How Broadband Internet Has Changed The World

Broadband Internet access has been with us for just over ten years, during which it has impacted on our lives in ways we could never have imagined. Back in 1993, it was impossible to imagine that our communication world could be revolutionized so much that it would actually impact the way everyone communicates, does business and socializes.

Back then, no one could imagine that in 20 years almost everybody on earth would have instant access to a sea of knowledge, including videos, audio and text. And that the extent of that sea of knowledge would be more than any library could hold. In 1993, no one could have comprehended the unbelievable nature of the broadband internet revolution.

Today, people do virtually everything online. We work, shop, socialize and plan details of our lives, all via the internet. Through online banking, virtual offices and video conferencing, high speed internet has revolutionized how we do business, while chat rooms, online gaming, social networking, VoIP, fast movie downloads and video on demand are quickly fazing out telephones and TVs.

The points above may be obvious; however there are some less familiar ways that the internet, and more recently, broadband and satellite internet have impacted our society.

1. Online Crime & Hackers: Regrettably, the faster internet speeds facilitated by broadband internet connection have unintentionally helped in fueling a rise in online fraud and identity theft. More personal information is being shared online, and with easier access, by online criminals. An estimated $221 billion dollars annually is lost by businesses to online identity theft. This means that without adequate protection, the internet is proving to be a very dangerous place to be. Additionally the faster internet speeds provided through broadband connections has increased the vulnerability of internet users to cyber attacks, making online security a major concern worldwide.

2. Change in Politics & News: Broadband internet has exposed politicians to more public scrutiny of their political values and ideologies than ever before. Every politician must be able to interact with his/her electorate through blogs and social media. Political blogs from around the world has considerable influence on policy; breaking news breaks first, online and worldwide blogs by civilians are gaining large audiences and creating influence and information sharing platforms that could never have been imagined, prior to broadband interent.

3. Socializing, chatting and making new friends online: 2007 saw a new era in communication and socialization, facebook took the whole world by a storm. Two years later it was twitter and in 2010 Chat Roulette was launched. Chat Roulette gave online users an opportunity to connect and chat with strangers through webcam. It made the headlines for all the wrong reasons as parents questioned its safety as it made their children vulnerable to strangers. Others positively noted and praised the universal appeal of that site and others like it. Broadband, high speed internet access has made it possible to connect and stay in touch like never before.

4. Relationships: New relationships are born every day through the internet, either through facebook, craigslist or via the hundreds of other online listing sites. Blind dates are rampant, people are meeting the love of their lives, and unfortunately, many people also lose their lovers through these sites.

5. Solving Crimes: People's internet activities often leave traces of evidence behind. These trails are usually followed by detectives who are able to use them to solve many types of crime.
Without a doubt, as our lives become more interconnected, the power of faster broadband internet has changed our lives and our lifestyles more than we could have ever imagined.