A mixed blessing !

We live in the " Communication Age ".   It started when the computer spawned the "World Wide Web" and we quickly became addicted to having a personal mobile phone in our pocket or handbag.

From there progress advanced at breakneck speed.    Now we find that Foxtel are offering their full range of services to those on the move.  It seems that the days of returning home and being entertained by watching events on our television screens are over.   The world of smart phones and tablets allows us to access whatever we want - wherever we happen to be !

Of course, this communication marvel also has a down side.   In fact it is killing some users.    The urge to text or otherwise use a smart phone while driving a car has caused government authorities to impose draconian punishment and make such use illegal.   It looks like the cops are slowly winning this battle, but we still see many people ignoring this law while driving.

Then there is the " money factor ".    Smart phones and tablets need to be connected to an access plan - and that costs money.  Those addicted to watching a screen and accessing that which interests them can pile up a frightening amount of " use time ".   Some teenagers can amass a frightening bill if their technology use becomes out of control.

If technology advances in the next decade at the same pace as it's predecessor the future will be almost unimaginable.   We have come a long way since the first mobile phones appeared - at about the size of a common house brick - and only capable of exchanging phone calls.

As with most advances in technology, this will deliver a mixed blessing.  We will trade an increase in convenience and the pleasure that new innovations can deliver with an extra expense - and very probably an increased risk to our lives.

It worries some people that the distraction of modern technology is making us more vulnerable to the dangers that surround us.  When our senses are concentrating on that small screen, we are unaware of traffic - and more importantly - of those who these days seem to gain pleasure from inflicting unprovoked harm to others,