On the "Tech Bus" - Are you a rider or a driver?

Wired News editor Tony Long writes about the Dark Underbelly of Technology in a recent column.

The blind worship of technology makes me very cranky, indeed. At heart, I'm a wick-and-tallow man, although I freely concede that technological advances have achieved some great things. You can kill your enemy without ever laying eyes on him. You can consume, consume, consume to your heart's delight. You can have a dog without actually taking the responsibility of owning one. You can infect other people's computers with viruses. You can burn a hole in your corneas and drain the color from your flesh by playing video games for a hundred hours every week. And you can blog because everything you say is so interesting it should be shared with everyone. (OUCH)

I can't go all the way with Tony's endorsement of a luddite existence, but his piece did provoke me to wander into an area of thought I'd not been in some time.

Question:

Do we drive technology? Or, are we driven by technology?

Don't be too quick with your answer. Jumping to a conclusion too soon will ruin any chance you have of REALLY enjoying the mental calisthenics this poses?