Technology has a pretty big impact on my life.  I listen to a whole lot of talk radio programs so when I have to leave, I record those programs on my computer.  I don't watch a whole lot of television but when I do, a lot of it is when I'm away so I have to use the VCR (no TiVo).  But neither of those pieces of technology really influences what I do or how I live my life.  If I miss a program, I miss it.  If something happens to my radio, it happens.  Technology doesn't mold my life, it just enhances it in the way that I want it to.  For example, I don't own a cell phone.  I have no real need for one other than to let family know where I am and that isn't all that often.  I don't have a big base of friends I need to stay in connection with and I'm not at a job that needs to stay in constant connection to me.  I do see how people are so dependant on technology because you can't go 5 feet and 5 minutes without seeing someone talking on the phone.  I see these people as being controlled by technology from the constant need to stay connected.

 

Not that there is anything being wrong with being connected.  When I go out, normally I’m listening to my radio as well, but at least I am aware of what is going on around me.  Very rarely do I see anyone else who is just listening to the radio so that if some significant news item breaks, they would be aware of that.  Normally it’s a CD player or an iPod that they are listening to.  People like that are ruled by their technology and are pretty set in their ways.   They have a playlist that never changes and would upgrade at the first opportunity.  There are no more first gen electronics anymore, especially if the technology was released after a year.  There has been several opportunities for me to upgrade my radio, but I have passed it by because it still worked.  These people ruled by their technology upgrade for the sake of doing so.