Modern Technology, Good Or Bad?

My graduation from high school in 1986 seems like a great place to start with my comparison of inventions then to now, just to see how far we have come in thirty years.

I know that thirty years may seem like a lot but it really isn't but as far as electronics are concerned and even some of our modern conveniences we use everyday it is a lifetime ago.

For example, in 1986 hardly anyone had a cell phone and if they did they were the upper and upper middle class, we had to communicate with either a landline, (that's a phone that never leaves your house) or a pay phone (not going to explain).

Some of the other items that were not common place were computers, gps, flat screen televisions and satellite television.

Have any of these few inventions helped or hurt our way of life?  It's hard to say, in some case I say yes but in most I say no.  It has made us a society where we hardly talk to one another or enjoy some of the more simple things in life.  We never have to visit or discover anything new, we never have to really think about an answer, so in that case it has hurt our society.

Don't get me wrong I love my smart phone, television, satellite, computer and every other modern convenience I own but I don't think in many cases it helps us as a society.

What are your thoughts?