Amidst Hurricane Sandy, thousands of people were left without any cellphone service or wireless capabilities, leaving them unable to communicate with family and other loved ones. This left many people relying on word of mouth, from neighbor to neighbor, to find out what’s going on in the world.

With smartphones, tablets, and laptops, it is easy to be enveloped in technology, the media, and the social Internet world around us. With having access to almost any information readily available, it is easy to see how society, especially the youth, has become enamored with technology.

But this infatuation has rendered many people helpless and enslaved to their own devices, being grimly technologically dependent.

It’s a scary thought to imagine a world without any cellphones services or the Internet, not because of being unable to communicate easily with the outside world, but because there are some people that have become so reliant on technology and trivial needs such as Facebook that they wouldn’t know what to do with themselves.

The victims of Hurricane Sandy faced this harsh reality, but it didn’t falter them. In the time of need, these victims huddled together, either at a café or a bar or at wherever few locations they were able to receive wireless signals, and shared whatever information they were able to gather with each other. They socialized and shared stories, and did whatever they can in order to get through the rough time.

It is pleasant to see communities being able to come together and help one another, whether it is a neighbor or a complete stranger.

People must realize that these smart devices, however beneficial they may be, are luxuries and not necessities. There was a point in time when there was no Internet, no smartphone, and no television. There was a time where in order to get the information desired, one would have to venture to the outside world to acquire it. But this art has long been forgotten with the ever-so-growing popularity of the Internet and technological devices.

Nowadays, anything can be found on the Internet just using search engines such as Google or Yahoo. With easy access to these functions, invaluable informational sources such as a library are now becoming obsolete.

Although these technologies are undoubtedly helpful, it is no question that it has also hindered essential skills such as simply being able to talk with one another, rather than having to communicate through needless posts or texts.

Overcome the need to post on Facebook, or having to have a smart device readily available. Instead of texting, try actually calling the person. Live life how it’s supposed to be lived- by actually being out there and experiencing it rather than viewing it through a monitor.