It’s no secret that the internet today is a huge player in many, if not all, of our lives. The world is much more connected today by technology than it ever has been, and the creation of the internet is to thank for that. Working and entertaining from home has gained immense popularity since the surge of the COVID-19 pandemic made its way across the globe. People are streaming instead of going out to the movies as often. Kids are glued to their iPads while busy parents take on various duties of the day, and the rise of drop shipping on Amazon as a side hustle and social media influencers all contribute to the ever-growing need to be connected to the internet.

During the pandemic, a number of schools across the nation shut down and began teaching online classes. This puts children with no home internet connection at risk of losing access to their education. Fortunately, a number of districts looked to correct the problem by providing Chromebooks to students and internet access on campus, but that still didn’t solve the problem of students who struggled to attend class while secluded in a home with no internet. In 2020, the Federal Communications Commission enacted the Emergency Broadband Benefit for those who struggled to get internet access for daily living. That program transitioned to the Affordable Connectivity Program in 2021.

It isn’t hard to notice how the pandemic completely transformed the way we live. Instead of getting out and traveling to work and school, it was done at home. While many children went back to attending school in buildings, a lot of adults decided to stick with the work-from-home lifestyle as they found it more convenient. Like anything else, working from home has both its pros and cons. It allows you to spend more time in your home and not waste time traveling to and from another physical location, but the seclusion can be maddening for some. People tend to thrive off of community. That isn’t to say some people don’t prefer their time alone, but surely no one individual would be completely happy never having to interact with others again.

Many people picked up hobbies and side hustles during quarantine. A lot of people’s hobbies actually became side hustles with so much extra time on their hands, but how do you sell if you can’t meet people in person? The internet of course! E-commerce is a large driver of retail commerce and has become a source of income for a wide range of people. There are an extensive number of online guides and programs you can purchase in order to learn the “secrets” of the people who have successfully moved over to the digital side of commerce, but it is also possible to learn to do it yourself.

Without the internet, we wouldn’t have a lot of the things we regard as entertainment. Social media is a big one. Every upcoming generation has its own kind of technology they find themselves enthralled with, and for gen z and some millennials, that technology is social media. Not only is social media used for entertainment, but some people also make a living by being internet personalities or “social media influencers.”

The possibilities with the internet are endless! Click here to read the next article about internet terminology.