Technology is playing an important role, too.
Smartphones first became widely available in
2007, with the introduction of Apple’s iPhone.
This combined a mobile phone with an MP3 player,
a digital camera, and an internet platform that
allowed the user to download a wide selection
of applications, or apps. Smartphones are now
even smarter, and people use them to browse
the internet, download music, post social media
messages, and take and upload digital photos.
The result is a world in which the media, and the
way we share information, is now in the hands of
the people. In the 21st century, when a major event
happens, we can all play a part. In October 2012,
when Felix Baumgartner jumped from the edge of
space and broke the speed of sound as he fell, over
eight million people across the world were watching
him do it live. They were using their smartphones,
laptops, and PCs to watch him online via YouTube.
Events like Baumgartner’s achievement and our
ability to help people affected by natural disasters
show that the new millennium has brought us closer
together than ever before. If you want to know
what will happen next, all you have to do is stay
connected.