I read recently that reporters were told off by employers at Associated Press for tweeting breaking news before it was published on their website (http://tinyurl.com/7t5mdb9).  This to me seemed absurd – Twitter surely is the first port of call?

And then it occurred to me – Twitter has taken over our lives.

Social media has integrated into work and social life.  Unknowingly to most of us, technology plays a bigger part in our lives than we realise.  Our daily routine consists of checking Facebook, checking Twitter, checking emails, playing the iPod/iPad, logging on to the work computer, which we will sit in front of for the rest of the day, and checking the mobile phone when “taking a break from the technology”.

Our Smartphones have become a part of our body, where would we be without it?  It is our gateway to the rest of the world, our device to share our inner thoughts, our camera (technology replacing technology), our map, our diary, our clock and even our shopping list (or is that just me)?

So imagine my absolute horror when my beloved blackberry was stolen from me.  I was without any sort of phone for a whole 12 hours (and most of that I was asleep).  As melodramatic as this sounds – my life felt incomplete, I felt I was missing out on something big.  My temporary mobile phone calls people and it calls back; back in the day, this would be enough, but the fact is, in the year 2011 you’re classed as ‘out of touch’ if you don’t own a Smartphone, and to be honest, I feel out of touch.

I wonder how the world would cope if, for one week, technology stopped – no fancy gadgets, no television…

OK, maybe if Smartphones did not exist – I can deal with that…just.  Could you?