Technology is great. Every year things get smaller, faster, cheaper, and more convenient. Few people would argue that we were better off a century ago without things like cell phones and the internet. Anything seems within our grasp in this the age of information. In only the past decade we have seen revolutions and evolutions of technology which could be called a renaissance of sort.

In the western world especially, people live in comfort with amenities and conveniences which up until a few decades ago would have been called luxuries. Imagine pitching the concept of a microwave or cable television to someone from just three generations past. They would most probably think the idea was absurd. "Who needs such things?" they would think to themselves. After all, they managed to live out their whole lives without ever one having created a MySpace profile. Yet today people would not know what to do without any of these things.

As technology has advanced and evolved, so has our perspective on technology. Most have learned to accept technology and integrate it into their lives as just another piece of the life puzzle; a large piece at that.

And there in my opinion lies the problem. Technology has become a very major piece of our lives. Yes, technology in fact works for us, but it is also true that we depend on it. We are helpless without our gadgets. From birth we have been accustomed to rely on technology to get things done and we are as a race good at getting things done. Take away technology and we would have to relearn many things; the lost art of conversation for instance.

Which brings me to my second point: we spend so much time learning how to use technology that I am forced to wonder at what point the cost benefit ratio would no longer be in our favor. Think about how much time you have spent learning to use a new cell phone or video game system. Heck, think how long it took you to learn how to use the Internet. All these things are evolving and getting more complex. How much of our lives are we going to have to invest in order to adapt to future technologies. Think about how complex the world will be for the next generation, and the next.

In this reality one never get something from nothing. There is always a tradeoff. Even if one does not recognize the price for something, be assured that there is a price. With scientific and technological advances we gained much comfort and knowledge. In exchange we give up simplicity.