What one modern technological innovation can you not live without, and why?

Answer 1

Well, the Internet would appear to be your most popular answer -- and rightly so. The Internet has afforded me the opportunity to meet some wonderful people from all over the world. I've found employment via the Internet, made purchases, drawn up holiday plans and complete travel itineraries, done extensive research, downloaded music and video, played games, learned all kinds of things and I can even credit the Internet for my having lived and worked in Japan for two years of my life. It is an amazing tool in every sense.

That said, my honest answer to your question is that there is NO modern technological innovation that I cannot live without. The reason why is simple: Life goes far beyond convenient technological gadgets and our existence is NOT determined by such things. Truth be told, whether we choose to acknowledge it or not, the only things we truly cannot live without are air, food and water. Socialization with our fellow human beings would rank well ahead of any electronic gadgetry, surely (and yes, I fully realize we can mingle electronically via chat and email but face-to-face human interaction shall always be the standard).

In answering your question this way, I am not trying to be a killjoy and spoil the fun. But the reality is that whether we want to claim we "can't live without" our cell phones or microwave ovens or automobiles or, yes, our computers and Internet connections, the simple fact is that OF COURSE we can. If you'd like to demonstrate this to your own satisfaction please consider doing what I've done with several things in my life I thought I couldn't do without. Let me explain.

When I was at university, I began drinking and smoking socially and soon came to develop the nasty habit of "needing" to have my wee alcohol and tobacco fix. I'd always prided myself on being a nonaddictive personality type and yet here I was, first for social reasons and later due to the pressures of working and studying full-time, essentially becoming addicted to two common vices. Enough! So, I challenged myself to stop drinking and smoking for one month, cold turkey. It might not seem like much but I had several friends who joined me in this little personal quest who failed to endure it for one week.

Interestingly, after the 30 days were up I felt no particular need to go back to either habit. Oh, I still drink socially, once a week or so, but never for maintenance purposes and never alone. I don't believe I ever actually had a drinking "problem," but I did feel the need to prove to myself that I did not require it to get by. As for the smoking, I did later resort to it under stressful circumstances but never again smoked as I had been doing at the time of my self-imposed experiment. I eventually quit entirely and it's now been almost five years since I last lit up (and no, I never did do drugs of any kind).

Having learned something valuable from that little test of strength, several years back I determined that I was becoming entirely too "addicted" to the Internet and had all but stopped reading (ya know, books?!). So, I applied my self-imposed 30-days formula and disconnected myself from the glorious Internet for a month. It was hard at first and I'll not deny I missed the convenience of just popping online to look something up or do my daily (multiple times, actually) email and message checks, but I survived. Oh, and I read no less than three good books during the interim. :)

Yeah, I know 30 days does not a lifetime make. But the larger point I am trying to make here -- and which I succeeded in making to myself -- is that we can all live without just about anything (aside from those three items I stipulated earlier) whether we choose to believe it or not. Appreciating things, including modern technological innovations, is great. But self-discipline and a fuller understanding of yourself and what is most important in life is greater still. Apologies for the long answer but I enjoyed responding to this question. :)

Answer 2

The internet. :) Quite simply put, if the 'net and World Wide Web weren't accessible to me, I'd not have a decent social life at all....I'm just way too shy in real life to make the kinds of friends offline that I have online.

Which is bad, when you consider that I am dirt poor to destitute, and am only able to *be* online courtesy of a) a donated computer a friend of mine arranged for me to have, and b) a local community cheap-net service that makes it possible for low-income folks to hook up on dial-up.

Oh well...it was either this or air-conditioning, and I only need the A/C three months of the year, the internet I need year round so I actually have some real friends.

Yes, I am lame, go ahead, say it. :P

Answer 3

Those realistic size/weight/feel sex dolls. So worth the money and they are always shaved and ready to go. And, a good hose and some bleach cleans them right up.

Answer 4

My cell phone, because it has the internet and everything else i would ever need on it.

Answer 5

whatever makes that cow in the field into a patty in my freezer. or anything along those lines. the reason why is obvious.

Answer 6

the internet, because the working world assumes that you have access to it

Answer 7

the INTERNET, or maybe my cell phone. Definetly the internet.

Answer 8

telephone. communications

Answer 9

none...I can find happiness in everything I do.

Answer 10

computer, because otherwise i cant answer this question