In What Ways Do You Communicate Online?

 In what ways do you communicate online?

Do you remember life before the internet when we relied on snail mail and landlines, and our only visual link to the outside world was TV, newspapers and magazines? When phones were phones. You dialled a number and made a call?

Roll on 30 years, and now we have mobile phones that allow us to make video calls through various platforms such as WhatsApp, Facebook, Messenger and Snapchat. I am sure there are numerous other options, but these are the ones I use.

You can communicate with your dishwasher, cooker and other electrical devices via apps on your mobile phone. I was blown away by this. Although we have the technology, I don’t have the digital brainpower. Buttons and knobs will do.

You can instantly send documents, photographs, letters, messages, etc., via email instead of standard mail.

There are forums and blogs. YouTube and podcasts. How many people use YouTube for visual reference, whether it’s to look up a recipe or learn how to rewire a plug?

And now, if you’re really bored, you can speak to Alexa, your in-house Artificial Intelligence that will play music, answer questions, set timers and reminders and even tell jokes, to name just a few of her talents.

Then we have FB, where you can post photographs and keep in touch with family and friends far and near. Set up or join groups for hobbies, interests and general questions to communicate with people worldwide.

There are numerous ways to communicate online.

And finally, we have a new breed of workers: Digital Nomads who can work from anywhere in the world with WiFi. Incredible. This level of communication allows for the perfect work-life balance.

I wonder if Tim Berners-Lee realised how much it would change our lives when he released The WorldWideWeb in April 1993.

Featured Image by 巻（Maki） from Pixabay