Now that you are a grandparent and can finally get a senior discount without anyone questioning your age, have you wondered what it might be like to be a young adult in today’s technologically inclined world?

Technology has evolved more than anyone could have imagined 50 years ago. The rate of technology growth was so slow compared to what our children and grandchildren are experiencing in their lifetime. I do remember my father coming home from work with a sample of a small transistor in an acrylic display case. It was something new, not heard of by the consumer. He explained it was the beginning of the transistor radio and who knew where that would lead! Years later, I watched as men walked on the moon. Now we walk around with cellphones, ipods, and computers…all wireless and connected to the world via satellites…and outdated before worn out!

Meals had to be prepared with time and effort. Eating healthy foods was just something that was done. Today, we can to into any supermarket and pick up a meal, zap it in a microwave and ta da! Dinner is served. The sensory stimulation of the creative process in the kitchen has been replaced by watching the Food Network. Yet, ironically, giving advice as to what foods we should eat in order to stay healthy and young has become a lucrative business.

And dating! It used to be interesting and intriguing to put forth time and effort in that endeavor, too. Today, no makeup required! Log on and search the best dating sites. All that is required is to offer some personal data (plus a credit card number) and the matching is done for you without the searching. Are young people so engrossed in their technology that they have forgotten what it feels like to naturally build a relationship? Today’s young people are living in an instant-gratification world which includes finding a mate. Is the virtue of patience, the foundation of a lasting relationship, diminishing and soon to be of the past?

If using dating sites are more the norm than not today, I wonder how I would choose which one to trust. There are sites, such as Consumer Rankings, available for those wishing to use technology to find a mate can read evaluations such as an eHarmony, chemistry.com, Yahoo! Personals, or a Match.com review.  But then, I also wonder what sort of mate might be chosen for me. What if my husband of 38 years and I both entered information about our likes and dislikes, interests, etc…would we be matched?