essay on life then life now

20 big ways the world has changed since 1999

The dawn of the new millennium was just under 20 years ago.
The world we live in now is completely different from then.
Here are all the biggest changes.

As we get closer and closer to 2019, it's hard not to look back on the years past and reflect on how different everything is now. Twenty years ago, in 1999, the world was a completely different place than it is today.

We were on the dawn of a new millennium, stressed and unsure about what Y2K would bring. Cell phones were only just beginning to become popular, social media was not yet the number one topic of conversation, Britney Spears had just dropped her first album, and newspapers and magazines were still going strong.

Although 1999 might not feel that far away sometimes, when you think about how much the world has changed since then, it feels like it happened a million years ago. Here are a few more examples of how different our lives are today:

You're now on the internet more than you aren't on the internet, instead of just using it for school or work.

In 1999, the internet was still shiny and new, something that seemed to be full of exciting possibilities… we just didn't know how to use them yet. Most of the websites we know and love today weren't even a thought in 1999 — even Google had just become a thing about a year earlier.

Those who went online who were using the internet for school or work, not for entertainment or connecting with people. Today, the internet is obviously a huge part of our lives, and it's hard to imagine a time when it wasn't. More than 4 billion people have access to the internet.

Today, you can talk on the phone and use the internet at the same time.

In fact, you can talk on the phone, watch TV, scroll through social media on your iPad, and read a different website on your computer if you really wanted to. Back in 1999, dial-up was necessary to connect to the internet , and so we all found ourselves getting kicked off the phone if someone tried to get online, or waiting for our family members to end their conversations so we could log on.

You no longer have to worry about breathing in secondhand smoke when going out to eat.

It wasn't until the early 2000s that smoking bans in restaurants really went into effect. In 1999, you were still able to go into a restaurant or bar that reeked of smoke, which wasn't a pleasant experience if you didn't smoke. Some restaurants had smoking and non-smoking sections because even that wasn't taken away until later on. Today, you don't have that problem, as smoking indoors is banned pretty much everywhere .

You now get more excited about television than you do about movies.

The last few years have been full of some truly excellent television, whether it's shows on cable TV or on streaming services. Everything is about TV right now, and there is no shortage of amazing shows to watch. There were plenty of good shows on in 1999 as well, of course (like "Sex and the City" and "The Simpsons"), but it was more about the movies than anything else.

Huge films like "Fight Club," "The Matrix," and "American Beauty" came out in 1999, and as New York magazine points out , "it was the best, most innovative year for American movies in recent memory."

That's a big change from the Golden Age of Television we're currently in , although you're much more likely to watch them on a computer or a computer hooked up to your TV than you were back then.

You no longer have to sit around hoping your Napster song download goes through.

Who can forget Napster? The file-sharing network was created in 1999 , and it was then that everyone started illegally downloading music for free instead of buying CDs. The service came with its fair share of issues, though, from songs that took hours to download to ones that ended up being the completely wrong file.

Today, you don't have to painstakingly download your music illegally, you can just listen to whatever you want on a streaming service like Spotify. It might not be free if you don't want to listen to commercials, but it's certainly more convenient.

You rent movies off Amazon Prime instead of heading to Blockbuster.

Back in 1999, Blockbuster was the place to be on the weekends. If you wanted to watch a specific movie or television show, you went to Blockbuster to hope it was on the shelves so you could rent it and watch it -- and return it promptly, or pay a hefty late fee. Blockbuster locations started closing in the early 2000s, and today, there is only one left.

Now, if you want to watch something, you either find it on Netflix or you rent it off of your TV's On Demand service or Amazon Prime, from the comfort of your own bed.

Eating at a restaurant has become a social experience.

Not only do Americans now spend more on bars and restaurants than they do on grocery shopping , according to Bon Appetit, but in 2018, food has been just about presentation as it is about taste.

In 1999, you have grabbed a dinner on date night as a special treat, today people are consuming over-the-top, colorful internet food so they can snap a picture as well as grab a bite.

You can no longer go on vacation and truly take a break from everything.

Back in 1999, cell phones were not so common that even toddlers owned them. In fact, even if you did have one, you didn't get service everywhere you went, especially if you traveled somewhere new.

And since WIFI and tablets weren't a thing either, you could go on vacation and actually be away from everything, with no ability to check your email or get text message updates from friends.

Today, you can't do that unless you choose to go off the grid. And even then, t here is likely still the urge to check your phone.

Many people see terrorist attacks a more of a looming threat today.

Of course, terrorism existed in 1999, and it was something people worried about — but it wasn't yet in the back of their head as something to stress over during everyday life. It wasn't until after the Twin Towers fell in New York due to the attacks on 9/11 (in 2001) that terrorism became a much more real threat for many.

In fact, according to Vox, peoples' fears in the US have stayed elevated today after 9/11 to about the level they were just after the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing. They also pointed out that the likelihood of a terrorist attack is much smaller than say, the threat of a car accident.

It's worth noting that w hile much of the world has seen an increase in terrorism , the rate of death from a terrorist attack has actually decreased as of 2017.

