airline tickets or check to see what time movies are playing? How did I ever do all my Christmas shopping?
I recently moved from Canada to Italy and the transition was rather hectic. Before I left North America, I did not really consider the fact that I may not have a phone or access to the Internet for quite some time. My first morning in Italy, after a good night’s sleep, I grabbed my juice and cereal and my body instinctively started moving towards the computer. I sat down, turned it on, and got ready to start my day. However, something was wrong…very wrong. I had no Internet connection. It hit me like a tidal wave and I felt slightly panicky. Before arriving in Italy, we were assured that our phone and Internet would be set up and ready for when we got here. However, this was not the case. Italians work at a completely different pace than the rest of the world. (I do not mean to offend anyone that is reading this that may be Italian). By telling us that we would have a phone and Internet upon our arrival, they really meant that we would have it within two weeks of our arrival. So needless to say, the first two weeks in Italy were a little stressful. I felt so out of touch with the rest of the world.
In this industry, the Internet is especially important to us. It is our livelihood, our moneymaker, and our vehicle for success. Without it, where would we be? Some of us would be working in mainstream at monotonous nine to five jobs and some of the less fortunate of us may even be working the drive thru at places like McDonalds. Some of us may even still be enrolled in school, trying to finish a degree in business or political science. Try to imagine exactly where you would be if you did not have the Internet? It’s scary, is it not? Think of what you use the Internet for and I am not just talking about work.
The Internet has become our hub of information, which is probably why it is referred to as the “Information Superhighway”. The Internet is our first stop when we want to listen to a new hit song. The Internet is the place that we buy our books, electronics, and games. It is our newspaper, TV, and radio all combined into one to feed us our daily dose of world news. It is our auction house, where we find great bargains on anything from computer parts to houses. It is our travel agent that helps us find and book hotels, plane tickets and rental cars. It is the replacement for our telephone and mail system as a way of communicating with family and friends. It is our photo album where we keep and share our fondest memories. It is our real estate agent that shows us potential houses. It is our bank, our investment broker, and our financial planner. How, in such a short span of time since it’s induction, did the Internet become so important to us?
Convenience. This is the reason that we rely so heavily on the Internet in our daily lives. The Internet provides us with one stop or place to do everything that we need to do. It is where we work, shop, pay our bills, visit with friends, and unwind. Before the Internet, all of these things would take a great amount of time out of our busy schedules. Now, the Internet provides us with a place to do everything we need to do in a short amount of time. Do you ever stop to think about how much easier the Internet has actually made your life? You are probably like me and take it for granted. I have had to live without the Internet for two weeks and believe me it was very scary. So, I urge you to start appreciating the Internet and all that it has done for you. Give your computer a hug, because one day you may be left Internet-less and alone. |
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| Article Details |
| Author: Muffy |
| Date Posted: June 2nd, 2004 |
| Topic: Adult Industry News |
| Reader Rating: 0.0 / 5 |
| Comments Posted: 0 (see below) |
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