We live in a digital age, and technology has meant that every aspect of our lives has evolved almost beyond recognition. Our homes rely on wireless technology to activate the heating system, the doorbell, and even our televisions are internet-dependant. Our working practices have embraced technology so that many tasks are automated and the required human element reduced; and even our hobbies have been hit with the technology stick. Here are three ways that technology has affected our hobbies.
Running
One of the greatest things about being a runner is the freedom that the hobby affords you. Once upon a time all you needed was a pair of trainers and the open road. Nowadays, you rarely see runners without a GPS sports watch that logs their miles, their route and even their heart rate, and all of this gathered data can be shared across social media platforms. Technology is used to motivate the athlete, but it could also be considered a distraction to the runner and may introduce a level of stress to something that is meant to be stress free.
Photography
Taking photographs has always been used as a wonderful way to record life’s occasions: a newborn baby, a holiday snap, a birthday celebration or a wedding portrait. Traditionally, cameras only came out on rare instances, and as photograph development required a significant cost and a trip to the chemist, people took photographs sparingly. How times change! Mobile phones and other mobile devices have such a high standard of camera installed that photography has never been so popular or accessible. The downside to this advance in technology is that people feel the need to take and share photographs of the mundane, and fail to live in the moment – life is for living and not experiencing it through a screen.
Games
Playing board games is one of the rare activities that all the family can play together. There won’t be a household in the country that has not nearly split over a game of Monopoly; the idea of playing games together as a bonding experience often has the reverse affect! Games now are even more popular than ever before. Technology allows gamers to play their desired game with people from across the globe, twenty-four hours a day. Games are no longer restricted to the dining room table – for example, Online Slots UK are accessible from any mobile device with internet connection. Whereas previously games taught younger generations how to take turns and be a good loser, technology games can introduce the players to whole new but virtual worlds. Minecraft, for example, has been adopted by schools as a versatile tool to teach children how to do tasks practically rather than theoretically.
There are always going to be comparisons between the ‘good old days’ and the contemporary way of doing things, and how we partake in our hobbies is no different. Technology has shaped our hobbies, but it’s up to you how you want to incorporate it into yours.