It’s crazy to think about how quickly technology changes through the years. Life goes on… And on and on and on, and people live more and more efficiently. When I was a kid I had this strange and naïve notion that there was nothing left to invent. I felt bad for inventors. I didn’t think that they could make money or create anything new. We already had cars, airplanes, phones, TV’s, electricity what more did we need? Boy was I wrong.

I’m an early 90s kid so I remember a time without fancy electronics. I imagine growing up was somewhat different for someone born in the late 90s or early 2000s. As the years go by, not only do I feel like I’m getting older, but I just straight up feel old sometimes. It’s almost like time slipped me by, to some extent. For a while I was living in early 20s bliss, then I grudgingly accepted that I was in my mid-20s, but now I’m almost 30. How and when did that happen? I see 5 year olds plopped down at restaurants in front of phones, and tablets, and my immediate thought is, “I never had that as a kid. I wouldn’t buy my kid a phone at that age. They’re too young.” But times have changed. Things are different. Shaking my head, and saying, “kids these days,” is proof that I’m getting old. 

I remember dial-up, I remember non-flatscreen TV’s, and not having a cellphone. Life was simpler. Things were different and yet they were the same. Wireless internet and smartphones changed the game. They make life easier, but they don’t answer all of life’s questions. They don’t completely cut out human contact and interaction. Most people don’t go to work, and operate in complete silence. People still work at stores and restaurants; you usually still speak to a person when you call a help desk. Robots and computers help out, but human interaction is still necessary and effective. As humans, it’s in our nature to seek connection with like humans. We like to be close to other people who think and act the same way as us. Even introverts get lonely sometimes. We weren’t meant to be solitary. We’re social creatures. We were born into packs and litters. We aren’t lone wolves. People need other people. Technology, especially electronics, like anything else has its pros and its cons. And unfortunately, this alters the way humans interact, and sometimes it renders old technologies obsolete. People come and go. Companies come and go. Places come and go. It’s the way of life.

Everything has a beginning, and everything has an end. Many things approach the closing stages of its life cycle naturally, but others have an artificially accelerated demise. Growing up we didn’t have cellphones, social media, or streaming services. If we wanted to hang out with people we needed to either make plans in person or call from a landline. It wasn’t until the early 2000s that we would have AIM, and the mid 2000’s until we had Facebook. We took pictures with digital cameras, we needed to go to the store to rent movies. Nowadays, we have Netflix, we have Disney+; we have Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat. Things are easier. They’re faster. You want to watch a movie or a TV show? Look it up! You want to see what your friends are doing? Check your phone!

Nowadays we feel lost when we forget our phones. We don’t know what to do anymore when they’re not within arm’s reach. Even when we’re with other people, we’re conditioned to have our phone in one hand, and listen with one ear. We live in a fast-paced environment, and are trained to multitask in all things. Giving something our sole undivided attention is a rare occurrence. It’s amazing how quickly things change. I didn’t get my first cellphone until 10^th grade; that was 12 years ago. I didn’t get my first smartphone until sophomore year of college; that was 8 years ago. I remember the first DVD we ever bought, it was Gladiator in 2000. DVDs are nearing the end of their age. They’re going the way of VHS, and cassettes. How quickly things change.

But life goes on. The wheel keeps turning. Things are different, but things are still the same. Technology changes and improves, but people stay the same. People through the ages crave entertainment and attention. People through the ages seek work and fulfillment. People through the ages look for ways to record history. People through the ages look for ways to make life easier.

My sports of choice are football, and MMA. They are both brutal and violent, and are snapshots of times long past. When I watch MMA I can’t help but think that these are our modern-day gladiators. The concept of MMA or martial arts in general, is crazy if you think about it. All athletes have their own individual reasons for getting into the sport, but the end result is still the same. They get paid to beat the shit out of their opponent in front of a captive audience of thousands and tens of thousands of people. But at least they don’t fight to the death anymore. Some gladiators were paid, some were slaves, but they gave the people what they wanted! Fame, fortune, glory, and blood. In Central America, the Aztecs and the Mayans played a ritualistic game that seems like it was a mix between basketball and soccer. The losing team lost their heads. The games and consequences of losing have been toned down, but the goal still remains: win at all costs, glory still reigns supreme.

Since the beginning of time, humans have been told to work. Work gives them fulfillment. Works gives them meaning, and purpose. Humans cannot reap the benefits of life, unless they have put in the time and effort, worked for their living. Adam, the first man, was tasked with caring for the garden and for naming the animals. He worked for his living. His son Abel was a shepherd, and his other son Cain was a farmer. They worked for theirs. Through the ages, humans have continued this long-standing tradition of working in order to have fun. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Jobs change, careers change, but work remains.

Through the ages people have sought to record history. To pass stories on from generation to generation. To give us lessons to be learned before we make mistakes. We had hieroglyphics and papyrus. Printing presses and typewriters. These days, I do all of my writing on my Macbook in the comfort of my own home, but in medieval times monks literally devoted their lives to copying manuscripts word for word in their scriptoriums. Technology changes, life gets easier and more efficient with each passing decade, but the same goals and desires remain. Humans want to be entertained. They want to feel fulfilled. They want to leave a legacy. They want to be remembered. Humans want the same things, yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Humankind will survive and carry on. Life gets easier, but everything stays the same. Life goes on… And on, and on and on.