The Digital Age

In a world where the internet is the bridge to opportunity, communication, information, and the economy, it’s a relief that since 2005, we’ve seen a 206% increase in the number of people accessing this lifeline. Think about it: People rely on Google search results more than any other entity in history. The internet may serve as a breeding ground for misinformation, ransom-seeking criminals, and the darkest corners of humanity, but most of what we enjoy today wouldn’t be possible without it.

The way we shop, dine, date, learn, work, navigate, and entertain ourselves has all been morphed—for better or worse—by our ability to connect online. Had it not been for the web, our connection to society would’ve shuttered along with our beloved storefronts and restaurants during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was estimated that every minute in 2020, transactions worth nearly $240,000 were made on Venmo, 41.6 million messages were sent on WhatsApp, more than 400,000 hours of video were streamed on Netflix, at least 2,700 people installed TikTok, and 6,600 packages got shipped by Amazon.

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Global Access to the Internet

Source: International Telecommunication Union via Statista.