Mark Sturtevant Loc: Grand Blanc, MI

We gain new skills, and sadly we lose other skills. But I think on the whole it has helped us. The poorest and least educated among us have easy access to a world of information, and I would wager that the poorest and least educated now are aware of far more stuff than the poorest and least educated from 40 years ago.
The most isolated of us can reach out to others from all over the world. Right now we are chatting with people from different states and different countries, and from very different walks of life. That is amazing!

paulrph1 Loc: Washington, Utah

Thanks to all those that took the time to read and to respond. It has been as fulfilling as I hoped it would be. But now for my response. The answers have been as diverse as the number of responders and that has been great. But allow me to address the first responder and there are two reasons for a question and one is because one does not know the answer and the other is one wants to create a discussion. You decide which it my intention.
This question came up during a conversation with my 35 year old daughter and one might think that because of her age she would be all for all of this technology but she had some reservations. So I thought it might serve as a good question to get people to thinking. If it is never exposed one probably would never think about it so that brought on the exposure.
As with almost all things, there are positive and negative aspects to almost all things that are produced. And many have pointed out the positive issues with all of the gadgets but we must not overlook the negative aspects as well. I enjoy the positive aspects and to me it is like having a library at our finger tips. The information is great, tremendous, easy access to volumes of info, makes my life more fulfilling and complete and with little to no effort from me. I can have access to info that I never dreamed of before and it is extremely easy and I do not even have to venture out. Since I am old school and have learned all of the basics, the way that it affects me is different from one that has not had the same exposure that I have had. And I am assured by the comments that almost all on this post share the same as I do. Now for the negative aspects of this ideas and is with some, but not all, I feel they are seeking the easy way out without a concern for what it is doing to them. Many, but not all, will opt for the easy button and so when it comes to doing research, as long as it is easy that is all that matters. And this new technology does just that. When it comes to doing research, a report or anything like that, all that they have do is google it. Someone else has done all of the research, thinking, analyzing, and they are just repeating back what someone else has given to them. It is like doing a research paper where someone else is being paid to do it for you. They can remain content, in their own little world, never having to really look around, think or get actual exposure to what lies around them. In essence, for some it has destroyed their creative thinking, their analytical abilities, and in essence has dumbed them down because someone else is doing all of the thinking for them. There will always be the go-getters (sp) that will benefit from this but for the sheep who follow blindly it really does not benefit them. But now another question is, and I do not actually expect a response, are we creating more sheep?
While I consider myself a free thinker and a person who does not like to be dependent on others, it concerns me that people might lose that aspect of their lives and will therefore let others and those in the government control their lives.
Thanks for all of your comments. They have been wonderful.
Paul Christensen, Registered Pharmacist.