Back in the sixties, there were groups of people that lived together in little communities. These communities gave a good go at sustaining themselves by growing their own food and living off of the land. These people became quite the hot topic of their day. They lived what was considered an alternative lifestyle. 

By its very definition, an alternative lifestyle is one that is not like mainstream society. People living in communes today is not really considered odd or strange. The more important factor is that what is considered an alternative lifestyle today, is dramatically different than fifty years ago. 

Work

Today many people still get up and go to work. They sit in traffic, they stand in line to get coffee and they collect a paycheck. However, the tide has changed and a growing number of people go about their jobs in a different way. This difference is thanks to technology. Some people can do their job from home, a beach or sitting at the park by getting on their computers or mobile devices. 

The new norm is slaving away behind a screen for hours instead of a desk. Business meetings take place via cell phone conference calls on the subway or while having a cook-out at home. The mountain of paperwork has been reduced to electronic files stored in databases on computers. Today you can have coworkers, that you work with everyday, that live in other countries and never see face to face. 

Housing

Even modern housing has been affected by technology. Dishwashers, water filtration systems, digital cook stoves and microwaves all fairly common place today. However, fifty years ago, not so common. What about the fancy security systems that allow you to remotely shut of the lights, television and change the thermostat? Now that is some impressive technology.

Throughout time people have wanted to explore what is beyond the four walls of their home. Today, people literally seldom have to leave those four walls to do anything. They can work, shop, socialize and be entertained in the comfort and safety of their homes. Thanks to the internet, some people don’t even have to leave home to grocery shop! Some stores actually deliver if you are in the right area. All you have to do is get online and place an order.

Socializing

Today people can get together and socialize while hundreds of miles apart. This is also thanks to technology. Video chat and cell phones have made staying connected so easy. Telephones have been around forever (it seems) but now you can actually see who you are talking to via video chat services. The world doesn’t seem so big anymore. 

Today you can date online, make friends online and even find work online. You can instantly share photos, documents and videos with people around the world with a click of the mouse or tap of the screen. Just imagine what Woodstock would have been like if modern technology had existed back then! 

Society has changed

The simple truth is as technology advances and evolves, society evolves with it. The way people view life has evolved. Before long, an alternative lifestyle could mean anyone still going to desk job or anyone not living with modern technology (no computer, no cell phone, no internet). How many times have you heard the phrase, “they are stuck in the stone age”? This is referring to not being up on the latest and greatest happenings.

Remember those communes mentioned earlier? Think gated communities or serene and modern mountain villages today. These are exclusive places that only certain people live in. Not that different from those peace-loving folks when you think about it. 

The term alternative lifestyle takes on a whole new meaning when you consider how technology has changed the world and how people live in it. Anyone not living within the technology bubble is, by definition, living an alternative lifestyle. 

This means people that still get up and go to work, still hand write a letter and still use a land-line telephone are all living alternative lifestyles from mainstream society.