Technology since the 1960's

Yes, this is a huge topic.  I think about this quite a bit in my quest for a simpler life.  I think certain personalities, or maybe most people at some time or another - I don't know really, dream of a simpler life.  With each generation comes new "advances."  Technology, however, seems to have pervaded the world in a short time.  Our dependence on technology has improved our world.  I can think of one example to illustrate this.  In patient care, when an emergency room receives a patient who is not responsive but has identification, it is possible to find out very quickly (through the way we've just learned about - computers that can communicate with one another) blood type, allergies, previous conditions, etc.  In this way technology has improved our world.  I am not so sure that it has improved our human relationships.  The one issue I'll discuss is the fact that because of the instant gratification factor, one can find out anything very quickly, from interesting historical facts to what a distant friend has been doing.  The speed of technology is one of the factors that I find can harm relationships.  I don't want to include everyone in this generalization, but I find that many people seem to be missing things on a deeper level, such as good, in-depth, listening skills, using their intuition, having the patience to work years on say, a relationship or learning how to be a master craftsman or learning a musical instrument.  For me, this intricately connected web system has had an impact on our ability to sometimes stop and take a step backward, and to reflect.  While it is good to be able to keep up with technology, I will use the analogy of a moving day to try and explain what I'm feeling.  Just because one is able to lift 70 pound boxes all day, is it good for your health to do so?