At one time computers were said to have the capacity of freeing up our time to such a degree that we might only need to work 20 hours a week.
In our 21st century world we have entire families who have their own computer. Each family member has a cell phone and our cars are outfitted to help us stay connected.
Laptops are taken to coffee shops and bistros and normal conversations are interrupted by incoming messages.
Not only are we still working 40+ hours a week we often take our work home with us and stay connected with the office on a consistent basis.
The online world has become so much a normal part of our lives that we stay online even when we don't really need to. We are accustomed to interaction and the World Wide Web allows that to happen.
The world is listening to music on the web, they are watching video on demand and they are instant messaging and emailing at a phenomenal rate.
Children are asking for more time on the web than they are television time.
The Internet has revolutionized our lives, but instead of freeing us up from work it has simply enticed us to do more.
As we understand more computer concepts and use them in our business and personal life we have a desire to learn more and do more with what we know. The computer has become an unusual motivator.
It's interesting to watch teens that would rather text each other than speak face to face.
Movies like "You've Got Mail" and "Cinderella Story" both feature online correspondence as the primary means of relationship building between the main characters of the story.
The Internet has radically altered the way the world does business. Currency exchanges are not an issue with international orders, as credit card companies and PayPal tend to work that out without an issue for either the consumer of the business owner.
Many online users wonder why they would want to shop in physical stores when they can visually see what they are shopping for and compare prices from multiple online stores - all from the comfort of wherever they might be.
In spite of difficulties with viruses, adware, spyware and malware the Internet remains a powerful medium for online business and fulfilling personal interests.
I think it's possible there may be a psychologically addictive nature to the online world. I've even been known to say; "I'll head to bed in a minute. Just let me check my emails first."
Checking emails can also mean checking a few forum boards or blogs I am a part of. Checking my online business ventures and perhaps taking care of a few web design elements.
Sometimes I think it would be cataclysmic if there should come a day when the Internet went away. We rely on this cyber universe in a way that it remarkable and somewhat surprising.
The good news for web users is that the very nature of the web means that it is dependent on multiple sources to work. It would be virtually impossible to knock out the Internet.
They can't knock it out, right? I've got email to read.