You probably also have a much bigger fear of mass shootings today than you did 20 years ago.

Again, mass shootings existed in 1999 in the US, but they weren't talked about as often. The Columbine High School shooting happened in 1999, and although it wasn't the first mass shooting or the first school shooting, it was a huge event.

Today, mass shootings are happening on a much more regular basis in the US. T he days between mass shooting occurrences went from 200 days on average during the period of 1983 to 2011 to 64 days since 2011, according to the Harvard Injury Control Research Center .

You now get updates from the president of the United States on Twitter.

Today, President Donald Trump often uses Twitter as a means of communication, something that was unheard of in 1999 — both because things were different, and because Twitter wasn't invented yet. In 1999, you waited to hear what Bill Clinton had to say on television or in a newspaper.

You no longer have to memorize anyone's phone numbers.

In 1999, cell phones were nowhere near as popular as they are today. If you wanted to keep track of someone's number, you either wrote it down in an address book, or you memorized it so you could call them whenever you needed to. Think about it: do you know anyone's number by heart anymore? Probably not.

You text instead of leaving voicemails.

Even if you did have a cell phone in 1999, you didn't text people all the time. If you couldn't get in touch with them, you left a voicemail on their answering machine. Coming home to find you had messages was kind of exciting. Today, noticing that you have a voicemail is usually just horribly annoying.

Everyone has a smartphone, and most people don't even know what a Nokia is.

If you did have a cell phone in 1999, chances are good that it was a clunky Nokia. Nokia's were used for making calls and playing the snake game, and that was it. iPhones didn't come around until 2007 .

You have to take your shoes off when you fly now.

Today, you know going into a flight that you're going to have to remove your shoes when going through airport security. In 1999, you didn't have to do that, because no one considered shoes to be a threat. That didn't happen until the shoe bomber of 2001 .

Online dating is the norm today.

Online dating was around in 1999 ( Match.com was created in 1995 ), it just wasn't something people admitted to taking part in. Back then, it was considered taboo, something people did only if they were desperate. Today, people embrace online dating apps and online dating has lost much of its stigma, according to Pew.

Today about 5% of Americans who are married or in a committed relationship say they met their partner online.

You have the option to watch television without commercials.

Another great thing about TV today? If you pay for streaming services like Netflix and Hulu, you can nix commercials completely. If you DVR something, you can simply fast forward through them. In 1999, you didn't have that option, unless you wanted to attempt to record something on a VHS tape and then fast forward.

You now take photos on your cell phone instead of a film camera.

In 1999, disposable cameras were everywhere, and you didn't go out for the night without one. People took photos, then waited days or weeks for the film to get developed before having the chance to see how they turned out. Today, you use your cell phone instead of a camera, and you see your pictures immediately.

You use Google Chrome instead of Internet Explorer.

The web browser of choice in 1999 was Internet Explorer. Today, it's Google Chrome , and it's a whole lot more advanced.

You make playlists instead of burning CDs.

If you wanted to listen to specific music in 1999, you made CDs full of the random songs you liked, then kept them stored in little plastic books. Today, you just put together a quick playlist on a streaming service and listen to it from your cell phone.

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Essay on Life for Students and Children

500+ words essay on life.

First of all, Life refers to an aspect of existence. This aspect processes acts, evaluates, and evolves through growth. Life is what distinguishes humans from inorganic matter. Some individuals certainly enjoy free will in Life. Others like slaves and prisoners don’t have that privilege. However, Life isn’t just about living independently in society. It is certainly much more than that. Hence, quality of Life carries huge importance. Above all, the ultimate purpose should be to live a meaningful life. A meaningful life is one which allows us to connect with our deeper self.

Why is Life Important?

One important aspect of Life is that it keeps going forward. This means nothing is permanent. Hence, there should be a reason to stay in dejection. A happy occasion will come to pass, just like a sad one. Above all, one must be optimistic no matter how bad things get. This is because nothing will stay forever. Every situation, occasion, and event shall pass. This is certainly a beauty of Life.

Many people become very sad because of failures . However, these people certainly fail to see the bright side. The bright side is that there is a reason for every failure. Therefore, every failure teaches us a valuable lesson. This means every failure builds experience. This experience is what improves the skills and efficiency of humans.

Probably a huge number of individuals complain that Life is a pain. Many people believe that the word pain is a synonym for Life. However, it is pain that makes us stronger. Pain is certainly an excellent way of increasing mental resilience. Above all, pain enriches the mind.

The uncertainty of death is what makes life so precious. No one knows the hour of one’s death. This probably is the most important reason to live life to the fullest. Staying in depression or being a workaholic is an utter wastage of Life. One must certainly enjoy the beautiful blessings of Life before death overtakes.

Get the huge list of more than 500 Essay Topics and Ideas

How to Improve Quality of Life?

Most noteworthy, optimism is the ultimate way of enriching life. Optimism increases job performance, self-confidence, creativity, and skills. An optimistic person certainly can overcome huge hurdles.

