By Jessica Corbett, Executive Editor

Technology has a made us fat, spoiled and lazy. Okay—so maybe that’s exaggerating just a little bit, but obesity rates have undeniably increased since the invention of computers, video games, cell phones, iPods and mp3 players.

The innovations in technology occur so frequently now that the iPod Touch your parents gave you for Christmas is 12 editions too old by March—and you just HAVE to get a new one for your birthday. Maybe this isn’t true for everyone some of us are satisfied, even grateful, that our parents shell out large portions of their paychecks to buy us these hi-tech toys—and, if you’re like me, you might even spend some of your own money on technical devices. But my point is, because companies like Apple release new versions of cell phones or computers on a daily basis, we fall victim to the “I want” mentality. We’re getting spoiled.

I realized this when I was exploring new apps on the iPhone 4, while waiting in the cell phone store for 45 minutes until a sales rep was able to assist me. Then I was told, “I’m sorry miss, we can’t fix your Blackberry because it’s just over a year old, but you can purchase a new one.”

If life were a cartoon, steam would be billowing from my ears. The sales rep, who could already tell I was slightly irked by the long wait, happily informed me that I could choose from a selection of cheaper phones, or splurge on a similar but newly redesigned version of my old phone. Oh, and best of all: if I want the “cool’”phone I have to pay extra money every month for a data plan. Yay.

Since I was torn between what I wanted to do and the responsible choice, I decided to sleep on my decision. As I made my way to the car, I had another realization: I’ve become kind of a phone snob, and I am definitely not alone. Constantly longing for the latest and greatest of everything has spoiled our society.

I realized that I should be grateful to even have a cell phone, so I can text my friends every other second about something that probably isn’t a big deal in the grand scheme of things. After all, if we’re going to cause our communications skills to plummet, it had better be for the sake of something as necessary as texting.

The more I dwell on my own cell phone issues, the more I come to realize how backwards our society has become. Most texting addicts—like me—can admit it’s a problem, but that’s not really the point. The point is, by cutting out the face-to-face interaction, and even eliminating talking on the phone, our society is only communicating through a network. Good communication used to be based on things maintaining  eye contact. Now, using our eyes isn’t even necessary. According to a survey done by Harris Interactive, 47 percent of teens say they can text with their eyes closed.

We still use words to communicate, but they’re typed out, not even written down on paper. It just doesn’t have the same effect. Wouldn’t you rather tell your grandmother that you love her? Is making a phone call significantly more strenuous then sending a text message that reads “Hey Gma, ILY”? No, it isn’t. And it’ll mean a lot more to your grandmother if she can actually hear your voice.

There are even alternatives to books now your choice between the Nook, the Kindle, or the bookstore application on the iPad. Ink? Paper? That’s for amateurs—we only go for touch screens, full-functioning keyboards and optimum battery strength.

Being an avid reader—with six stacks of books in my bedroom exceeding the three-foot mark—this concept disturbs me. Colleges have even resorted to online courses, where students can watch the professors’ lectures from the luxury of their own desk, in their own bedroom, curled up with a carton of Häagan-Dazs and outfitted in pajamas and their furry pink slippers. I’m not so ignorant that I don’t see the benefit of both the portable book devices and online college courses. I would even venture to say they’re a good idea.

For the quick reader, the Kindle can replace three or four books crammed into a carry-on. For stay-at-home parents looking to earn a college degree, online courses often offer the flexibility their schedules require.

But too much of a good thing usually has very bad repercussions, and unfortunately, that doesn’t really jive with the “I want” mentality. Too many book devices, and suddenly we’ll be recycling the classic novels that were once treasured pieces of literature. Too many teens and twenty-somethings enrolled in online courses, and the obesity rate will skyrocket even higher.

So, as I resist the urge to crush my already-busted Blackberry, I will forcibly remind myself to be grateful for the technology I do have, rather than complain or long for the next best thing.

I urge everyone else to do the same be grateful and be careful. Don’t get too caught up in the shiny buttons and overpriced apps. The way I see it, if the cell phone repair people—fittingly, the acronym on their business card is CPR!—can breath life back into my broken Blackberry, then anything is possible.