10 Things in Today's Society that Are Completely Unnecessary

I'm definitely a fan of lists and I'm definitely a fan of pointing out the things that people in this day and age can't seem to live without but really don't need at all (and for those of you wondering...I'm guilty of taking part in a lot of the items on this list which just goes to show that even though we don't need things we use them anyway). Whether its technology, food, fashion, celebrities, etc., many Americans find that the only way to be is on the forefront of it all. But what's the point? Remember a time when life really was simpler? When we didn't HAVE to have a 1000GB iPod, or know the latest Lindsay Lohan rehab story or didn't need the extra large fries? With my list, I aim to show that it is very easy to live in 2007 without all the added frills because even though we think these things are making our lives better...in some cases...they aren't.

(Just as an FYI, these aren't in any particular order and are strictly my opinion. Feel free to agree or disagree with any of these items and also add more items of your own!)

Number 10: I'm sorry but I have to do it...you all knew it'd be on here somewhere. CELL PHONES! You get up, take a shower(hopefully), get dressed, eat breakfast, leave the house to go to work...you get to work and suddenly realize.....I FORGOT MY CELL PHONE! The panic sinks in...how will people get a hold of you, how will you call people, how are they going to know where you are. Without a doubt...for those 8 hours while you are at work....every single person in your entire phone book is going to call you at least three times and you are going to miss all of them. I know you're special...but you're not that special. And if a true emergency occurs, someone will be able to get a hold of you. Try forgetting your phone on purpose for a day...actually remember what its like to have the freedom of knowing that no one knows where you are and they have no way of getting a hold of you. It'll be the first time you'll be by yourself in years.

Number 9: Ugg Boots. You know why they call them Ugg Boots? BECAUSE THEY'RE FREAKIN UGLY, THAT'S WHY! I can't even imagine how much money those boots actually go for, but Ugg definitely wins the prize for making the most money off of the ugliest pair of shoes ever. If you have a pair of them...please do yourself a favor and burn them immediately. And if you are one of those girls who wears them with sweat pants and a puffy jacket with fur around the hood...please just do me a favor and smack yourself in the face right now. Have you looked in the mirror?? You look ridiculous! Take them off! Totally unnecessary! (if you haven't noticed yet...I'm not a fan of Ugg Boots)

Number 8: DVR/TiVo. What ever happened to sitting down in front of the TV after a long, hard day to enjoy your favorite television programs? With digital recording devices, it's okay if you miss your show because you can record it and watch it at a later date. But what I see happen a lot is that people are using DVR even when they are sitting in front of the TV. Like...I'm going to sit here and watch another show at the same exact time as the show I actually want to watch because I can record the show I want to watch and watch it later so that I can watch the other show that I don't usually watch but I'm watching it simply because of the fact that I have the ability to watch the other show later. Uh...what?? I just think that part of being a loyal fan of a TV show is to give the network it's on the ratings it deserves. Its one thing if you're going to miss the program all together, but if you're home, and it's on...watch it!

Number 7: Britney Spears, Kevin Federline, Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Angelina Jolie, Tom Cruise, Katie Holmes, etc. GO AWAY! I don't care about you or the fact that you're a: has been, trailer trash, a ho, a drug addict, a compulsive adopter who never eats, a crazy person and an even crazier person, respectively. Just dig a big hole and throw all of these people into it because it really would make my life a lot less stressful if I didn't have to worry about whether or not Lindsay Lohan was going to make it through rehab for the 11^th time. The time the American public spends on talking about, reading about and watching useless information on celebrities is ridiculous. For every minute you spend each day on the lives of celebrities, I challenge you (as well as myself) to spend an equal amount of time on politics, health care, education, social security and other issues that actually have an impact on our lives. We might just learn something useful.

