Mind that our essays databases are for educational purposes only, do not use samples as your own works.
Life today is better than fifty years ago
Life is not always about the quantity—years one lives before death—but rather the quality. Quality is the value, effectiveness, and satisfaction one enjoys from life. Since the origin of humanity, life keeps changing and the issues that are dealt now would be forgotten or solved in the future. Society changes are in aspects such as technology, health care, human rights, economic, quality of life, environmental, and education quality. However, in analyzing how changes advance the quality of life, it is important to understand that some changes are relative to each individual; some negative changes might be positive to others and vice versa. Therefore, my main aim in writing this essay is to persuade my family that from an objective point of view, life today is belter compared to fifty years. This is in considering life quality, education, human rights, technology, and health system.
The proposal that life is better today than fifty years ago is anchored by the idea that fifty years ago, the society was in a revolution in major aspects of life. There was an industrial revolution where theoretical researches and knowledge were practically being implemented and so brought hope for the future. For, an instance technology such as Nuclear power was being tested for future production of clean and uninterrupted energy in the fifties based on the theories of Albert Einstein (Ashbee, 2002). On the other hand in the millennia of the year 2000, the advances of past researches were integrated into lives of people in the society and bettered the quality of life. The luxurious part of life is also a very crucial advancement as it is a consideration, which distinguishes life in the two eras.
Technological advances can be analyzed in supporting the argument. In the fifties, there were no computers, no internet technology, and transportation utilized primitive modules. If there was air transport, it was very expensive and rare in some societies. Communication, which is essential in business and quick notification of daily events in the society, was also very primitive fifty years ago. With the introduction of the internet in 1994, information is rapidly relayed, businesses have easily entered into new markets, and forums for discussion of life challenges have been made possible through blogs (Jacobson, 2009). Transportation also goes hand-in-hand with communication, where faster means of transportation nowadays saves on time and energy to complete most duties daily. For instance, fifty years ago people traveling in locomotives or slower vehicles had to get up earlier to get to work and return very late. This is not the case today as vehicles are faster and so more efficient completion of tasks.
When it comes to the health care system, it is evident that nowadays more diseases can be diagnosed and treated in hospitals. Fifty years ago, diseases such as Polio, small pox, and even certain bacteria cut short lives of many people. At that time in the fifties research was very new on vaccinations, invention of diagnostic machines, and research on new diseases. This made it hard to control diseases, diagnose diseases, and cure diseases. The life expectancy at that time was very low compared to today. For instance, the life expectancy in the sixties in America was 68 and now in 2008 it is estimated to be 79 (Jacobson, 2009). The higher life expectancy today is attributed to better health care systems and policies. Legislations are also geared towards improvement of human health like the ‘2008 health reform bill’ proposed by president Obama. Therefore, compared to fifty years ago, there are many cures for diseases and the few incurable ones like HIV and Cancer have better management procedures. Even in categories of disabilities, nowadays there are gadgets that make life for disabled people easier. For instance, there are hearing aids for the deaf, sensor sticks for the blind and advanced wheel chairs for the crippled. These advances have contributed to improved life styles, higher life expectancies, and a healthy society.
The education system is also an area that has positively changed since fifty years ago. In the fifties and sixties, there were few disciplines to research on and the few taught in schools were limited in knowledge since technology to research was not available. The technology for researches at that time was very expensive and reserved only for advanced learners. An example is that back then an atom in chemistry was believed to consist of fixed electrons blended with positive solids. Nowadays the knowledge is advanced to the extent that the notion that it is in a planetary motion has been very instrumental in coming up with radiology equipment and nuclear energy systems. Education today is also more practical and relevant in making life better. This is the reason why the enrolment rate to education institutions is higher today than fifty years ago.
In addition, there is also better legislation and policies that preserve and advance human rights today compared to fifty years ago. Women and ethnic minorities in the society were looked down upon in the fifties and sixties and this made life difficult for them. However, over the years activist and revolutions such as the 1960 suffrage and Martin Luther equality revolutions have made it possible for ethnic minorities and women to get higher positions in the society (Ashbee, 2002). An example is Barack Obama who became the first mixed race president in USA.
The counter-thesis of the argument can however be drawn from the negative influence of technology, human rights freedom, and refined food products. In the case of technology, there have been results recorded that the internet and violent movies can be a source where teenagers and children learn habits such as crime, adultery, and disobedience. This would make life fifty years ago easier for parents. However, this can be argued on the notion that parents always have a chance to control what their children view combined with other legislative restrictions. The same can be said with refined food products which have contributed to ailments such as cancer and obesity. However, there are healthy choices that have been clearly identified for humans to take to prevent such diseases. In the case of freedom, people argue that too much freedom has made it possible for legalization of practices considered illegal such abortion and homosexuality. This can be countered by the proof that the society has put in place regulations in legislations controlling such practices.
In conclusion, it is evident that life today is far much better than fifty years ago. Aspects in the society like technological advancement, better health care systems, better education, and more human rights have improved the life style of people. This can be attested by the higher life expectancy and lower death rate in the society. Life today is also easier and efficient with technological advances which have made it possible for different societies in the world become united through globalization. Even though the argument can be challenged on the case of negative media influences, health hazards of refined foods, and legalization of immoral practices, it can be countered on the idea that they can be regulated through legislations and parental guidance.
Reference
Ashbee, E. (2002). American Society Today. New York: Manchester University Press. Pp. 3+
Jacobson, J.R. (2009). Hope for tomorrow’s families/ A model that values variety. New York: AEG Publishing. Pp. 91-186
