Living in a rapidly changing world can be challenging, but it also provides numerous opportunities to examine the differences between the lifestyles of people living in the past and present. They are primarily related to technological development since it defines types and quality of communication of any kind. In this way, the Internet and social media shape our mindsets and the perceptions of life goals that we obtain while interacting with others. Moreover, they define the degree of trust in relationships and the number of time people spends together.
Life in the past seems to be more favorable in terms of meaningful connections and focusing on a limited number of people. Due to the lack of opportunities to contact another person any time, day or night, our parents and grandparents valued their relationships more than we do. As for mass media, this source of information was more reliable and, therefore, trusted. The lack of specific opportunities, such as the Internet and other modern technologies, did not prevent people from being sociable. However, it definitely reduced the level of stress resulting from the continuous comparison of oneself with others.
The present-day world with its limitless opportunities for socialization does not improve its quality. Most interactions do not contribute to one’s sense of belonging to the community or society, and they result in the emergence of depression and other mental health issues. People tend to be jealous of others’ successes and compare themselves with those who seem to be luckier than others. Hence, the principal effects of current socialization methods on types and quality of social interactions related to the general worsening of communication and the replacement of meaningful connections by numerous contacts.