Growing Up: 90s vs. Now | The Odyssey Online

Average day in the 90s Vs today

Cultural advancements have made life better today than it was in the past. Advances in human knowledge and understanding, as well as the development of intellectual, scientific, and artistic achievements, have had a tangible impact on the quality of life. Specifically, such advancements have led to the preservation and promotion of shared historical and cultural moments in contemporary life, to the expansion of our knowledge of the world and of the collective human "experience," connecting the past to the present in ways never seen before, and also to increased development and growth among different groups. For instance, the proliferation and popularity of the internet have led to the digital preservation of art, music, literature, and numerous other aspects of human culture. Artifacts and creations which are hundreds, in some cases thousands, of years old can be made accessible to anyone around the world with an internet connection. For instance, below is the British Museum's website. Thanks to digital preservation efforts, individuals who may never have the opportunity to visit the museum in person are granted access to a wealth of human history and culture, ranging from the works of ancient civilizations in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Greco-Roman world, to religious objects and artifacts from the Middle Ages and beyond. Such preservation would have been impossible only a few decades ago. Digital archives have not only led to new and exciting ways to interact with cultural materials, but also to the discovery and study of previously "lost" works. For example, the Gloucester Candlesticks, a rare and significant pre-Norman Conquest example of English goldsmithing, had been buried for safekeeping during World War II and as a result disappeared from popular memory. However, the tapering, socketed, and knopped candlesticks, which depict Christ, St Peter, a Bishop Saint, and a king, were rediscovered after a publication by the British Museum in 1947. Without the development and advancement of technology, it is likely that the Candlesticks would have been lost to history. Yet, in 2010, museum staff identified the material through scanning and recognized it as the "largest hoard of Anglo-Saxon gold work found in England". Not only were individuals able to study the work and appreciate its historical significance, but the local community felt an increased connection to their collective past. Such advancements in knowledge, appreciation, and preservation of cultural achievements can provide people with a sense of identity and connectivity with the rest of the world. Similarly, with each new technological leap that allows for our understanding to grow, our knowledge of the world and its peoples increases. By being able to learn about other cultures whether through their art, social movements, technological achievements, or political systems, individuals are provided with greater insight into social and technological innovation. This not only fosters global interconnectivity and understanding, but also encourages intellectual growth and the development of new traditions, expressions, and values.

Modern healthcare allows people to live longer and they can depend on a high quality of life. Technological advancements like the invention of penicillin in 1928 by Sir Alexander Fleming have completely changed the world of healthcare. Now, patients who have an infection are treated by taking antibiotics, and patients who need an operation can have it done with minimally invasive surgery. The biggest change in healthcare is the discovery of medical imaging, including x-rays, ultrasounds, MRI scans, and CT scans. These tests have revolutionized the healthcare world and made it possible for doctors to see the deepest regions of the human body. Moreover, healthcare is not just about treating illnesses. Through time, healthcare has moved towards preventative medicine, or strategies used to prevent people from getting ill in the first place. Eligible patients are being offered the opportunity to have their DNA tested for any genetic signals that they may pass on to their children. As a result of this test, parents can then decide whether they want to have children or not. Additionally, a plethora of research informs on the fact that many long-term conditions, such as obesity, can lead to very ill health or even early death. Therefore, in the 21st century, we are encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle. It is fair to say that healthcare in the modern world is becoming extremely effective and competent because ailments and diseases that used to be fatal can now be cured as a result of groundbreaking research and new ways to diagnose. This ultimately leads to an increase in life expectancy and people enjoying a higher quality of life. With more research and advancing technologies, who knows what the medical field can achieve.

