by Dionne Mahaffey

Created on: June 11, 2009

Has society become obsessed with media-driven entertainment? You're seeing this on a screen right now, but are you obsessed with reading it?

Can you live without your laptop or BlackBerrry? (One Chicago hotel will help you with the latter, by the way: It provides a special check-in for your handheld companion, keeping it locked away during your stay, so you can truly disconnect and relax.)

There's no doubt society has become saturated with media-driven entertainment choices and devices. But has it really become obsessed? If so, why are there no posh rehab centers where we can wean ourselves from the irresistible compulsion to watch, listen and play?

Though I'm slightly conflicted and do confess to surrendering my BlackBerry - I think most people can be trusted to set their own reasonable limits for media consumption. And while the cascade of info-tainment has become undeniably commonplace, I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing.

Here's how I see it. Trendwatching.com, a Netherlands-based consultancy that monitors and interprets society's consumption habits calls media-driven entertainment society's oxygen. Meaning it's become essential, something we need and expect, but not something we spend every waking moment obsessing about. It enables and enlightens.

But regarding it as a kind of mind-control menace is just, well, plain silly. Come on Should we really fear our flat-screens?

Media-driven entertainment is progress. And it will become even more tailored to our personal needs and interests as mass media continues to fracture into smaller and more specialized niches, further sparking our curiosity and creativity.

And it can have tangible physical benefits. While I'm not a fan of online video games, a noted recent study showed that doctors who had played them demonstrated far greater agility during surgery than those who had not.

Now I'm not so nave to think that hours of slack-jawed, glassy-eyed clicking and viewing of reality TV, Youtube videos and force-fed, ride-along advertising messages can't have a detrimental effect.

I just think most of us are more sophisticated than to watch just because we can. If anything, the plethora of choices has made us more discerning.

I do think media-driven entertainment is responsible for some rude, tantrum-like outbursts when the expectation of instant gratification fails to be instant enough. But I feel a positive backlash is brewing.

Now that constant access to nearly everything is the norm, it's just a matter of time before we all embrace the new novelty of silence, serenity and back-to-basics pursuits.

Look for camping to grow in popularity. And for other no-frills retreats to gain bookings. We'll be seeking a break from our devices and the always-on flow of sights, sounds and sensations coming from our screens.

So I'll be taking my BlackBerry to Yosemite, but it'll be turned off. I promise.

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