How can society be so dependent on alternative forms of communication that may as well not even exist?

Question

prior to the invention of modern day technology there were no such things as computers, cell phones, and the like. These things simply did not exist, in any form. And yet it seems that over the course of only a few years it has gotten to the point where nearly everyone has a cell phone and you can barely get along without a computer. Whereas once phoning a friend on a landline or writing a letter was automatically deemed as the only option, instant messaging and the internet have now become, in some cases, a more common alternative to either of the above. How can it be that so many communication alternatives (computers, cellphones, e.t.c.) have materialized in the span of only a few years while the landline phone and letters remained the exclusive forms for decades on end? And how can society be so dependent on such alternatives when they may as well not even exist, as was the case for so many decades past?

Answer 1

Obviously, society is not dependent on modern technology. We would probably spend more quality time with people if we had to actually see them in person. Now all we need to do is spend a few minutes on the phone or computer. It may actually be making us less sociable, as we are each in our own cocoon, with our own thoughts.

They are a boon for business getting done more quickly, but not necessarily for personal interaction. We have no privacy if our phone is constantly with us. We cannot get away and just relax.

And, I certainly miss the luxury of receiving a real hand-written letter.