ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Modern era

Imagine that time is like a big, long storybook. The modern era is like the most recent chapter of that book - it's the part of the story that we're all living in right now. It started a little while ago, around the 1800s, and it's still going on today.

One of the big things that makes the modern era different from the earlier parts of the story is technology. People figured out how to use machines to do things like spin thread and make clothes, which made life easier for everyone. They also learned how to use electricity to power things like lights and appliances, which made life a lot more convenient.

Another thing that's different about the modern era is that people have been coming up with all sorts of new ideas and ways of doing things. Scientists and inventors have discovered new ways to cure diseases and communicate with people far away. Artists and writers have created new forms of expression that weren't possible before. And people have started to think about things like human rights and democracy in new ways, with more and more people working together to make the world a better place.

Of course, there have been some bumps along the way, and not everyone has gotten to benefit from these advances equally. But overall, the modern era has been a pretty exciting time to be alive. Who knows what the next chapter of the story will bring?