Like any other 16-year-old, I have a mobile, which is essential to the smooth running of my life. It wakes me up, tells me the time, plays me music — it even makes calls so I can be picked up from the station. Without it my life would be blander and quieter but, perhaps, less expensive.

But if my Nokia 7610 is a portable lifeline, then the real centre of my technological universe is my computer. The computer in my room is vital for contact with friends via instant messaging, receiving and sending e-mails, downloading music, doing homework and, of course, its main use, procrastination. I watch films on it, listen to music and the radio and surf the net. Its uses and capabilities are endless.

So, if I had the money, a laptop would be high on my technological wish list. This is forever growing with the release of new products. A video iPod and DAB digital radio are also near the top of the list.

After researching MP3 players for months, I recently bought an iPod shuffle — a fantastic little player that plays music and Podcasts. It is incredibly small — about the size of a stick of chewing gum. Unfortunately, it was a little bit too small and it soon went the same way as my old mobile and fell out of my trouser pocket.

It was only after I lost the iPod that it occurred to me just how much I had listened to it and how much it had improved my day. Now I am saving up to buy an iPod Nano — the video iPod is a bit too expensive. This time I will keep it in my jacket pocket.

Meanwhile, I make do with a portable radio — there isn’t one on my phone.The radio is also extremely important to me. Whether I’m in the car, in my room doing homework, or cooking, it’s always switched on. But it is not just music that enhances my life. Television entertains and informs me like almost no other device. If I had the cash, a huge plasma TV would be pretty cool. It would also work well with my PS2 Mini — a fantastic gadget, which is about the size of a DVD case. It plays amazing games which keep me entertained for hours. Or, at least, until I realise I haven’t checked my e-mails for half an hour, or my mobile bleeps to tell me I have a text message.

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