5 Doubtless Boons of Modernity We Take for Granted Daily

There was a trend trending on TikTok not that long ago with regards to work and how much it sucks.

Actually, there were a few instances of people complaining about the very nature of work — first, it was “quiet quitting.” Then it was “over employment” — that one made me laugh, because I definitely adopted an over-employed lifestyle in my younger years, but it wasn’t a trend; it was survival.

Then we had young people hiding in the backrooms of their work, crying to social media because they were weary, overwhelmed and hurt. And it made my heart ache for them.

Because when I look around, I don’t see the darkness that they weep about. I don’t see a world crumbling; a society rotting away into degeneracy.

I see a world full of people flourishing, achieving their dreams and giving back. I see people lighting up the internet with their clever ideas and brilliant solutions to problems that have evaded us for decades. I can’t help but see that our past, as flawed and broken as it was, may have fueled this new reality — for better or worse.

Modern life is pretty damned good, actually, and all you have to do is look back in time to see how much it’s improved.

#1 — Hygiene

Number one on this list and probably the most important thing to discuss as it directly relates to number two, is hygiene.

(I’ll give you a moment to immaturely giggle inwardly at the “number two” comment under the hygiene section. You’re welcome.)

Our options to achieve top-tier hygiene these days are practically endless. My brother-in-law has one of those rain shower things, and it’s incredible. I know of three people who have bidets — complete with heated seats — in their bathrooms. And as a society, our water has never been cleaner; our soap never soapier.

We live in one of the cleanest periods in human history, especially after a hand sanitizer-obsessed pandemic. Even King Louis XIV is rumoured to have had only two baths in his entire life, and despite his position, he wasn’t unique in his neglect. In fact, the habit of bathing periodically didn’t start to take flight until the mid-1800s, let alone bathing regularly.

By the late 1800s, the importance of handwashing to combat the transfer of disease was discovered, and we all know how that turned out.

Regular showers and baths are a definite benefit in modernity, and we tend to take for granted how readily available clean water is, and how easy it is to get clean. My new house, for instance, is a three-bedroom house with four bathrooms, two of which are full baths.

Suffice it to say, we’re extremely clean comparatively. Louis would be shocked.

#2 — Health

Thanks to continuing advancements in the realms of medicine and culture, we’re also a lot healthier now than some of our predecessors.

Before you jump on me about that statement, let me explain. I will say, for starters, that fast food, drugs and alcohol are all so readily available to us these days that we’re definitely not the healthiest generation. It’s likely that the meat-and-potatoes diet of several decades ago was probably a healthier lifestyle, especially considering the increased activity of those who lived it.

Because let’s face it — it wasn’t that long ago that there was no social media. No television. No video games. There was a time in which people were less sedentary and had fewer options to destroy themselves with diet and addiction.

But! There were also times in our not-so-distant history in which we died young, often due to disease. Infants died at an alarming rate, comparatively, and children who didn’t die in their infancy worked in factories and in labour-intensive jobs. There were many times in history that left children malnourished and unhealthy in more ways than one.

Enter western medicine and the technology that accompanies it. Enter vaccines and medical procedures and ground-breaking research. Western medicine has taken evidence-based research and saved lives for decades now, and the advancements continue daily.

From life-saving procedures to vital developments in cancer research to fertility treatment and technology, there is no doubt that western medicine and modernity have helped us live longer and, if we do our part, can help us live better than ever before.

… Although we should probably keep away from fast food and a sedentary lifestyle. Some of the onus is on us, don’t forget.

#3 — Technology

The average adult checks their phone 58 times a day.

Fifty. Eight. There are only 24 hours in a day, and presumably, we’re sleeping for about 7 or 8 of those hours. That means that we check our phones 3 to 4 times every hour.

And honestly, that number seems low. I even used my phone just now to double-check my math.

Not even 25 years ago did we ever envision cell phones becoming so advanced that we renamed them “smartphones.” In my early cell phone days, with my extra tiny Nokia 3310 that could text and make calls and that was basically it — no, no wait; it also actually fit into my jeans’ pocket, which hasn’t happened since — that cellphones would get as big and as personal-computery as they are today.

And it’s not just phones. Guys — we have self-driving cars now. I mean, I’ve seen the movie Logan so I’m never going near one, but it’s still a pretty cool concept.

The world is a pretty technologically expansive place these days, and our understanding and ability to use new technology is growing every day. It really wasn’t all that long ago that we didn’t even have computers. Or Amazon. Or television. Or electricity for that matter.

When you consider the genius technological developments that have taken place in only the last 150 years or so, modernity looks pretty promising. I know that I’ll be first in line for a ticket to the moon, how ‘bout you?

#4 — Safety

Technology has brought along with it an element of safety as well.

New Yorkers, who know a thing or two about crime and how to avoid being a victim, used to install these huge, bulky locks on their doors and guards on their windows for their security. I mean, they still do that, but now they also have cameras!

There was a time in which we could only really rely on some tough hardware on our doors to keep us, and our stuff, safe. But now, thanks to technology, we can routinely check on what’s happening in and outside of our homes from virtually anywhere and any time — and I do mean “virtually.”

Not only can you keep an eye on your vintage board game collection from your cubicle downtown, but you can feed your dog treats virtually, too. Now that’s a real boon of the modern age.

#5 — The Pursuit of Anything

There was a time when, as a woman, it was impossible to become anything but a wife and mother (God willing.)

There were also times in which people were slaves, at war, or terminated entirely, and this happened for centuries all over the map. There has been suffering, starvation, violence, persecution, and so much death.

Now, I realize that there are places in the world where sadly, this is still a reality, and it breaks my heart. But it isn’t my reality — it likely isn’t your reality, either. While the suffering of the world is tragic and we should do what we can to stop that suffering, there’s much for us to be thankful for in our own, safer, kinder realities.

And it’s okay to be grateful for those things.

We live in a world in which we can pursue actual happiness. Even if we can’t afford an education (or aren’t inclined to attend) we can make something of ourselves. I wrote about this not that long ago: our younger generations are opting out of university altogether to pursue their dreams because, with the internet and social media, those dreams aren’t as lofty as they used to be.

As long as what you want to be doesn’t require a degree, there’s no stopping you. If you have a business that people value, if you produce a product that people want, you can find success in modernity.

And women! We can be whatever we want, too. Whether you want to be a trad wife or a SINK (single income, no kids,) surgeon or a social media influencer, the world is open — especially when you consider the days of corsets and stifling layers and not being allowed to vote.

This is the era of the pursuit of anything you want, and it’s a pretty great place to be as a creative. The old adage “you can do whatever you put your mind to” has never been more true.

People find a lot to complain about and I get it — life isn’t easier just because it’s technically easier. We all have our demons, and some are scarier than others.

But when you really look at where we are now and peek back into where we’ve been, we’re doing pretty well. Our world still has problems and it would be weird if it didn’t, but overall?

I’d say we’re doing all right. At the very least, we smell better, and that’s saying something.

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This post was previously published on MEDIUM.COM.

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