I believe in today's world, technology has transcended being a want and has become a need. I say this in a global context rather than bourgeois context most people are taking on this issue. In the article, "Technology can empower children in developing countries," author Annie Kelley astutely points out that for developing countries, technology has become a godsend, transforming the lives of millions of young children through initiatives that allow people to gain access to technology and internet and consequently become literate. In a Stanford article, the authors pointed out that increasing technology in developing countries can be linked to increases in democracy, decreases in poverty, and of course the spread of information. Undoubtedly, smartphones and laptops have changed the world for the better.
In the bourgeois context, having the latest and greatest technology obviously is not necessary, but having some kind of access to technology *is* necessary. I mean everyone writing on this forum had to have access to technology.
My Sources:
http://www.theguardian.com/su stainable-business/technology-empower-children-developing-countries
http://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/ … lture.html