Top 5 Ways Modern Communication Tools Aid in Moving Towards Modern Adulthood
Is it truly a blog if you don’t have at least one post that creates an arbitrary list with “quirky” snark? My childhood filled with 2010s Buzzfeed says no.
Starting as early as 18, I can say with absolute certainty that communication tools, specifically digital communication tools, have become a key part of my everyday life. I lived like a hermit compared to how I live now, and how I have to live. But if we take a step back from the claustrophobic Internet of Things planting its roots into everything, not unlike a biohazard parasite from your favorite dystopian horror movies, there are many conveniences that have been permitted to us because of how communication has been made more accessible to the general public.
This list is centered towards modern “adulthood” because that is the life transition that I am in now, but I could argue is relevant towards any age, as many of these applications were handed to me by older generations.
5 – Online typing, formatting and editing
Writing on a computer is so ubiquitous and commonplace nowadays that we forget how much of a privilege and benefit that it really is. I am genuinely shocked how much I have needed to know about document formatting, compiling of data, and photo/video editing for the purpose of a grade. When you’re a kid, they tell you that you need to know how to write a sentence for work, they never told you you’d need to learn how to convert a PDF to a PNG.
Despite the learning curve, using tech for all of our major formats of documents and imaging, while now a primary industry standard, is still a key factor in how we manage our most major documents. Before the internet, and suites provided by Google and Microsoft, a large amount of documents had to be made and formatted manually. I know that many of my relatives had their tests and schoolwork printed in house on a modernized printing press. On top of that, all documents had to be stored away physically, in house. The luxury of even just having documents stored on our computer alone is a help to manage independence.
4 – Business Growth and Promotion
Not everyone wants to build a small business, but the opportunity is now more available than ever. A large amount of tools to build a business were more closed off or reserved for the people who can afford it, but now, there is more of a capability than ever to produce, sell and promote a product.
For example, as a writer, I am looking to write, print and sell small pamphlet books to best promote my writing. In the past, I might have needed the backing of some larger publishing house to get the materials, but instead, I’m writing my manuscript on Google Docs, formatting the pages on Canva, going to Staples to print through an online order, and I will be trying to contact potential sellers through social media platforms. And this is all for a low-budget practice; if someone wants to use more high-end software or publishing programs, there are even more options available.
Social media is a game changer in its own right when it comes to promoting a business; promotion used to have a major price tag to it, but with the use of social media, directly or indirectly, it is now much easier for businesses to get seen by the general public. This new age of networking is almost exclusively run by social media and is a key tool to understand as one moves into the business world.
3 – House and Apartment Hunting
I genuinely struggle to comprehend how to find a house without applications like Zillow or Apartments.com. Sure, you can find a house for sale and book a tour, but limiting your options to what you see in your everyday life can also limit your ability to look beyond that. What if you’re moving to a new area? Hunting apartments via looking for “For Sale” signs in an unfamiliar area stands to be incredibly daunting. I have to believe that there were catalogues, or paper ads to find houses before modern technologies, because the alternative sounds exhausting and inefficient.
Modern apartment hunting has been made so much easier with online applications. The most difficult setback that can come with these methods is people lying or not communicating effectively; the primary setback is using the application wrong as opposed to the application itself.
What many, if not all of these applications provide is a very in-depth overview of the houses available, their prices and their metrics, sometimes even along with explaining the division of prices like rent, and whether or not utilities are included. While much of this was information that someone would have to talk to another person for in the past, it is now readily available for anyone to find. These websites and applications often also have direct contact for the seller or landlord through the page, making it easier to contact them about questions. Much, if not all of this would have been made available by booking a showing of the house, before a buyer was certain if they even wanted to buy or rent. This extra buffer of information can give new homeowners an extra amount of information that can better guide towards more informed choices when buying or renting a home.
2 – Job Hunting Via Career Finders
Finding jobs has been revolutionized with the advent of new technology. Job application sites like Indeed, Fiverr, and even Google Jobs have made it easier than ever to apply for jobs and freelance work. Going off of the business aspect of previous entries, this is more of the technical act of promotion that gets more noticed by the work force, and less by the public.
With websites like Indeed, there is a built in resume function that gives people the ability to apply right through the platform. Some platforms double as social media and application platforms, like Handshake or LinkedIn, both of which provide a Direct Messaging platform that can best connect with employers.
In the current job market, finding and securing a job is often still an uphill battle, and one could argue that the lack of personability, along with the inclusion of AI in the application process, does not make it easier. But one cannot argue the ease of which people are exposed to new potential careers through these platforms, more so than any other communication mechanic to come before. Along with the ease of finding in-person jobs, online job hunting websites also open the door for the growing niche of remote jobs, which has the potential to give people more opportunities that exist outside of their area. Growing up in a small town that has limited in-person jobs in my field, hybrid or remote work gives me an opportunity that would not have been available to me ten years ago. While job hunting online is imperfect, these new technologies have made the act of searching and applying far simpler than it has ever been before.
1 – Finances
If money makes the world go round, the internet is a huge second.
One of the most difficult parts of developing independence is through financial independence. You probably don’t know your own assets until an accountant tells them to you. Unless you have been taught personal and larger matters of finance since childhood, chances are you have a huge hurdle to developing a greater understanding of how to use your money on a larger scale, such as buying a house or filing your taxes.
