Technology by far.  In just over 100 years we have gone from having no communication beyond yelling across the yard to your neighbors to cell phones, television, radio, computer/internet which includes: email, skype, webcams and facebook one on one abilities to converse.  We have computer everything.  Travel has only gone from trains to faster trains, small planes to bigger and faster planes, more dependable vehicles. 

 With computers, you can get your car fixed by changing a computer chip, you don’t have to put your hands on water faucets or toilets, doors open without a touch, cell phones enable you to text, send pictures, messages, and talk hands free.

 It’s got to be technology hands down.  Your daughter doesn’t appreciate the advances because she hasn’t lived long enough to have been without the vast array of technology.

As one of those who travels in big planes, small planes, tiny planes - and have forever - I would probably state that "the joys of getting there" that brought some of my greatest experiences over the years have become - what? - I guess I would say "an ordeal".  But like other things in life, you accept what you cannot change OR, if you choose to, you can ruin your trip from the start by bitching about it.  My own focus tends to be the joys I hope to find at the other end, whether it is people or just the romantic ending. 

But there is no doubt the constant, continuing evolution taking place in technology - seemingly overnight - making the products you bought continually outdated has taken us to another world in a very short time.  We no longer question the amazing advances.  We no longer say "who did this?"  "How could this be?"  The monetary outlays we, as consumers, are paying is rarely talked about … but we know that this industry will continue to be the most lucrative.  I think all of us would have to say that this technology has changed all our lives faster and more radically than any other single thing.  So you win, Candice.

The problem is that our children don’t know a life pre-technology to compare to.  We, unfortunately are old enough to remember.  My oldest is in university and complains that his laptop won’t get a wireless connection in some of his lecture halls.  I laugh my ass off as we didn’t have computers when I was getting my degree.  I told him that I was lucky as I owned a typewriter and made a comfortable living typing papers for others.  He could not comprehend that students were allowed to hand in hand-written papers as the typewriter lab was always booked.  He was really baffled at the reality that typewriters did not have spell check or grammer check.   

Oh, by far technology wins, as usual. 

By far technology. My grandmother lived to be 98 in in her nursing home. When we visited, someone came up with the idea to email so that our grandmother could hear from others that way. But we were always dependent on a younger relative to answer for that older relative in their home.

Next time we have another person in a nursing home, we’ll do better now that we’ve done it once. For instance, instant messaging now. Think of how much more we could have done if we’d thought of it sooner and how much more immediate comfort for a relative to hear through instant messaging and more organization via the younger relatives!

I had a type writer when in high school and college, where my kids had computers.

cell phones weren’t even thought of, and wireless phones now way.  I remember once my parents had a fight and my stepfather cut the phone cord to keep my mom off the phone, she was down the street talking with her friends and I ran in with the receiver and told her she had a long distant call, without thinking she took the receiver and said hello.  lol who would have thought that in just 15 yrs we’d have phones that we could walk all over the house with, talk in cars, at the stores.  Now a days you can’t go anywhere without seeing someone looking like a fool talking to himself when in fact he was actually talking on a phone.

technology is good to a point but some of it is really annoying.  In a movie, or while in church, in restaurants phones should be turned off out of courtesy for the other people around them.

You can keep your planes, I refuse to fly anywhere, I’ll drive for as many days as needed to get where I need to be, but you won’t get me on a plane, no way, no how.