How to Use Technology to Your Advantage

By Allen Brown

The invention of the computer chip had a massive impact on the human race as a whole. In my opinion, it wouldn’t be too farfetched to say that the microchip is on the same level as fire when it comes to inventions that have changed our kind forever. Today it seems almost every household has at least one computer, and almost every person a smartphone on them. All that technology isn’t only keeping us connected with the world, but it also opens new ways to work, learn, and excel. Here’s how.

Learning New Skills

Modern technology has made it possible for everyone to tap into the cumulative knowledge of our entire species. Sure, there are still some things that you won’t find online, but 90% is readily available. You can use this technology to find a skill you’ve always wanted to learn, gather all the material and information you could need, and start developing it. The internet is packed full of interesting courses, both free and paid ones, which will help you learn a new skill at home.

Speaking of free information, there’s an abundance of it out there. Most of the paid courses, e-books, and other material seems to only be gathering the freely available information, curating it, and delivering it in a user-friendly format. If you dig hard enough, you can find all the resources on your own, for free.

Finding Remote Work

Work used to imply going to a physical location every day, which is why work usually defined where you lived. The global challenges we’re facing in 2020 have changed how we approach work. For the most part, being at a physical location is no longer a requirement for a wide range of industries.

In fact, companies are finding that work from home and work from the office are very similar in terms of performance. Whatever difference there is in favor of offices is offset by the reduced costs of doing business at a physical location.

Consultants over at expertvagabond.com/become-virtual-assistant/ argue that it’s easier than ever to find employment online. Even though more people are looking for this kind of work, positions are opening up at an increasing rate. If nothing else, many are using jobs that allow remote work, like a remote virtual assistant, as a source of additional income in these trying times.

Meet New People

Making friends online is arguably easier than doing so in person, in my opinion. That being said, it is a widespread misconception that friendships you make online either aren’t ‘real’ or won’t last. Neither of these things has to be true. There are many cases of people forging lifelong relationships with others, who are sometimes halfway across the world.

Reach out to communities that share the same interests as you. Find forums, Discord channels, or Reddit where you can meet people who have the same hobbies, work the same jobs, or something else. If making friends is a possibility, then it’s no secret that you can meet potential partners online as well. You can use all the same channels we’ve mentioned above, while there are also dedicated platforms for meeting potential partners.

Save on Maintenance

Is your car suffering from a minor issue? Is your oil due for a change? Maybe your cupboard is squeaking, and your dryer is making weird noises. Guess what — you can find tutorials and step-by-step guides on how to fix all of these minor issues at home, by yourself.

Once you start performing small repairs around the house, you’ll notice just how much work you can do on your own. Facing small maintenance issues head-on is a great way to develop new skills, which ties to our first tip and saves a lot of money. Most of these repairs aren’t expensive, but they add up over time. Why spend all that money if you don’t have to?

Our Future with Technology

Technology is constantly evolving. What we’re using today will most likely appear as ancient to those who come after us. A lot can happen in a lifetime from a technological point of view. There is a good chance that life will become even more automated, shifting focus from menial work to intellectual labor and other work that can be done remotely from home.

We will also see better connectivity, faster exchange of ideas and media, tighter relations between organizations that are a world apart. Overall, the development of new technologies is going to bring a whole range of great things to us as a human race. All we have to do is adapt, embrace new tools made available to us, and make the best of it all.