We live in an age of unmatched opportunity in many ways. World and US standards of living have continued to rise throughout the 20th and early 21st centuries. Despite news reports which focus on the negative, overall violence has decreased. Universal suffrage has become more common. Of all the changes in the past 50 years, possibly that with the greatest impact has been the rise of the Internet. Here are only a few of the business and educational advances the growth of the Internet has permitted.

Communication

Communication used to be slow and uncertain. Mail could take days or weeks to arrive. Coordination of business activities was difficult. Typically, today, all areas of business are connected and communications are almost instantaneous. Large groups can be online with each other simultaneously. Business is often conducted in “real time.”

Information

Just getting information fifty years ago was much more difficult. You had to go to a library in most cases and search for often obscure and rare original source material. It could be difficult to find and often was unavailable. The Internet has made information a resource available to almost everyone. On the flip side, it has become more difficult to ascertain the veracity and reliability of your information. It must be sourced and checked more carefully.

Expanded Opportunity

If you wanted to go into business fifty years ago, you needed a facility and capital. Now you might be able to get by with a great website, though capital is always beneficial. The internet has made going into business much easier and cheaper, although you still need the expertise and knowledge a quality education brings. Fifty years ago, if you wanted to publish a book, you had to pass through a narrow establishment publishing bottleneck. Rejection was extremely common, getting published extremely difficult. In effect, the system was autocratic, with only a narrow range of voices being heard. Nowadays, any writer can choose to publish a book themselves. Anybody’s voice can now be heard.

Inexpensive or Free College Education

Education has been revolutionized by the Internet. No longer is the traditional university education on a physical campus the only pathway to knowledge and success. The percentage of online students has increased dramatically since universities and colleges began adapting their programs to online learning years back. It was found that the quality of college education could not only be maintained but quite possibly increased.

• Knowledge can often be imparted just as successfully through online lectures and course materials.
• Professors that once lectured in person to small groups can now lecture via video to larger audiences.
• Forums and other student interaction methods permit two-way communication.
• Knowledge can be imparted at the student’s personal pace, at their own optimal schedule.
• Physical or medical risks are minimized.
• Personalized combinations of online and physical campus course work are possible.
• There is an increasing recognition of the need for undergraduate and advanced degrees in a competitive job market.

 

The Internet has helped democratize information and, with the online courses offered by topflight universities, it has helped democratize knowledge and education, as well. Student course choices and financial options have expanded dramatically. No longer is the area where you live the most significant factor involved in the choice of a college or university. Financial aid from the government has expanded to recognize the quality of education available through online courses at major universities and colleges. Some colleges even offer free online courses or degree plans. The early 21st Century has truly become a time of unparalleled business and educational opportunity.