A funny thing happened when I was discussing with my parents what I wanted for Christmas.

My dad asked me if I wanted a new smartphone.

I shrugged. Being the avid reader I am, my mom then asked if I wanted a Kindle or Nook.

There was a long, awkward silence.

My little brother, Cody, is the poster child for the newest “device.” Whatever they have, he wants it. I, on the other hand, have always been somewhat cautious.

Some of my favorite movies came out between 1989-1991. They are full of outdated technological references.

The parts that makes me chuckle are when a device — which is now archaic — is touted as revolutionary and the “way of the future.”

For example, in “Die Hard 2” there is a small subplot about the hero, John McClane, “getting with the times” by using a beeper and fax machine.

Poor John McClane. If only he had known in 10 years only doctors would carry beepers around or use fax machines.

In “Home Alone,” the burglars include VCRs among coveted items to steal, like stereos, TVs and jewelry.

Now the only way a VCR would be worth anything is if they held onto to it for another 120 years.

The debate over to buy or not buy things like a smartphone probably won’t last for very long before a new gadget comes along and renders it obsolete.

I remember when DVDs first came out. Everyone eventually had to buy six versions of the same movie, only to decide whether to buy the BluRay or HD version and start all over again until Disney ended it.

As much as I try to keep up with what’s current, some things just don’t appeal to me personally.

No matter how someone tries to promote Kindles, reading “Anna Karenina” on a small electronic device just isn’t the same as holding an old fashioned copy.

(Editor’s Note: Apparently TJ’s parents interpreted his shrug in response to wanting an e-reader as a, “Yes, I would love one of those.” He got a Kindle for Christmas and he admits that he likes it. Kris Hill finds this hilarious.)

But it’s also like Harry Potter. It’s not the product that annoys me so much as it is people who are so unabashedly in your face about how much they love it.

Someone I know whips out his phone every time someone has a question and looks the answer up on the Internet as a way to seem cool. Or show he couldn’t tie his shoes without looking up how to do it on his phone.

And don’t get me started on texting.

Right now Alexander Graham Bell is rolling over in his grave while Samuel Morse is laughing at the sheer irony that technology has reverted back to his method of nonverbal communication.

I understand how convenient it can be in lieu of a phone conversation, but is it too much to ask a friend to not text their semi-unofficial girlfriend in the other room every five seconds while you’re watching a movie?

I’ve been told to get an iPod, but I have remained loyal to my MP3 player through thick and thin. Just duct tape an iPod to a cell phone.

I keep up as technology improves, but, at a staggered pace. I don’t like to be the proverbial guinea pig that has to try out every new thing, only to realize it was a bigger waste of money than a pet rock. Buying the latest “thing” can turn out as well as investing in a dot com company in 1999.

Yes, a lot of the time cool stuff like the Wii comes out — even if the name was probably proposed by a drunken executive.

But anyone who kept up with the video game industry between 1983 and 2005 knows the latest console is not all that great sometimes.

So if all you have some distance between your personal life and technology, don’t fret.

When you are inevitably deprived of your cell phone for a temporary amount of time, your life won’t come to an end, and you won’t have to worry about updating your Facebook status so everyone knows it.