Top 3 most hated inventions

We hate them. But we need them. They drive us nuts. But we can't live without them. We are talking about the top three most hated inventions that we absolutely have to have, which are:

1. Cell phones
2. Alarm clocks
3. Television

That's the word from the annual Massachusetts Institute of Technology survey, known as the Lemelson-MIT Invention Index. Fully 30 percent of the 1,023 adults and 500 teenagers polled in this annual survey cited cell phones as the most hated, must-have invention, which placed it in the top spot. Alarm clocks followed closely at 25 percent, with television at 23 percent. (What? You don't like reality shows?)

Other hated, but must-have inventions:

Shaving razors
Microwave ovens
Coffee pots
Computers
Vacuum cleaners

So what is this love-hate relationship we have with our cell phones? "The interconnectedness you get from the cell phone is a very positive thing, and I think that's one of the most important things, the bringing together of people. The downside of that is that you sometimes want to be alone," said Lemelson Center Director Merton C. Flemings. The Lemelson-MIT Program is a non-profit organization that celebrates inventors and inventions. What inventions make our lives easier? Teens overwhelmingly said e-mail and voicemail, while more than half of the adults cited credit cards and debit cards.

We do agree on one thing. Almost all of us--95 percent--say inventions have improved the quality of our lives.