I think what distinguishes a want from a need is what you are trying to do. For example, if you are trying to write a paper you need a writing utensil and some knowledge of the language you are writing in, you may want to type it on a computer, but that is not necessity. In the case of technology, I know it is certainly not necessary for survival, but you may need a computer to submit an assignment on schoology, or you may need a phone to talk to your friend who lives far away. For human life it's certainly not necessary,  and to be happy I don't think it's necessary either, but if you want to keep up with your friends, or you want to check your email in the car for work, then sure its necessary. I think people should find a balance though, and use them as little as possible while still leading a 21st century life. I don't think that people should cut out all technology, but people could certainly be more moderate in their use and consuming. For example, I have found that social media can be kind of fun, but I have wasted more time with it than I can imagine. I don't rea lly care that my friend from lower school just posted a picture at Santa Cruz. That doesn't add anything meaningful to my life, and yet I still find myself wasting time, and electricity, and reducing my phone's longevity looking at countless photos, and scrolling through their comments. Why do I do that, because it is stimulating, the screen is absorbing, and it is so easy, like I've been set up for failure. It's hard to snap out of the world of technology, but I think people really need to pay more attention to things that are actually effecting their reality.

I agree that technology can be a sort of black hole. I think every teen struggles with the call of social media. In terms of what a need is, I think it's definitely progressed beyond what is necessary for survival. Personally, I'd define it with what we need to help with worldwide progression, simply because humanity depends on being able to fix its issues. I believe that technology falls under that category.