The internet has completely changed my life...hands down. Or has it shaped my life? Hard to tell since I've grown up with computers and the internet.

I was just having a conversation with someone I work with who wanted to know what all the fuss was about Facebook. It was interesting to try and explain to her exactly what Facebook is...I had never done that before.

The internet is my main way of communicating, finding information, and generally conducting business. If I can't do it online or on a computer, it seems too much like work.

Here's a classic example: I need to look-up an address and/or a phone number. The phone book is my last resort. I instantaneously consult Google, and if Google gives me a funky answer, I continue manipulating and searching until I find what I believe to be a right answer. Forget the phone book.

Another great thing about the internet: online word processors. If I need to write up a quick document and print or finish it elsewhere, I simply use one of them and login elsewhere. No need to get out the thumb-drive.

I don't buy newspapers. I keep an eye on Twitter or visit the newspaper's website.

I don't consult my cookbooks as often as I should. If I type it into my Google toolbar, I can have instant gratification! Well, almost...

I no longer go to the store and put in an order to develop photographs. I upload them online and just pick them up when I feel like it.

And as a future teacher, I feel like the world is at my fingertips. Will there be a need for endless shelves of books? Or just a select few?

This prompt makes me question what my life would be like if I had experienced my "prime years" without the internet. It's an intriguing thought...