Can you remember life before constant internet access? I remember being in elementary school and not having internet at all. Then, for most of my pre-university life, my brother and I shared 50 hours per month on a dial-up connection.

Recently, my trusty old Toshiba lost a battle with gravity and sustained a single but detrimental injury. When I took it into Campus Tech, I was assured that it would be up and running by next week…Next week? A week…with neither internet access nor my laptop?

Hmm… I’ve done it before and it’s actually quite liberating. I toyed with the idea of actually taking leisurely strolls, reading a book or maybe even getting assignments done early.

Assignments! Wait! I need Ace! Hmm, I could go into DP or PAS and use those computers, but then I’d need to cart a multitude of textbooks to actually do the assignments. So, how much is the convenience of a laptop worth? $100 per week, plus tax, of course. Yup, I caved in under an hour. After Campus Tech, I walked straight to DP and rented a laptop for the week.

The fact is, computers and Internet access are no longer luxuries, but necessities. There will be a few readers who think differently—some who probably don’t own laptops, or who have gone without Internet for considerable periods of time during a semester—but I know I stand in the majority when I admit that I cannot go a week without Internet access.

As our conveniences increase, new expectations are quick at the heels. You are expected to check Ace every day: it’s just accepted now. Also, with the rise of smartphones, tablets and i(stuff), it’s just a matter of time before we’re literally in constant connection to the Internet. Believe it or not, Wi-Fi contact lenses are in the making. That’s right, you will be able to access the Internet via a contact lens.

My question is, will expectations tend to infinity as our abilities do? Or will we reach some scenario of constant returns regardless?