Technology has changed the lives of ordinary people over the last few decades and has dramatically altered the way in which companies do business. It has affected every aspect of modern life.

The development of information technology is what has allowed us to go from a basic TV set that takes three people to move it to slimline flat screen TVs that sit on the wall like a cinema screen. This is the same technology that has seen us go from three TV channels in the early 1980s to hundreds of TV channels that broadcast in a digital format in 2018. We have gone from telephones that have to be fixed to the wall at home or at work to handy pocket-sized phones that we can carry with us and use anywhere.

One of the most dramatic technological developments though has been the internet. We can now send each other instant messages, send vast amounts of data via email, view websites that have been created all over the world and feature all types of subjects and stream videos around the clock. The internet means that we can communicate with people on the other side of the world instantly. We can find what we need from anywhere, doing anything from grocery shopping to online dating.

If you want to find a good deal on a holiday, you no longer have to head down to the travel agent and wait while they search their computer for a price that may or may not suit you. You can just do a simple search and relax while the holiday websites do it all for you. You can compare prices, research resorts and even order your holiday currency while you are relaxing in front of the TV.

While these changes may be convenient, they are not always ideal. Banks have introduced online banking, so you can conduct financial transactions without having to leave your home. However, this has led to bank branches closing regularly because people are not using them anymore.

IT has also changed education. Thirty years ago kids in a classroom would have been looking at a blackboard that the teacher wrote on in chalk. These days they have interactive whiteboards. Kids will now do most of their homework on a computer and they even start to learn skills such as computer coding at a very early age. Online tuition has become very popular too, so kids that are struggling only have to go online to get the help that they need.

Keeping in touch is suddenly much easier than it used to be. Years ago many people would lose touch with former school friends and colleagues but thanks to social media sites, they are all right there at your fingertips to connect with again, ensuring that you can keep your friends around you for a long time.