Modern day inventions...

What would we do without our modern day gadgets? What are inventions of the Y2K that we now take for granted:-

My mobile phone:- I had my first mobile phone about 9 years ago. It was on a vodafone pay as you go tariff and you had to pay for "service days" as well as the calls. (equivalent of line rental) You got no freebies whatsoever with the tariff. Before that, I used the house phone or local phone box to ring everyone I needed to get in touch with. God help you if you rang a mobile though! Now I don't think twice about reaching into my pocket, wherever I am, and pulling out my 3.2 megapixel all singing all dancing camera phone, and texting (with my unlimited free texts) or calling a relative or friend (with my free minutes) to catch up with them. Its also handy if Im wanting to take a photo or video, cruise the internet or play a game.. My mobile phone is definitely my number one possession.

The Internet:- I have had access to the internet for around 10 years now. Im on there almost every day. Im on there now! I have done everything from chatting and blogging, to shopping and banking on the net. I think if someone said to me that I could never have access to it again, It would resemble the feeling of one losing a limb. It helps friends and families stay in touch for a very low cost even if they live half way around the world.

IPOD:- Its hard to think back to when I used to attempt to go to the gym or walk to work sporting anything other than my trusty IPOD Nano. With tape players you had to make sure you had songs you loved otherwise it would take an eternity to skip from one to the next. When I had a CD player, I had to exercise with a "light air" about me so not as to make the CD Player jump (which it did often!.) Now, with one click of a button, I have the world of music (or world of cheese) at my beck and call and could do somersaults on a bouncy castle (not a nice vision I know) and have no change in the quality of sound!

However, for all the good that the above has done, there are bad points too. Not that it will stop me or anyone else purchasing them but lets have a thought for below:-

Mobile Phones:- I found out that my dad was having an affair because I had access to his mobile phone and text messages. Mobiles have made it a lot easier for people to have out of hours relationships. Before mobile phones were invented, affairs were far from extinct, but how easy is it to ring someone when your partner is standing in the same room and tell them to "meet u by the grassy tree in 10 minutes..." See where Im coming from? Now, You leave the house, you ring your whore who also has a mobile, and you meet. If your not brave enough to ring, you can turn your phone on silent and send/receive text messages to/from whoever you want whenever you want to, simply slipping into the toilet whenever you need to read/reply. How often would you get questioned about going to the toilet!?

Internet:- Not a hard one this. The internet, as well as mobile phones for some, is killing the ability to verbally socialise in a group with people. Why phone someone or meet them when you can send an email or a text message. It comes to something when the only time you can make people laugh is when your typing. Among other things? Phoedophiles (I really dont know how to spell that..) preying on young kids "my space" accounts, married men (it could be your father) cruising chat rooms for sex. Videos of The Taliban chopping peoples heads off, displayed on your computer when all you are searching for is a Britney Speares song, and online fraud/hacking and viruses that knacker your computer. You have to be so careful on there. Is this an issue? Yes! Have I been bit in the ass by the internet more than once? Yes! Will I get shot of the internet until it stops? Well...No...

IPOD:- I met a friend a few months back that insisted on having their IPOD on in one ear whilst we were having a drink. Apart from pure ignorance when someone is trying to shout you across or have a conversation with you, I cant think of a lot of disadvantages of an IPOD. Except of course, if you don't look both ways, and then don't hear the car steaming towards you...

Im sure that there have been a lot more inventions that have affected us much more but than the 3 I have mentioned but they are just some of the ones I can think of that have had a big impact on my life so far...

I cannot sit here and criticise any of them because I use the net and my mobile more than most and think I would die of boredom without my IPOD accompanying me to work. I just wonder sometimes, If we had never had them, would we have ever missed them? And would it have really been such a bad thing....?