How did the Silk Road affect people?

The silk road gave people new places to explore and new things to trade. The silk road boosted trade.

The obvious reason would be trade - the Silk Road was used to trade silk, as well as other materials, spices, food, etc. However, it wasn't only the tangible goods that affected people - via the Silk Road, various cultures, religions, ideologies were spread throughout Asia, Europe, and Africa.