Around this time of year, one pastime prevails over all else. It’s fantasy football season. Fantasy football has grown exponentially over the past ten years, and it’s no secret as to why. Americans, by nature, are not generally motivated or athletic, but one thing that we can do is glorify individual achievement and spend enormous amounts of time in front of a computer.

Now, that may sound a little insulting, but it is quite true. The time that Americans have spent “being connected” on their devices has increased by 63 percent since 2010. This is not necessarily a bad thing, though. The increase in digital media use has allowed for many great things, like fantasy football, to flourish, and it has increased the connectivity of this great nation by the same 63 percent.

Fantasy football has, as I have previously stated, grown incredibly fast since it was first formed in 1962. Since 2010, fantasy football participation has grown by approximately 48 percent, making it worth about $1.1 billion. It has managed this growth by remaining not only modern, but also amazingly easy to use.

The entire “sport” of fantasy football is based upon current times. If a player hasn’t been doing well recently, the team’s owner has free will to remove him from the lineup. The key word there is “recently.” That’s huge in the lives of people nowadays. We all want things as fast and easy as possible, especially if it’s directly relevant to our daily lives.

That brings me to my second point, the easiness of fantasy football. One can set his/her team in a matter of seconds or a matter of clicks, and, just like anything else that is “essential” to daily life, there’s an app for that. Websites like ESPN and Yahoo have apps specifically tailored for fantasy football, so there is no need to carry around a bulky laptop. Teams can be adjusted based on recent performance quickly and easily from any medium that can be thought of.

At the end of the day, or the end of football season, fantasy football is the most important thing in a fan’s life. It does not matter who is in your league, what website you are using, or even what your favorite team is; we can all come together in the beautiful experience that is fantasy football.