Meditation is another useful way of improving Life quality. Meditation probably allows a person to dwell upon his past. This way one can avoid past mistakes. It also gives peace of mind to an individual. Furthermore, meditation reduces stress and tension.

Pursuing a hobby is a perfect way to bring meaning to life. Without a passion or interest, an individual’s life would probably be dull. Following a hobby certainly brings new energy to life. It provides new hope to live and experience Life.

In conclusion, Life is not something that one should take for granted. It’s certainly a shame to see individuals waste away their lives. We should be very thankful for experiencing our lives. Above all, everyone should try to make their life more meaningful.

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Intellectual Roundtable

Asking — and answering — life's interesting questions

Is Life Today Better Than In The Past?

If you were able to accurately evaluate life today against life one hundred years ago, one thousand years ago, or even 10 thousand years ago, would we be able to determine which is better?

Humans have a tendency to overvalue what they know. We find it easy to believe that our country is the best. Or that our mother’s cooking can’t be beat. The neighborhood we grew up in was better than any other.

Similarly, we may believe that life today is better than the way people lived in centuries past. But is that actually true?

It is certainly true that our mastery of travel makes just about every corner of the globe is accessible. I can pack a bag, catch a flight, and be halfway around the world within 24 hours. (Assuming, of course, no travel restrictions.)

A trip to an average grocery store yields a remarkable variety of produce, and an almost dizzying array of processed food. The internet makes access to information nearly ubiquitous, and allows us to communicate with people without thought to geographical limitations. Lifespans are longer, literacy rates are higher, some previously deadly diseases have been all but eliminated.

However, each of these things have downsides. Easy travel is at the expense of burning fossil fuels, which is contributing to climate change. The same can be said about produce that travels thousands of miles to those well-stocked grocery stores. And all that processed food has brought about a crisis in obesity.

While communication is easier with the internet, social media apps are making us more polarized and as such we hear each other less. What good is a longer lifespan if we use those extra hours sitting in traffic jams and overall leading more stressed lifestyles?

Are the negatives worth the positives? Is life today better than in the past?

Related questions: How have we changed? Past, present, or future? Is it fair to judge the past with morals of today? Are we too busy?

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4 thoughts on “is life today better than in the past”.

In many aspects — technological gains, the slow progress of recognizing human rights, worldwide abject poverty steadily decreasing — things are getting better. I cannot dispute this, nor would I want to.

But today, I’m deciding to focus on the moral life of America when asking, “Is life today better than in the past?”

Our addiction to independence seems focused on rights without accepting responsibilities. And we dare not challenge this addiction without a gaggle of politicians and rabble-rousers derisively shouting, “Socialism!” to inflame their base.

Let’s face it. America, when considering virtue, is sorely deficient. As a society, we don’t ask, “How much is enough?” We too often think of strangers as enemies, especially if they come from other countries. And, humility is not one of our strong suits.

A few points to make this clearer: – While we are only 4.25% of the world’s population, we consume 24% of the energy. – We don’t change our consumptive behaviors, even though California is burning and hurricanes are hammering the Gulf Coast, saying nothing of the droughts we are forcing upon, say, South Africa or the island nations we are slowing making disappear. – A good portion of Americans can’t be bothered to wear a mask, even though it may mean we are saving a loved one’s life.

Recall that once we joined the allies in WWII, households brought in their metal to be melted and repurposed for war efforts, many people grew a significant portion of their foods in “Victory Gardens” to assist in nationwide rationing, and our workforce was transformed as men went to war, women took to the factories.

We remade society to address the crisis.

Are we transforming America and coming together to deal with climate change or the pandemic? Far from it! Instead, we are experiencing a tremendous and dangerous divide.

What will it take to make for an engaged and responsible citizenry? When will we accept that our actions impact those around us and those living in other countries?

America, wake up!

Well stated, Michael. I think it would be beneficial to discover why our sense of community responsibility has so declined. I know we don’t absolutely need to know the cause to ignite a solution, but I think that it helps. My parents and their friends did so much in the community I grew up in. Some of that involvement still exists, but it seems as if people are too busy these days, or they invest their time in frivolous activities that merely entertain or relax them. It’s time for some inspiration from local people as well as state and national people to chip in and make life better for communities and the nation as a whole. Had the national government been able to muster such inspiration, the Covid-19 crisis could have been such a time for Americans to come together. I don’t know that Biden/Harris and their teams are going to be able to change the nay-sayers attitudes and behaviors, but I am hopeful that they can achieve somethings in this area.

I guess it all depends on what your definition of “better” happens to be.

I think we know more, and knowing more is always better (even if we don’t always use that knowledge as we should).

I believe that life is better for most of us in convenience and possibilities than ever before. As for becoming perfectly moral in our behaviors, I don’t think we ever will be because we are still animals and therefore will probably forever retain a bit of wildness. Otherwise we must become robots. We can continue to be kinder, but I think that must include understanding and forgiving ourselves and others for our bit of wildness.

Contrasting Life in the Past and Now

Category: Life
Topic: Finding Yourself , Life Goals

Pages: 1 (638 words)

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Technology and innovation, communication and connectivity, education and learning, societal norms and values.

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