The worlds of business, technology, social life and just about everything else have been completely revolutionized over the past two decades, with the internet playing a huge role in the process. Most of us now are connected to the web (and by definition, everyone else) every hour of the day. From email that keeps us in contact with others, to mobile phones that ensure we are always tethered to the rest of the world, the trends in the always-connected world of technology seem to be only strengthening. What is behind this new mentality of “always on” when it comes to how we interact with others? We’ll explain the main culprits in the following article so that you can understand what’s causing it.

Social Media

No doubt one of the biggest developments in the history of the internet, social media has completely transformed how we communicate. When you consider the fact that we no longer communicate in the same way as we once did, it makes just as much sense that social media would also contribute to the concept of a never-sleeping web. A powerful combination combined with mobile devices, on-demand communication that does not require voice or in-person presence has replaced many formerly prominent types of communication, such as conference calls, meetings and even emails in some cases. Even when you’re not on the networks directly – maybe you’re pinging websites for information or reading blogs – social media is always present in the web’s modern design, which makes it hard to turn off or ignore.

Mobile

Obviously the biggest element when it comes to constant communication and contact, mobile phones have become increasingly powerful in the past few years. This trend has allowed us to move from simple feature phones to full-fledged pocket computers in a very short time. Because we can now do so much without having to sit at a desk, we are adopting lifestyles that have us engaging with the web, our friends and family, and just about everything else on a regular basis – whether we are at work, at home, driving or lying down. It’s hard to shut the web off from our daily lives when it’s always in our pockets; this is a huge element driving the trends toward a web that never sleeps and a population that never disengages from it.

Data

Last but not least, the prevalence of data in our world is driving a trend to keep as much as possible online as often as possible. What do we mean by data? Primarily, the type that is garnered from pinging websites, blogs and a variety of other online servers in order to extract trends and spot potential changes in the future to come. Seemingly unheard of several years ago, analytics for the masses now drives millions of business decisions each and every day. With metrics and software utilities seeking more and more information from their customers, readers, clients and the masses, more customized and targeted approaches in business, entertainment and leisure are suddenly becoming possible.