The internet has revolutionized the way finance works. It doesn’t always offer concrete or direct advice, the mere ability to research and have knowledge at your fingertips has inherently made it easier to learn and understand financial concepts to apply to your everyday life.
On top of that, finances have become largely remote. Many banks and credit unions offer online forms of deposits, transfers, and gaining a hold of records in order to do banking from the privacy of one’s own home. With all of that combined, it feels as though modern technology has helped to grow the ability for financial independence through a personalized user experience.
Basic Strategies For Using Online Finance Mechanics For Your Personal Finance
Going off of the previous post, I want to expand on how one can use the modern inventions of online banking and finance in order to foster a better sense of financial stability. For the past few weeks to months I have had to really take a look at my finances and how to categorize them, so, as a result, I’ve become more acquainted with the online and analog finance world.
First and foremost, this will not be a discussion about stocks, cryptocurrency or investments. They are a huge part of how we now look at online finances, but they are an inherent gamble. What these strategies are related to are very much rooted in finances that one already has, and are expected to have in the foreseeable future with assets like a fixed income. Also, a lot of financial advice can be rooted in personal strategy, but I don’t feel equipped to provide any strategies just yet. This post is coming from someone who is working part time, lives with her parents, and makes too little to file taxes; I do not feel at all comfortable telling people what loans to take out at the bank. But rather, I aim to discuss a lot of online functions and tools that, as someone beginning to learn how to navigate finances, is incredibly helpful.
For example, having information on how much you make in a year. When I first started my part time job, I would throw my pay stubs away right after cashing a check. Why would I need them? I cashed the check! Seriously, though, this information is something that any loan investors, consultants and tax collectors will need to know if they want to work with you, along with how much you spend, and other financial information. Luckily, this is incredibly easy to find now more than ever with banking apps. While many banks and credit unions still mail bank statements, you can have a real time look at your transactions on most banking apps, which can be a benefit when it comes to calculating and recording budget and spending.
The transfer feature on banking apps is also incredibly useful, along with e-deposit functions. This can make the transfer of money from one account to another easier than it has ever been before. Moving money is now a common occurrence through means like Paypal and Venmo, but less than 30 years ago, this was a process that required going to a physical location to do. The process of moving money was an event that had to be added to a list of errands one had to run in order to make sure that money was in the right place. Now, it can be done with the tap of a button. These features are so commonplace that I think many people take it for granted, but are very key in learning how to practice mindful financial practices.
As opposed to waiting to cash a check or deposit income, unless advised otherwise, it’s not only pertinent to cash that check and transfer your budgeted savings immediately, because that kind of convenience, when afforded to you, is really beneficial. The 50-30-20 rule is good for beginner budgeting, but might be layered if you’re saving for a house, or have expenses that go beyond your budget (Not ideal, but it happens, we’re only human).
This is a very basic step, but it shows how that little factor of having online banking as an option has now created room for strategies that ultimately foster more speedy and immediate strategies when it comes to basic financing.
How The Internet Has Made Analog/Vintage Tech More Accessible
In one of the most ironic twists, modern online communication tools have made analog tools more available to the public, and this can also expand into the space of other niches like vintage fashion and communities.
Analog and vintage items are a huge interest of mine: I go thrifting, I have a cassette collection, and I often espouse the benefits of analog and vintage items, since they were often made without the idea of a warranty expiration. But in a hypocritical fashion, I would argue that it was actually the internet, and larger modern communication inventions that got me to this eventual conclusion. For this last post, I want to highlight my own hypocrisy and show how the Internet has made this technology more accessible to the public.
First and foremost, the nature of fandom. Nowadays, everything has a “fandom”, or a group of people that are fans of a particular medium, concept, practice or idea. Fandom has always existed, and it was key in a lot of historical developments, like the punk movement could be considered a fandom, and it presented a lot of social movements and practices in communication that are still present today. But the internet made fandom grow in a way that it hadn’t before. In the past, being obsessed or fixated on an interest was considered poor social behavior; showing love for something that was “not real” or out of the ordinary was considered either extremism or a sign of poor connection to reality. However, the internet slowly normalized the behavior of being deeply passionate and expressive about interests. It can still potentially be unhealthy, but now people are more able to express themselves and connect with others through discourse on online communication factors.
This massive transfer of information through a collective group is the key factor through which all other forms of access are made. Through the internet, people are able to pass information to one another on more than just the types of old tech and where to get it, but also how to use and take care of it. This creates a massive pathway of information that alone can make the use of tech more accessible. Unless you had someone in your life that knew how to work old tech, you probably didn’t know how to use that tech. But now, with videos, chat servers and other platforms, you can know exactly how to start up an older phone model before even buying it!
The same can be said with hair and makeup, there is a whole website that is dedicated to the history of hair and makeup from different decades with historically accurate tutorials that can help people learn how to effectively replicate older styles:
The internet is also fundamental in accessing old tech. With avenues like Etsy, where people often sell old tech, or online auctions, where people can bid on getting high quality forms of tech, it has never been easier to get your hands on new tech.
On top of that, online shopping gives way to new products that are revivals of older technology, like the Nokia website, where they are still producing and selling their old phone models:
https://www.hmd.com/en_int/support/user-guides?filter-by=
With modern communication, interests such as old technology have become more interconnected, and potentially more accessible for a wider audience.
Tech Dawn 