I definitely agree that modern life is easier than life in the past. The increased use of technology, rising standards of living, and improved healthcare have combined to make our lifestyles, at least in the first world, luxurious compared to lifestyles of the past. By examining three specific examples—personal computers, The Lion in Winter, and vaccines—this essay will demonstrate that this improvement has, indeed, taken place.
In the first place, technological advances have created new ways to take care of mundane tasks quickly and easily. For example, the majority of Americans now have their own personal computers. This is an amazing advance: with computers, we can complete tasks, from banking to ordering groceries, that would have taken hours even a few decades ago. Word processing is common, making the spread of information much easier to achieve, and education is available to all for free through online courses and information that would have been all but unattainable for many up until the end of the twentieth century. The sheer amount of access that we have to services and knowledge through these machines has made life extraordinarily easier.
Secondly, our standard of life has changed through advances in engineering, architecture, travel, and even textiles. Looking at a film like The Lion in Winter, while by no means historically perfect, does show how even everyday things were more difficult almost a thousand years ago. Set in the 1100s, the film shows King Henry II having to break ice from his water bowl to get water to wash his face—something that hot and cold running taps have long since saved us from. The queen has to travel to see her husband by a long boat journey, which would be almost unthinkable today. Finally, the entire royal family, even though they are royal, is wrapped in encumbering furs. Looking at what was once the highest standard of living, compared to the average first world standard of living today, we can see how much easier progress has made our lives.
Finally, we no longer live in fear of many common diseases that once crippled or maimed large populations, making their lives much harder. For example, polio used to strike many people, in some cases making it difficult for them to walk, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who used a wheelchair. The invention of that vaccine in the 1950s, as well as numerous other vaccines, has created a situation in which we no longer have to suffer unnecessarily. This is most certainly an improvement over the past.
In conclusion, life today is definitely easier than life in the past. Though it is easy to read stories of nobles and kings of history and romanticize them, their lives were almost certainly more uncomfortable than our lives are. Nevertheless, there are many places in the world where laptops, modern conveniences, and vaccines are rarely found; I hope that current generations will work together to make life easier for everyone, now that it is possible to do so.
I definitely
agree
that modern
life
is
easier
than
life
in the past. The increased
use
of technology, rising
standards
of living, and
improved
healthcare have combined to
make
our lifestyles, at least in the
first
world, luxurious compared to lifestyles of the past. By examining three specific examples—personal computers, The Lion in Winter, and vaccines—this essay will demonstrate that this improvement has,
indeed
, taken place.
In the
first
place, technological advances have created new ways to take care of mundane tasks
quickly
and
easily
.
For example
, the majority of Americans
now
have their
own
personal computers. This is an amazing advance: with computers, we can complete tasks, from banking to ordering groceries, that would have taken hours even a few decades ago. Word processing is common, making the spread of information much
easier
to achieve, and education is available to all for free through online courses and information that would have been all
but
unattainable for
many
up until the
end
of the twentieth century. The sheer amount of access that we
have to
services and knowledge through these machines has made
life
extraordinarily
easier.
Secondly
, our
standard
of
life
has
changed
through advances in engineering, architecture, travel, and even textiles. Looking at a film like The Lion in Winter, while by no means
historically
perfect, does
show
how even everyday things were more difficult almost a thousand years ago. Set in the 1100s, the film
shows
King Henry II having to break ice from his water bowl to
get
water to wash his face—something that hot and
cold
running taps have long since saved us from. The queen
has to
travel to
see
her husband by a long boat journey, which would be almost unthinkable
today
.
Finally
, the entire royal family,
even though
they are royal,
is wrapped
in encumbering furs. Looking at what was once the highest
standard
of living, compared to the average
first
world
standard
of living
today
, we can
see
how much
easier
progress has made our
lives
.
Finally
, we no longer
live
in fear of
many
common diseases that once crippled or maimed large populations, making their
lives
much harder.
For example
, polio
used
to strike
many
people
, in
some
cases making it difficult for them to walk, such as Franklin D. Roosevelt, who
used
a wheelchair. The invention of that vaccine in the 1950s,
as well
as numerous other vaccines, has created a situation in which we no longer
have to
suffer
unnecessarily
. This is most
certainly
an improvement over the past.
In conclusion
,
life
today
is definitely
easier
than
life
in the past. Though it is easy to read stories of nobles and kings of history and romanticize them, their
lives
were almost
certainly
more uncomfortable than our
lives
are.
Nevertheless
, there are
many
places in the world where laptops, modern conveniences, and vaccines are rarely found; I hope that
current
generations will work together to
make
life
easier
for everyone,
now
that it is possible to do
so
.