What does a connected life take?

Old geezer here. Largely a Luddite.

I am interested in some input from the younger crowd.

What are the "essentials" of a modern, tech connected life? I am trying to make a reasonably comprehensive list of a profile of the majority of young folks. I am not trying to have an argument about what is not necessary, nor hear about your own personal "gotta haves". I am thinking a bit more broadly- what is an average?

I would include everything related to technology- hardware, software, service plans, apps, fees, downloads, etc.

What does it take?

Do you think a laptop is now "typical"? Is more than 1 computer now standard? Broadband service, or would dial-up still be acceptable?

Does pretty much everyone need a smartphone? How about in 10 years? How about an Ipod? Tablet?

Do most people require 2 or three core software packages, or is it more like 20 or 30? How many of these are "free", and how many are paid?

How about music downloads? Is 5 a month a reasonable average, or is 50 more like it?

Gaming- What's involved? Do most folks put in 10 hours per week for 1 favorite game, or more like 30 for 10 games? Online or offline?

Other devices... Bluetooth stuff? Web TV? Peripheral devices?

Websites- is it reasonable to think people spend 1 hour per day, or more like 7 or 8?

Online purchases- does this represent a significant part of life, or not so much? Would you make the purchases anyway if there was no internet, or do the forums you visit encourage and influence your purchasing habits?

Is buying virtual "products" good clean fun that most people do in small amounts, or is it just plain stupid to pay real money for stuff that doesn't even exist?

What does a well connected life take? If you had to write a brief description of the average young American's tech life, what would it be?

I realize this is completely subjective. I am just interested in your opinions, and discussion.

Broadband Internet access is a must.

Broadband is a must. Laptop or desktop, doesn't really matter, but if you don't have a smartphone, then a laptop is a must. I don't have a smartphone, but want it. Just not $360 every year want it. I would say that I am a luddite in this sense though, I'm the only person I can think of anymore without a smartphone. Seriously, nobody at work and no one in my family doesn't have one, the only exceptions being people over age 85. It is the future of most "non-serious" (i.e. excel and word documents) computing.

Facebook is a must for social interaction. As is email, obviously.

Music downloads? Not important. You have internet radio and youtube.

People spend minimum 1 hour a day, probably closer to an inattentive 7-8 online.

Ipod is largely being replaced by smartphones and tablets.

It depends on how connected you want to be but at least a cell phone and a good internet connection. I would say you don't need a land line anymore.

I can you the details on our DINK household, I'm 31 wife is 28.

We have no cable TV and use a computer hooked up to the TV for Netflix and surfing the web. We have a ROKU box for the other channels available there and when we don't want the computer running.

We both have an iPhone 5, she has an iPad she uses at work (hairstylist, uses it for Square payment app) and a Laptop for her Excel/Word stuff for work.

I don't download music. I use Spotify Premium for unlimited streaming and bands I really like I still go buy the CD to show some support.

I probably spend a few hours a day on various car forums. Maybe 3-5 a week playing PS3.

The matrix....it's real...

let's see....

Broadband internet feeds constant information to 2 Laptops, and 6 android/icrap devices throughout the house.

Tablets/Smartphones have replaced paper news/entertainment media.

I shop online as much as possible for certain things, yet try to support locals in terms of food.

Smartphone is a 100% must. Music services are killing downloads (spotify, etc). A lot of people are transitioning away from traditional computers, and into all-in-one systems or laptops- and soon to be tablets. Constant connectivity is a must. Twitter, Facetube, etc. I have 5 different devices within hands reach that can deliver this content to me...right now. It's only a matter of time before that number increases.

Oh and you need a really gaudy pair of 300$ headphones that someone endorses or you fail at life.

I'm considered a weirdo because I'm not on social media (at least Facebook, if a young person's not on there they're considered "either a cheater or a weirdo"), and I wouldn't go without broadband or a smartphone...I also have multiple computers, most people do. Only hardcore gamers still use desktop PCs, everything's a laptop, tablet or smartphone.

People online influence what I decide on purchasing, but I would generally purchase those things anyway. E.g. I might get advice to buy a certain model of driving shoes, but I would have bought some kind of driving shoes anyway.

Apart from that I think I'm much too unusual to give you useful answers.

In terms of mobile connectivity, I'm fairly far removed. Still using a cheap basic phone with a very basic plan. I only dislike this when I'm lost or want to find a restaurant or when someone sends me an email and I don't see it until days later. I'd like a Nexus 5 or 7 as a more portable information gathering device, but not because I need to check Facebook every 20 minutes.

In terms of social networking, I view Facebook every other day, if I'm lucky. Sometimes I wont use it for days on end. I don't use Twitter or Instagram. I don't "miss" any type of social networking platform when I'm away from them.