Living standards have been improving consistently in the past century thanks to the spread of innovations and economic growth. In 1820, the worldwide average income was about $1,200 a year in today's prices. Not only was this consumption, but also this was the investment for the next generation considering the fact of fast population growth at that time. Imagine one breadwinner of the family making only this much money per year for a family. Until 1920, the number didn't change that much. Still, over 60% of the world population lived on an income of less than $2,500 a year and the percentage of people who lived on more than $10,000 a year was less than 20%, and the majority of them lived in Europe or North America. However, research suggests that as of 2008, just over a third of the world's population was living on less than $2 a day. It means a significant reduction in the poverty level in the world within less than a century. And for the higher income level, the percentage of people who lived on more than $10,000 a year increased to over 80% of the world's population. The number of people who live on the wealth is roughly 40 times more than the number of people in 1820. This is an astonishing achievement made by the human society. One of the key reasons for this is that there have been great technological innovations. These innovations have changed and improved life a lot from the first industrial revolution to the internet, and we are living now in the second industrial revolution. For example, the steam engine and the cotton spinning machine led to a massive increase in the production and the speed of the transports. Nowadays, the computer and the internet improved the information transfer and the efficiency of the production. On the other hand, the fast-growing and recently emerged innovative technology such as solar power and the electric vehicle already show a promising future for a clean, environmentally friendly power. Thanks to the technology advancement and the benefits from the economic prosperity, the health standard has been improved significantly throughout the past century. As shown in Diagram 2 and 3, the increase in the life expectancy at birth and the reduction in child mortality reinforce the argument of the improved living standard. For example, in 1970, babies were expected to live on average to 70 and there were 137 babies who died before their first birthday per 1,000 babies born. However, research indicates that as of 2010, the life expectancy at birth increased by almost 10 years to 80 and the number of deaths for per 1,000 live births went down to 47 around the world. Not only the developed country, but also the progress in the developing country is very significant. For instance, China and India, two most populous countries in the world, account for around 40% of the world's population, are managing to raise the life expectancy from 40s to 70s in only 4 decades and also cut the child mortality rate by a third in just 10 years. This is a remarkable result and shows that the global health is improving continuously. All in all, the standard of living has increased all over the world. We do better and live longer due to the technology innovation, the economic development, and the global connection. We could conclude the current generation has the best life ever compared to the past. Life now is indeed better than it was a century ago. Such improvement doesn't happen on its own, a multilateral cooperation is essential to drive the change to make a better world for everyone.

Difference Between Now And The Nineties

>> IN THE LAST YEAR, I'VE DONE A FEW STORIES ABOUT SOME FOLKS WHO HAD CARE, THOUGHT EVERYTHING WAS GOING TO BE OKAY, AND THEN GOT REALLY BIG BILLS AFTER THE FACT AND PROTRACTED ARGUMENTS WITH SORT OF GETTING CAUGHT IN BETWEEN INSURERS AND HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS BOUT WHAT WAS THE BILL, WAS THE PROVIDER IN NETWORK, WAS THE PRIOR AUTHORIZATION LEGIT?

When addressing the issue of quality of life, the writer makes three points: improved living standards, better healthcare, and cultural advancements. In terms of improved living standards, the writer gives concrete numbers suggesting that some products today, such as meat and telephones, are up to 17 times more affordable for the average family than they were 100 years ago. These statistics are impressive and objectively show that life is better today in terms of living standards. Besides, the essay also goes into details about the improvements in medical science, and it gives examples such as the discovery of penicillin in 1928 and its mass production which began in 1945. Such concrete and objective evidence solidly distinguishes the quality of modern healthcare from that of the past. Turning to the last point of quality of life, the writer argues that modern life is richer in terms of leisure and cultural activities than the past. The essay appeals to the readers' emotion by going through a long list of cultural events and activities that are commonly available, such as cinema, theater, and sports which were not widely available 50 years ago. This point is also supported by the factual evidence - "the average person now has five weeks of holiday each year", and is effectively accomplished by such concreteness. Cultural advancements are always subjective and any argument can hardly be decisive on this point; however, the evidences are very good at making a reasonable conclusion. In conclusion, the specific examples and concrete evidences make the essay convincingly support the thesis that "Life is Better Today than in the Past". The personal experiences of different generations are well supported by facts. And throughout the essay, the increasingly better quality of life in modern society is so well established. The essay is also well-organized. Each point is effectively illustrated with excellent and appropriate examples and the analysis of each point is clear and well supported. Especially, the writer is very good at links between preceding and following points so that it can develop a systematically argument.

