Technology has evolved greatly over the years providing some invaluable benefits to us, but there are also victims to this. With downloading and online streaming on top of Netflix and love film, Blockbusters went into administration and has faded into the past like an echo; HMV nearly suffered the same fate. As a society this is commonplace. We all crave new technology; that new gadget to wet your appetite: bigger phones replaced by smaller phones, no longer the need to own a camera as most Smartphone’s hold a decent camera. Back in the day tablet like devices were more ‘Star Trek’ than reality, but nowadays it’s not abnormal to own one whether an iPad, Samsung or a Surface tablet. Then there’s the creation of 3D printing which opens up all sorts of possibilities, whatever will come next? A mobile teleportation device? That would be beautiful, no more reliance on public transport!

I remember when Facebook first came into the public consciousness, who would have thought it would have taken off? Enter the era of Social networking. Twitter and a few other social networking sites evolved from that shortly after. Social networking had always claimed it would bring people closer together. Has it fulfilled that promise? Yes and no; I have friends on Facebook and Twitter from America and other countries and I constantly learn new things and what’s going on with them. However, during this online social interaction, I am not physically interacting with my local friends. The irony is that even though through Social Networking I am closer to my friends in foreign countries, they are still the same distance away!

Bullying has found another stage, another platform; it appears that it is still on the rise with things like getting abuse from other Twitter users, and so on. I’m not going to harp on about the darkened world of social networking as we all know the various sides to it. Nor shall I proclaim my hate for them; I am an avid user of social networks, though thankfully I’m not overly obsessed and nor do I update my status on everything I do in my day. I use Facebook to write ideas or funny statuses and to keep in touch with my family and friends in Egypt and other countries.

Like everything really, if used correctly technology and the web can be such a beautiful thing. But there is one thing I remain old fashioned about and that is reading books. You cannot beat the smell and feel of a book; a Tablet or Kindle could never replicate that. Again that’s not to say I am against E-books. This is just my own personal preference as I prefer and actually like having the physical copies.

We live in a world where technology has taken its hold over us. Don’t get me wrong I’m not saying its a bad thing, it’s just a statement of truth, we and technology are intertwined. Just as Social networking isn’t just anchored to the PC but also to us. Are we currently completely reliant on technology? We invented technology but who is holding onto whom? Just a couple of questions for which your opinion and answers will change over the course of time, I am sure.

There are plenty of apps out there. Children with mobile phones. Facebook apps installed as the fingers do their typing. Statuses written. News feeds checked. Statuses and pictures liked. Blogs are not as solitary as they used to be, they are no longer just something you post and hope some people will read it. As you or anyone can share the blog via Facebook or Twitter. And you got the picture version known as Instagram which I have become addicted to at the moment. But you will get people who will complain about social networking. But as with all things: there are good things to it and bad things to it. It is all symmetrical and really just two sides to the same coin.