In today's tech-savvy world, electronic media is a basic necessity. Modern ways of communication have replaced the simplest of tasks.

The telephone, for example. Ask any teen who owns a cell phone and I'd bet they'd say that they text far more often than calling someone on the house phone. Remember when cell phones were for when you weren't home? Or if you're older than that, remember when a cell phone meant the phone you used to make your last call in prison?

Now email has replaced 'snail mail'. Hey, I'm even submitting this online instead of mailing it in. My friend signed up for summer camp online instead of going there and filling out actual forms. Lots of musicians use electronic software to create tracks for their songs instead of live music. If you can actually play a "synthesizer" that's fine, but otherwise what's wrong with a guitar, piano, and drums?

I do admit that the internet has some advantages as far as usefulness and efficiency. Think of how many online college campus that exist nowadays. Most people will download songs on iTunes rather than purchasing a CD. Plus e-books are starting to populate the world wide web. In a century or two, no one will read books anymore.

But happens when the electronic side of life fails? Just last month one of the schools in my city faced a computer glitch trying to generate schedules for middle school students. Three hundred kids didn't receive their schedule until their first day of school, which must have been very discomforting. Many teens and adults are so wrapped up in Facebook, Twitter, and other popular social networking sites, that they don't take the time to enjoy the non-virtual aspects of life. If the internet is so wonderful, then how come issues such as cyber bullying occur?

Are people too blind to realize that life's not all about technology? I may be a hypocrite for saying this, since I'm online just as much as any other teen, but we all need to "unplug" once and a while and relax "in real life".

Obesity is partly because kids spend too much time in front of the TV and computer instead of playing outdoors. Cyber-bullying is definitely a problem that can be solved easily by limiting electronic use. Each year families spend hundreds and thousands of dollars on unnecessary items (the iPad is just a giant iPhone!) when they could be used for more important costs, such as college tuition, mortgage, or retirement savings. Pretty soon everyone will start turning their heads sideways to smile! :)

Now I'm going to close my laptop and do something worthwhile... after I click "submit". ;)