Could we live without technology – and should we?

We know that technology is all around us. Nowadays it is integrated into every aspect of our lives. Although mostly championed and viewed as a way to improve our lives for the better, there is usually an argument about technology going on in the background. It’s usually people claiming that we’re all SO anti-social due to our increasingly automated world - and surely you must know that your kids are getting “tech neck”?!While doing a spot of research around this subject, I saw a few stories of people embarking on a ‘giving up tech’ challenge. I had the fleeting notion that I could take one for the team and try to live without technology for a week. So I tried to list all the items and devices I’d have to give up for this to work.Aside from my computer that I sit in front of every day at work, there is my smartphone, Kindle, iPod, TV; I hadn’t even begun to include totally essential items like the fridge and, of course, my hairdryer. In the end, my brain got so frazzled that I put the silly notion out of my head immediately.I can remember a time when all my phone could do was call and text. And even a time when I didn’t even have a phone. Could I go back to that? Do I really want to?Although I understand the need to sometimes put technology aside, if only for the reason to speak to real life human beings, there are also so many benefits to having technology constantly accessible. You could meet your significant other online, write a fabulous blog, invent something amazing and, of course, style your wayward hair in a way that nature just isn’t going to be able to do by itself.You won’t catch me giving my tech up any time soon – and I don’t think I’d be the only one either. When I see a sensationalist headline exclaiming “Has technology taken over our lives?” I think yes, yes it has! And? From smartphones to sat navs to automatic doors, I’m on technology’s side.photo credit: The replacement for Saturday morning cartoons