Could “Seinfeld” live in today’s digital world?

One of the most popular TV shows of the 90s was the hilariously eccentric “Seinfeld.” The characters always seemed to get lost in translation and never truly had a grip on their lives. Jerry Seinfeld and his sidekicks always found ways into tough situations that, at the time, seemed like impossible feats to overcome.

In a world fueled by technology and Internet marketing companies, it’s interesting to picture those same circumstances with the addition of digital media. Would the show have been as funny as it was?

Let’s take a look at some of Seinfeld’s most memorable dilemmas that could have easily been avoided if smartphones or digital media apps were available in the 90s.

In the episode “The Limo,” Jerry and George are stuck at the airport without a ride, so they steal a limo by claiming to be the rightful passengers. While posing as men named “O’Brien” and “Murphy,” Jerry and George begin to detect the unusualness of the situation and grow concerned. Eventually, they find out that the real “O’Brien” and “Murphy” are Neo-Nazi’s who ordered a limo to take them to a Nazi rally in the city.

This news causes a bit of a meltdown, which could have been easily avoided if Jerry used a smartphone to Google the name “O’Brien.” But, then again, this episode would have ended the minute Jerry’s search brought him to the keyword “Aryan race.”

Another moment that captures how handy technology could have been is when Jerry loses his car in the parking garage of a local mall. They spent an entire day searching for it. The day brings about many challenges that could have easily been avoided by the use of a smart phone and apps. First, the gang loses the car and begins their search. Then, upon searching, they split up and lose each other in the process

A simple car-locating app or an indoor navigation app would have brought this endless search to a fast halt. The car would have been pretty easy to find. Also, the ability to text would have prevented Kramer and Jerry from being separated from the rest of the group.

However, the best smartphone moment doesn’t come until the ninth and final season.

In the Season 9 episode, “The Puerto Rican Day Parade,” the “Seinfeld” cast finds themselves stuck in midday traffic due to the annual parade. Jerry tries to sneak away from the traffic jam to watch the end of a Mets game and Elaine leaves to find a way back home to watch “60 Minutes.”

Of course, the overall plot of the episode is the gang’s inability to find an alternate route. If a smartphone were accessible, things would have been much different. Jerry would have asked Siri for the most reliable way home from his current location. Siri probably would have mapped out his whole trip on Google Maps and navigate him home in time to see the Mets game. Even if they were still stuck in traffic, Jerry and the gang could have used mobile apps to record or stream TV broadcasts on their smartphones and never miss a minute.

But that would have been pretty boring, wouldn’t it? In fact, the whole series would have been a flop if technology was as advanced as it is now.

It is pretty clear how influential technology is in our daily lives. Thanks to smartphones and mobile apps, our daily tasks and accomplishments have become more manageable. However, it’s safe to say that a majority of the events in “Seinfeld” would not have occurred if new technology was available. People also probably wouldn’t have laughed as hard at their unpredictable misfortunes.

So that leaves us to wonder, is the influx of technology ruining television and diminishing real life comedic conundrums from many present-day sitcoms?