Economic studies show that from the 1940s to the 1960s, the poverty rate in the United States fell from about 34% to 17% and there was an unprecedented American affluence - family income doubled. And even on a global scale, according to the World Bank, the number of people living on less than $1.9 a day has decreased drastically in the past 25 years. In 1990, the percentage was 36% - it is now just 10%. The United Nations has set a goal of ending extreme poverty by 2030 and already we are inching closer and closer to reaching this goal. For the first time on record, the number of people living in extreme poverty across the world has fallen below 750 million. The proportion of people living on less than $1.25 a day has more than halved, from 28% in 2002 to 13% in 2015, and while there are still huge disparities between countries and regions, much progress has been made. Thanks to new pharmaceuticals and better global healthcare, the global under-five child mortality rate is also declining. It has dropped from 91 deaths per 1,000 births in 1990 to 43 deaths per 1,000 births in 2015. This shows that medical advancements are not only saving lives - they are contributing to reducing the number of families in poverty. It is even shown through history that the means for the resources to become available to those most in need are becoming increasingly prevalent. For example, the industrial revolution. When factories were first introduced, the average income and population grew at unprecedented rates but there wasn't enough resources to support a growing population. However, as technology swiftly moved on and methods were advanced, the resources became available so that by the time the population doubled from 1 billion to 2 billion, mass famines became less frequent. Today, the population is over 7 billion and yet just 1.9% of the global population is possibly starving to death on any given day. Even in the past 30 years, many world governments have dramatically increased their investments in health, education and the development of clean, accessible water. Relatively poor countries such as China, India and Brazil are becoming economic powerhouses - they control more and more of the world's resources.

It is not bound to happen, but rather it's something that has been made conceivable through education. Expanding education opportunities is an extraordinary process where everyone gets the chance to make progress and achieve their objectives in life. In the past, a significant number of us were denied the privilege to even some kind of education. It was a special case for the individuals who were rich. These days, innovative and advanced methods, for example, the Web and e-learning programs offer us the chance to seek after knowledge in an adaptable way. We are not bound any longer, but rather have enough flexibility to browse an assortment of projects which may prompt different career options. Also, the usage and progress of the Web is making powerful changes to the way things are done and to the possibility of more comprehensive education. Whether it is a common public school or increasingly expensive tuition to go to a special class or program, it's up to every community to make the best education for its students. Generally, education has no closure. This term is about education opportunity with regards to the present day, and particularly the degree with which cutting-edge technology has taken into account more comprehensive studying experiences. In education there has dependably been a discourse with reference to what "education" genuinely means and what the reason for it is. 'Is education about discovering approaches to create each understudy's full potential? Then again, ought to our society concentrate on a correct standard and focused education to set up an understudy to discover practical success?' these are the normal type of questions that are typically asked by individuals with reference to education. It doesn't make a difference at what level one remains in specific discipline. This implies education opportunities are open to a lot of chances, for example, from effective accomplishment in a specific field to fulfilling a long-term desire of a specific career. As a result of increasingly comprehensive studying options, two normal mentalities towards education would now be able to be particularly connected and connected to each other. For example, an understudy who is concentrating on academic studies might be presented with a chance to take part in various types of learning impacts for different outcomes. On the other hand, a further developed study can be founded on new discoveries from sensible analysis and research. Nowadays, teachers in school are relied upon to keep a close, deep-rooted learning environment which includes the use of more comprehensive studying options and therefore the inclusion of theories from various disciplines in the coursework. This type of educational idea presents a two-way engagement between self-governing discipline revelation and advanced methods made conceivable through innovative change.