Technology has become an integral part of human life. Wherever you go and look, some piece of technology is helping improve quality of life. Whether it’s automotive technologies that speed up commutes and make the roads safer to health technologies that prolong life and help eradicate disease, the impact of modern technology is undeniable. But with the plethora of new tech devices created and shipped to market every month or so, it can be confusing to determine which ones can make your life easier and which ones you can live without. Here’s a few of my favorite technologies that you should definitely take a close gander at when it comes to the benefits of making life easier for us:
Healthcare
From wearables that help you monitor heart rate, pulse, and physical activity to more robust IT systems that manage medical records, technology is paving the way people manage health-related tasks. Thanks to tech, patients can now forward information about their health remotely to their physician so they don’t have to commute to and from clinics and hospitals or wait in long lines and lobbies.
Payment Systems
Companies like PayPal and banks like Chase are making it easier for people to manage their money. Nowadays, you can pay just about any purchase using your phone, whether it’s clothes, food, multimedia content, and so forth. With online payments becoming more widely accepted and safer to use, anyone and everyone can get the items they want with minimal to no legwork needed. Anything and everything you can buy from a regular store or marketplace is available in just a few taps of your smartphone screen. You can even send money to friends easily with things like the Cash app from Square.
Sewing Machines
Sure, not everyone is sitting at home on weekends making their own snazzy outfits, but there is no denying that sewing machines improve people’s lives everywhere. Not only can people save money by sewing their own clothes, but those of us who don’t sew can buy cheaper clothes since factories can have them sewn for us so easily. I mean, think about how long it would take to make a pair of pants if people had to sew them by hand! All articles of clothing would cost a LOT more due to the time it would take to make them. So, thank you sewing machines! But you know what’s even crazier about this particular technology? Even kids can use sewing machines – wild, right?
Food Delivery Apps
Grubhub and Eat24 are two of the major players in this market, but regardless of competition, people win. Being able to condense your options into relevant features, such as pricing, cuisine, specialties, and location, and order food with your smartphone is a privilege a lot of people take for granted these days. Aside from express food delivery, modern technology has also given birth to applications that allow you to order your grocery supplies on a web browser or smartphone. Think about it, instead of carrying bags of hotdogs and cereal boxes to your car, you simply scroll up or down and click on your Instant Cart app to order your groceries for delivery.
Quick Cooking Gadgets
Speaking of food, for those of us who want to cook at home sometimes instead of getting delivery, technology helps with that too. Besides of obvious of not having to cook over an open fire, there are tons of gadgets and small appliances that exist just to make cooking certain things a quicker and easier process. One of the best examples of this recently is the super popular Instant Pot, which is a 7-in-1 machine that can quick cook almost anything. For me, I’m a big fan of soup makers and slow cookers since I eat of soups and meals like slow cooked pot roast. What I really like about them is that I can ‘set it and forget it’ without worrying about overcooking anything.
Instant Messaging
No more snail mail that takes days if not weeks to reach its intended recipient. People are now connected to their circle of family members, friends, and colleagues more than ever. On average, people have at least two apps installed on their mobile phone that are related to instant messaging. From the default instant messaging option that comes with your device to third-party apps like Skype, Viber, and Facebook Messenger, the choices for getting your messages across are endless.
GPS
Let’s face it, not everyone’s born with a natural sense of direction. With the confusing roadway signs, roundabouts, and street corners, it’s difficult to get from point A to point B without adding some extra commute time. Luckily, today’s range of global positioning systems, or GPS, offers accurate navigation data anywhere you go. Not only does a GPS guide you to your destination, it also saves you money from lower fuel costs and keeps you safe by mapping the most efficient route possible. But GPS, at least the latest ones, don’t just offer directions. GPS technology is now being applied to track endangered species of animals, pets, and delivery trucks.
Final Thoughts
These examples are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to how modern technology is helping improve quality of life for people. And since change is a constant when it comes to technology, it’s essential to keep updated with the most recent launches, updates, and version releases. Lastly, while using technology seems to not have any consequences, consumers must practice a responsible and sustainable use of them. Making life easier shouldn’t just encompass you, but also other people and wildlife who you share the planet with.