In terms of connectivity, discussion forums are my biggest vice. I love them. I can't get on the computer without checking GRM, Pinkbike, MTBR, Speedhunters, etc.

I like email. It's efficient, cost effective, and allows to you sell things, get receipts, keep up with friends, etc, without being a nagging alert of a txt message. I still txt though. In a committed relationship so as long as I'm with her the rest of the world could be dying and contacting me via txt would be too late.

I actually find I'm far more connected to my partner than I am the devices. I like knowing where she is, if she's ok, what her plans are, etc. She's the only person I get frustrated if I can't reach and she's the same way with me. She works a job that requires her to work with desperate people in cities from other cultures, I like to know if she's alright when she's working late.

If I could pay $30 to have Google Search and Google Maps in my pocket at all times, I certainly would. It saves a lot of time and money in transportation alone.

Oh, I don't do gaming. It's great entertainment, but incredibly good at wasting time. I do enough of that on GRM as it is.

29 year old engineer. My take:

I have two laptops and a desktop. Both laptops were purchased when I was in college (02 when I started freshman year, 06 for senior year to keep up with software changes). Desktop was probably top of the line in 06-07, bought it from a roommate for a couple hundred bucks. All three still work great. Laptops run XP, Desktop runs 7. All have Microsoft Office, and the desktop has Solidworks for 3D modeling. That's about all I use them for, other than internet and the occasional game.

I have an Iphone 5, use it regularly as a mixed phone/GPS/radio/internet browser/time waster. Update whenever I get the full discount on a new one and sell the old one.

No cable or house phone, just internet + Roku for Netflix (commercial TV is almost unwatchable these days with the number of commercial breaks). Broadband isn't necessary, I've gone several years without it, but strongly prefer not to. Facebook is an occasional (1-2 times a week) thing who's largest use is keeping up with a couple of friends that live 2+ hours away via messaging. That's the extent of my social media connection, and even that is too much. I don't like Twitter, nor do I "follow" or "like" anything on Facebook. Seems like asking for spam and noise.

Don't download music (use Pandora) or spend any money on "pay to play" games. I will buy popular games (Mass Effect, Bordlerlands, GTA, etc.) after they've dropped below $30 or so, but that's enough to be entertaining. I do probably all my non-grocery shopping through Amazon.

I'm probably not the norm.

I disagree with the "necessity" of social networking like Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it's just me, but I loathe all of them. I honestly think social networking creates more problems than it solves.

"Who is so-and-so? Why did SHE comment on your 'status'? WHO IS SHE?!"

PHeller wrote: In terms of social networking, I view Facebook every other day, if I'm lucky. Sometimes I wont use it for days on end. I don't use Twitter or Instagram. I don't "miss" any type of social networking platform when I'm away from them.

Me too. Mostly I find it useful for keeping up and talking to old friends. It is also good for organizing events.

Sky_Render wrote: I disagree with the "necessity" of social networking like Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it's just me, but I loathe all of them. I honestly think social networking creates more problems than it solves. "Who is so-and-so? Why did SHE comment on your 'status'? WHO IS SHE?!"

In your example, it doesn't sound like social networking is the problem.

z31maniac wrote:

Sky_Render wrote: I disagree with the "necessity" of social networking like Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it's just me, but I loathe all of them. I honestly think social networking creates more problems than it solves. "Who is so-and-so? Why did SHE comment on your 'status'? WHO IS SHE?!"

In your example, it doesn't sound like social networking is the problem.

+1. Also it is just a tool like many other things and it is in how you use it.

Edit: Basically I don't think Facebook is required for staying connected but it also isn't evil and it doesn't create problems, how people use it creates problems.

z31maniac wrote:

Sky_Render wrote: I disagree with the "necessity" of social networking like Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it's just me, but I loathe all of them. I honestly think social networking creates more problems than it solves. "Who is so-and-so? Why did SHE comment on your 'status'? WHO IS SHE?!"

In your example, it doesn't sound like social networking is the problem.

Never happened to me; I check Facebook about as often as I change my underwear--once a month. I've heard a lot of people--of both genders--running into jealousy issues with Facebook. The fact that the website advertises everything you do and everyone you talk to is just a recipe for disaster.

Flynlow wrote: I'm probably not the norm.

Nope, if 0 is "normal" and 100 is "would make Richard Stallman and Julian Assange proud at the same time" I'd give you a 25. I'm about a 75.

Sky_Render wrote:

z31maniac wrote:

Sky_Render wrote: I disagree with the "necessity" of social networking like Facebook and Twitter. Maybe it's just me, but I loathe all of them. I honestly think social networking creates more problems than it solves. "Who is so-and-so? Why did SHE comment on your 'status'? WHO IS SHE?!"

