Despite the numerous differences between the old lifestyle and the modern lifestyle, there are certain similarities as well. But those similarities haven’t had any effect on our lives. On the contrary, the differences have changed our lives to a great extent.
Before discussing the difference between old and modern lifestyles, let us first comprehend the meaning of lifestyle. It’s a way of living. We (we, our families, and our societies) adopt different ways and means in our lives to tackle various situations, issues, and surroundings such as corporeal (related to health), emotional, communal, and financial. But lately, lifestyle has become a symbol of status. Our lifestyles can be healthy or otherwise, depending on our deeds and conduct.
Various factors affect our lifestyles. Since the bygone days, life, in general, has changed a lot. Modernization has been one of the most important elements of this change. Changes are visibly seen in transportation, urbanization, pollution, and numerous other fields. There are certain similarities between the old and modern lifestyles worldwide but there have been several drastic changes that have led to the differentiation between the two.
Talking about similarities, there are very few of them. Firstly, the climate around the world still has four seasons namely, summer, winter, fall, and spring. In the North Pole, the weather has been extremely cold throughout the year for more than a hundred years. Deserts like Sahara, Kalahari, Arabian, etc. still have severe high temperatures during summers. Secondly, the beliefs of Monotheistic religions still exist. For instance, Christians still have faith in Christ and Muslims still believe in Allah (SWT). Finally, people in most nations still adhere to wearing their traditional clothes. For example, Scotland males still put on their traditional kilts (skirts) on special occasions.
The differences between the old lifestyle and the modern lifestyle are too evident. There are so many differences that can be mentioned here but due to certain limitations; we shall talk about a few of them. First, let us answer some questions. These questions pertain to a period; say about 100 years back. Could you reach New York from London in six hours without boarding a flight? Would you feel warm inside your house during winters if you didn’t have a heating system? If you didn’t have a telephone and you had to stay at your office till late at night, would you have been able to inform your wife? Could you imagine living without a television, a refrigerator, a washing machine, or a vacuum cleaner? The answer to all these questions is in the negative.
While discussing the technological advancements that mankind has made, people normally confer different examples of comparison between old and new methods. One of them is that of the rock and the washing machine. They say washing clothes with a rock doesn’t involve any expenditure whereas washing machine is a pricey affair. But they don’t deem the fact that if today someone has to cleanse clothes with a rock, he or she has to walk to a river first, wash clothes, spread them, and wait until they are desiccated. On an overcast day, this may take the entire daylight hours. Moreover, it is so cumbersome. On the contrary, if you deploy a washing machine, you merely have to put your garments into it and forget. The beauty is that you don’t even have to fret about the overcast days. You will have ample time to do your other daily chores and your life will be easier and hassle-free.
The modern transportation system is more flexible than it was before. With the help of online information, students can now do their projects more easily and accurately. Thanks to the invention of the telephone, we can now keep in touch with our distant friends and relatives. The development of high-speed modes of conveyance and communication has changed the world into a global township. Transportation in modern life is easier and more organized, but in the older days, there were a lot of limitations in the transportation system. For example, during the old days, people in Dubai had to travel on camelbacks to go from one place to another. Then the cars, buses, airplanes, and ships were introduced and journeys became more comfortable and of lesser duration. This has saved a lot of precious time. People can do more fruitful work in their free time. An example of how the change in transportation system has made our lives easier; in recent times, due to the invention of the Dubai Metro, the traffic on Dubai roads has decreased whereas previously the roads were very crowded. Now people traveling by car don’t have to go through the hassle of driving on crowded roads. The driving has become peaceful and tension-free. Countless instances can be cited which can prove that modern technological devices have made man’s life easier, more comfortable, faster, and safer to a great extent. They have become a part and parcel of our lives. So it will not be adverse to say that modern technological devices make our lives easier. The urban development in modern life has become more advanced, whereas in the past it was not developed to this extent. For instance, nowadays the buildings are planned and designed to be of greater heights than the ones in older times. As we see, due to the expansion policies of different governments, the available land for development is becoming lesser day by day. Skyscrapers have become more popular worldwide in modern life. These high-rise buildings can accommodate more people. The pollution in today’s world is more than before. Air pollutants released from anthropogenic sources are of main concern because they are the leading cause of various respiratory problems. On the other hand, the previous days were more clean and natural than the modern days.
We all strive for the betterment of our children. We send them to the best possible schools. In older days, good schools were numbered (limited). And only the privileged ones could afford to send their children to such schools. But today there are ample options for education. Thanks to the developments that mankind has made. Now our children can get the best of education which in turn shall help them to become responsible citizens with good moral values and ethics.
All the factors mentioned above have enhanced the quality of our lifestyles. But there is one feature of lifestyle that even the changing times can’t change. It’s our deeds. We can have the best of education, best of amenities, and best of comforts but unless we change our mindset all these are futile. We should always learn from the lives and actions of successful people. This will make us feel grand and will motivate us to do something great for mankind. Always keep in mind that you should think big. Because this thinking of yours will one day change into reality and then you will also be able to change the lifestyle of people.