What's Good About Modern Life?

[SunflowerSally]

I'm just in the need of a bit of positive thinking in these turbulent times, so, inspired by a recent "what do you hate about modern life" thread - what about the good things?

For starters;

Social Media- I feel like I'm having a continuous conversation with my sister even though we live in different countries.

The normalisation of gay. No one raises an eye brow at the lesbian couple looking for a starter home on Location Location Location.

Mascara. Sooooo much better than it was when I was a teenager in the 80s

Being able to store thousands of pictures, and send them to family and friends around the world.

Its mostly all good tbh.

I get irritated by small changes that have occurred in my lifetime that I have to get used to and can't be bothered with! But overall things are much better in day to day living.

Kissel yes! And music! Being able to play a song you just remembered straight away.

Technology allowing me to work from home on occasion, to be able to do my grocery shopping or order a takeaway without leaving the sofa.

Yes these things can also cause isolation and obesity but having got a stinking cold ATM it's great not to have to go out!

It’s shallow, but I love not having to trail round the shops and ordering things online and having them delivered.

On a more serious note the focus on child protection and safeguarding is so so much better.

Central Heating

Warm Duvets

Trains & Buses

Being able to holiday abroad

Wide range of food and being able to eat them

Fridges & freezers

Vacuum cleaners

Washing machines

(How far back are we going?)

Medical advances, proper amazing.
Choice of food in the shops
Ability to work from home, or wherever I am in the world
Huge range of activities for kids to do - nothing like that when I was little!

Online shopping

Yes- and people moan about mobile phones- but I was really glad to hear from my young teenager the other day when he missed a bus and was stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Free access to reliable contraception.
The vote.
Not having to give up work upon marriage.
Being able to take out a mortgage without a male guarantor.
Being able to buy a drink in a pub.
Antibiotics.

Being able to pause the TV while you go to the loo.

Online shopping
working from home
messenger apps so I can contact friends and family abroad for free
It's a lot easier to find people who do your hobby no matter how obscure there's probably at least a subreddit and YouTube channels covering it!
Controlling house from phone so I can turn lights off when in bed or put the heating on when I'm out and come back to a warm house
Banking online is really helpful
The advances in gaming, some are as good as movies in terms of graphics and storyline now!
The huge variety of ways to consume media, YouTube, Spotify, Netflix etc

Kindles. Being able to buy a book and start reading it instantly without having to move from my chair and due to deal tracking sites, the books I want to read are often cheaper than charity shops or the reservation fee at the library.

Cheap flights/accomodation websites, so can book holidays easily and affordably.

Google maps to find directions etc. The idea of getting to a strange place in an unfamiliar town without google maps seems impossible now.

Feminism: We might not be there yet, but look how far we’ve come in the last 100 years!

Advances in medicine: 50 years ago, only 10% of children with cancer would survive. That’s now that’s risen to 80%. In Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in particular there used to be an average survival time of just 6 months, but now 85% of children are cured. That’s just one example.

Food: I love that we can eat such a variety of foods and different cuisines from all over the world.

I also think in general we have so much more choice, in things like what food we eat and clothes we wear, but also in terms of careers, when to have children (or not to have them at all), where to live, who to share our lives with.

Being able to watch anything you want whenever you want on tv.

Definitely food.

My current obsession is watching vintage cooking shows on YouTube...the food looks so unappetising. No wonder there was less obesity!

Knowledge for everyone. Anyone with access to the internet can get a free education if they wish.
I am currently learning Norwegian for free just cause I fancy it.