We must have all heard our parents moan about us at least once in these last couple of years, about our use of modern technology. “When I was younger we didn’t have phones…”. Okay mum, but now we do so I don’t really care.

The fact is, we’ve grown up with technology and the way we use it is so embedded in our daily lives that we don’t even realize what it would be like without it. It’s strange to think our parents didn’t have all the uses of technology that we have, and that in 10 or 20 years time, it’s going to be much more advanced than it is now… “You used pen and paper when you were at school?!” Even now we can begin to see things changing and advancing, with smart phones and iPads…

So I thought I’d try, more theoretically than literally, to see what it is like when you take away the techno.

Internet. Starting with a pretty broad one, and something that has been around for quite a while. What do we use the internet for? Literally everything. Well I know I do. Some of the daily things I use the internet for: job search, find work experience, blog, tweet, google search things so I can understand, social media for my job, find contacts to email, read the news, watch programmes, google map places I’m going so I don’t get lost… the list is endless really and these are only daily tasks. The one thing I did realize though when writing out the list, is how much I use the internet to help pursue my career in journalism. It’s not just the job search, but online journalism too that is becoming so prominent. I wouldn’t have found out about writing for Yuppee Magazine without the internet. I wouldn’t find out work experience opportunities or the email addresses for some magazines. I wouldn’t be able to show my passion through my blog that I write, which is all based around journalism. The internet, at the moment, is the one thing that is allowing me to get closer to becoming a journalist!

The internet always seems necessary. At work in a summer placement, I am currently looking after all their social media. On one day in the office, I went in and couldn’t connect to the wireless. After trying to sort it out for about an hour, I realized I needed to find things to do which didn’t need the internet. Very hard. And tedious. Even work is based around the need for technology! The internet PLUS phones almost seems necessary too. When I went away on holiday and had to turn my data roaming off on my phone, it almost felt pointless to have a phone that only received text messages. Er where are my emails/Facebook notifications/tweets?!

The use of phones, is of course a necessity that not many of us would be able to live without. A while back, O2’s signal went down. If you are on O2 you probably remember this time very vividly. The torture of actually having your phone there but not being able to use it. No twitter, no Facebook updates, not even any texting or calls. When I was meeting up with my friend I almost felt lost as to what to do – how does she know when I will be there, or where to meet her? Obviously I resorted to Facebook but what if we didn’t have the internet. How did you meet up with friends that weren’t a five minute walk away if you didn’t have your phone? It was a stressful time, to say the least.

Twitter and Facebook are both things that I go on. Daily. Facebook lets you know what is going on with all your friends, interact, chat, see photo’s, talk to people that are far away. It makes communication a lot easier. It makes it easier for my family that are in Holland, and for my friends that are travelling to still be able to talk to us without those awfully high phone bills. Twitter, a newer phenomenon, allows us to have an insight in the world of celebs, debates, opinions, get into contact with other people similar to us, become quite nosey really about the love lives of the cast of TOWIE, and also, although some may not know, find job opportunities. No these two things aren’t vital to our every day lives, but I can’t imagine not being able to use them. I’ve met a lot of other journalists on twitter, and also got a magazine editor to be interviewed for my blog over it. So it’s very helpful, if not partly necessary.

So what are we left with? Laptop? iPad? Kindle? Although I haven’t quite hit the Kindle phase I can imagine those that have and have 100’s of books at their disposable whenever they want, would find it hard to have it taken away. And although I’m desperate for one, haven’t quite got the funds to get an iPad yet, I know it’s going to be something I won’t want to let go of once I’ve got it.

So can we take away the techno? Maybe, but we won’t benefit because of it!