Although people from the 21st century are enjoying more convenience and choices brought by technology more than ever, the issue of whether modern human’s quality of life exceeds our ancestors is certainly up for debate. In this essay, I will explain why our lifestyles are better than our predecessors.
To begin with, in today’s world, innovations are ubiquitous and have revolutionized how we live. Technology has played a vital role in enhancing our lives and making it more secure and dynamic. In the past, health problems like flu and severe injuries were more prevalent, and traditional agriculture techniques could not cater to the growing demand for food. However, with the advancements in various fields, such as automation, digitalization, and medicine, we are now better equipped to deal with the challenges we face. For instance, automated cars, which only existed in science fiction, are now a reality. Digitalization has streamlined administrative processes, and vaccines have been developed to prevent deadly viruses like COVID-19. Moreover, We now have more leisure time to enjoy various forms of entertainment, such as Netflix and 3D movies.
On the other hand, the painful lessons from historical tragedies have taught us the significance of freedom and equality. Hundreds of years ago, women were banned from voting as citizens and seeking jobs to feed themselves. Additionally, African people were treated as products and enslaved people selling in auctions and suffered from segregation policies, which limited their right to education and work. Although discrimination toward different genders and races still exists, we have indeed come a long way to reconstruct a world with less conflicts and more tolerance.
To sum up, while it is recognized that 21st-century humans still have new challenges ahead, we should still appreciate what our ancestors have done to facilitate a better world for us to live in.