In your example, it doesn't sound like social networking is the problem.

Never happened to me; I check Facebook about as often as I change my underwear--once a month. I've heard a lot of people--of both genders--running into jealousy issues with Facebook. The fact that the website advertises everything you do and everyone you talk to is just a recipe for disaster.

Again, not a problem with Facebook, it's a problem with people in insecure relationships.

I can tell you it's probably a 10:1 ratio laptop/desktop for new PC purchases, and that modern browsers/websites don't handle dial-up speeds too well.

Personally, we have 4 laptops + one Mac, one of the laptops is running Ubuntu. I also have a desktop with Ubuntu and another running Vista(though I rarely turn it on ). 4 of us have smartphones, and my wife has an iPad & Nook. We still have our landline and cable, but we've talked about ditching cable when(if?) the kids move out someday.

It's interesting, at 42 I don't really consider myself "young", and I've never really been that into techie stuff(although it's my career). Yet I know so many of my peers who have no clue how to use a PC, smartphone, etc.

I have a laptop, a desktop, a file server, and a killer network at home with the fastest internet connection available (100Mb/s down, 20Mb/s up), with no cable TV and no home phone. Both my wife and I carry last year's flagship Samsung smartphone (Galaxy S3) with an unlimited data plan.

Music comes from Pandora, CDs, and FM radio.

Movies and TV shows are either "acquired" or streamed through the popular services.

On a typical day, I spend at least 6 hours on a computer, with most days being closer to 10 hours. Several hours are spent on Facebook at work, but that's because it's part of my job.

I do disconnect from electronic communications for a few days every once in a while. No internet, phone only for music (very small CD collection), nothing but doing other things. It's quite satisfying to be honest.

All of my computers run genuine Windows or Ubuntu Linux, depending on what it's doing. The only apps or programs I pay for are ones I have somehow tried for free, and then purchased because they are worth it (soon to have legit Photoshop, yo). My typical software expenses come from the occasional purchase of a console video game.

Our house has a Wii, several Xbox 360s, and a PS3. I mostly play older games, so there's an NES, SNES, and N64 connected to my living room TV, along with a PS3. The Wii resides in my bedroom as a streaming device (at which it fails pretty hard), while the Xboxes are connected in my study and my brother's bedroom.

Amazon sees a lot of business from us. If Walmart has it, Amazon has it cheaper, and I don't have to deal with the E36 M3ty shopping experience at Walmart. The internet does cause me to spend money, but it's not on the typical advertised goods. See my thread on test gear for an example.

One common thread I'm seeing here is people ditching cable for an internet-based solution for television.

In reply to mndsm:

And that is despite the fact that the $79 JBL ones are better than the ones you're referring to.

yamaha wrote: In reply to mndsm: And that is despite the fact that the $79 JBL ones are better than the ones you're referring to.

Hell $20 skullcandy headphones are better then that E36 M3. Seriously the beats are the worst sounding headphones I have ever tried other then $5 headphones that are by the checkout at walmart.

I love a variety of music when I'm in the car. I love music when I'm in the garage. I love music when I'm working around the house.

I do not understand how people can listen to music all day via earbuds. Especially the exact same stuff that is on the radio.

Sometimes I like silence.

Smartphones and a couple laptops. Haven't even turned the desktop on in ages. Broadband is an absolute must, and if the cable box for the whole neighborhood is in your yard the internet can be amazingly fast. Roku in the kitchen, streaming-capable dvd player and an Xbox 360 in the living room. Netflix is where it's at, I just plain refuse to watch TV anymore. If I can't skip the loud, obnoxious commercials then I don't watch it. In fact, I despise commercials so much that I downloaded an app so I can turn down the TV at the Dr. office (or any other TV). I don't do facebook or twitter or any of that. I do use e-mail, but less frequently in the past year. Amazon gets some love here, especially when the berkeleying grocery store only seems to use my rewards card to track what I buy so they can discontinue it. %#@&!!

I'm 31, so maybe not as young as you'd like. We both have crappy old phones with no text messaging. She uses Facebook a lot. I use it once every few months. She has a Kindle tablet for something. I can never figure out exactly what. It is good for the kids when they need to be more patient than a typical 3 year old is. We have no cable, no land line phone, and basic DSL internet.

We have one laptop, and stream through Amazon prime for TV. We almost never buy music, and use Pandora to stream it every few days.

I could go without all of it easily. My wife would have a tougher time.

We buy locally whenever possible, but Lowes isn't "local" despite it's geography, so I go to Amazon for a lot, only for things we would buy anyway, just with less shopping time. Free shipping with the prime membership @ $40 per year.

I don't get 'content' or understand why people need to constantly be 'connected' and sometimes I really enjoy power outages.