Number 6. Tricked out cars. The building I work at is located about a quarter mile from the local high school. Every day at exactly 3pm a high school boy drives by in his car. The bass is so loud in this car, the window panes of my office actually shake. Is that necessary? Can you actually hear what's going on inside your car or around it for that matter? Does it actually sound good to you? Or...Dear Mr. Toyota Tacoma owner...those monster truck wheels on your dinky truck look ridiculous! Do you actually think you'll be off-roading in Buffalo, NY? Are your huge wheels on your small car going to get you where you're going faster than me? We're both driving on the same 30 mile and hour road. Like come on. The tinted windows, the black lights, the NOS, the 16 speakers blaring music, the supercharged engines and anything else that you could add to a car that isn't there to begin with...are they really necessary?

Number 5: Reality Television. I really have no explanation for reality television except that maybe writers have either become too lazy or are just too busy watching MTV to actually come up with a unique idea for a real television show. If you have a reality show that you enjoy watching because it has beneficial reasons that are important to you...then I encourage you to tell us why (I'm always willing to give a program a try if it is deemed entertaining). In all my reality television experiences, the only show that I actually enjoy watching is Extreme Makeover: Home Edition because they do fantastic things for people who are less fortunate. But nonetheless...I still find all reality television to be completely unnecessary.

Number 4: Boy Bands. Stop lip synching, stop dressing alike, stop pretending that you're a band because you aren't. I know you can sing, but if you have five 'band' members and not one of you play an instrument and not one of you wrote a single word to any of the songs you sing, then you aren't a real band. Remember The Beatles? Remember Hendrix? Remember The Who, Pink Floyd, Johnny Cash, The Rolling Stones and The Doors? Remember what real music used to sound like? Remember lyrics that actually sent a message or carried a deeper meaning that fans could honestly relate to? Where has that gone? I can't deny the success of boy bands...the millions of dollars that they have incurred, but are they really necessary? Have they really made that much of an impact on the history of music? I don't think so.

Number 3: Super Size. Not really a surprise here...but something that I felt needed to be added to the list. Obesity in the United States is a serious issue...and it seems that fast food restaurants exploit it with their super size option. Restaurants in general also have much larger portion sizes than restaurants outside of the United States. I think this country in general is sending the wrong message about food consumption. It's not always a good choice to upsize your meal for 10 cents more.

Number 2: Basic Entertainment Gadgetry. You can definitely include cell phones in this but this category focuses more on all the other gadgets we just 'have to have'. Mp3 players, iPod's, Video iPod's, portable gaming systems, portable DVD players, etc. What ever happened to taking a road trip and actually enjoying the company of the people you are with? I took a three hour ride to central New York and not one person spoke one word the whole trip. They were too busy listening to music and watching movies. I understand having a radio at home, in the car and at work, or having a DVD player hooked up to your TV at home, but is it really necessary to have these things wherever you are going? We're so busy staying busy on the way to things that we miss out on the experience of getting there. i.e. A family takes a ride to look at the changing leaves...hey Billy...how about those leaves? Billy is all...I'm watching a movie leave me alone! We are so busy keeping ourselves entertained that we don't even see what's right in front of our faces. Technology is truly a wondrous thing, but it's slowly breaking down a society's ability to communicate with one another and to enjoy the simplicities in life. Next time you take a ride, leave the iPod at home and see what else there is to enjoy.

Number 1: MTV. Completely pointless is all I have to say about MTV. I know in their hay day you could actually watch a music video from beginning to end and 'The Real World' was something that everyone talked about. But now the shows that they play on that station that are supposed to portray the real world...all I have to say is GARBAGE! I wish my cable provider would charge me less if I decided to drop the station because I hate that it's even included in my monthly package. Play a fricking video once in a while MTV! Do you really think we care about what's happening to those prissy, stuck up, cry baby, a$$holes on 'The Hills' I DON'T THINK SO! (don't even get me started on that Sweet 16 show either) MTV is something that many people spend countless hours watching...and in my personal opinion...I deem it completely unnecessary!

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We all spend a lot of time using/wearing/doing/watching useless things purely for the entertainment and enjoyment of it all. The reason for making this list is not to make people feel bad for using/wearing/doing/watching the things I've mentioned, but rather to show that while some or arguably all of these items can make our lives easier or more enjoyable, it doesn't mean that they are necessary. Myself included, we all tend to get caught up in the frenzy of always being in on 'the next best thing' but is it all really necessary? Just some food for thought.