Remember writing cheques to pay your bills and having to go to the bank to withdraw cash so that you could buy your groceries? In the scheme of things, it wasn’t so long ago that this was the norm for all Australians.

Over the past twenty years, connectivity has changed almost every facet of our daily lives. Everything from the way we manage household expenses to the way children learn at school or at home now looks very different.

Very few industries have not been affected by the tech revolution, but here are some more that have changed drastically...

Fitness

We have kissed goodbye to those Aerobics Oz Style broadcasts and Jane Fonda workout VHS tapes.

Getting fit on your own has never been easier. Thanks to our connected world, you can choose from millions of workout videos and stream them on your computer, TV or even your smartphone in a pinch.

You can stay in shape by picking your favourite virtual workout or switching between thousands of different routines. Sign up as a subscriber for set workout and diet plans or choose from hundreds of free videos that encourage you to work out using whatever method you decide will work for you.

Self-motivated fitness fans can download any number of apps to help them get in shape, including favourites like Couch to 5K and Zombies, Run! For those who love numbers, fitness trackers are now commonplace. These pair with apps to help you keep an eye on everything from heart rate to distance covered.  

Publishing

Although many titles across the traditional newspaper and magazine formats have been in decline in recent years, consumer appetite for content and information has not.

Digital connectivity has given rise to hundreds of online publishers that deliver everything from news to home furnishing advice. Global players now put information at everyone’s fingertips, while niche providers make information accessible like never before.

Entire books can be accessed directly online, downloaded via apps or read on e-readers. You can find thousands of titles through online platforms 一 everything from Tolstoy’s War and Peace to in-depth scientific research papers to gut-busting action romps.

Where building a reputation as a writer and publishing your works was once a lengthy, drawn out process, nowadays anyone can share a book, a research paper or an opinion blog with the entire world via the internet. Talented writers have the opportunity to build a following through social media, expanding their fan base on a daily basis. 

Health and medicine

The internet has changed the health industry in more ways than one. While there is wariness around relying on ‘Dr Google’ for a diagnosis, being connected means there are fewer barriers to finding qualified help and getting the support you need.

Whether you are booking a medical appointment via an online portal, chatting with a support group about a condition that is affecting you or interacting directly with a therapist to help you with mental health issues, the interlacing of health and technology is everywhere.

Digitisation means the health industry is able to keep better records. It enables doctors around the world to work together in diagnosing and treating illness. More reliable connectivity means patients anywhere are able to consult with a telehealth professional via video chat, reducing costs and making disease easier to manage.  

Sport

As with the fitness industry, the sporting realm has been revolutionised by connectivity, with changes affecting everyone from athletes to fans.

The way we watch sport has changed, with live streaming making sporting matches around the world increasingly accessible.

Fans can sit in their living  and room watch the match on TV while simultaneously referring to their phone to keep up with stats from the match and checking in on the results from a completely different game on their tablet.

In terms of the players themselves, coaches have access to real-time biometrics that can tell them if an athlete is starting to feel the strain of their training session or time on the field. Wirelessly delivered data can help those behind the scenes track and improve performance and also prevent over-fatigued players succumbing to injury.

There is no denying that accessibility to every industry is improving due to increasingly reliable connectivity. Across industries, different technologies will evolve to meet consumer demand, meaning the world as we know it will continue to change in the near future.

Game, net, match! Learn more about how the way Aussies watch sport is changing, thanks to increased access to fast broadband.