Is technology ruining us?

As I write this piece I am typing on a ZenBook laptop, wearing my wireless Sony headphones which are playing my favourite YouTube Music playlists, whilst an Amazon firestick streams a movie nominated for an Oscar this year on my dumb TV in the background. My Samsung smart watch tells me there are no new messages on my countless Whatsapp group chats. Its not even 8am. Is tech taking over our lives?

I’ve already caught up with all overnight messages, scanned the news headlines for any wars that may have started in the few hours I managed to sleep whilst disconnected from my tech (although my watch and phone stay on overnight whilst they too charge themselves – you know, just in case there’s an emergency). I’ve logged onto Instagram to check my social media feeds for any new videos of puppies falling over or tennis videos of the latest forehand winner on the ATP circuit (my IG feed is pretty limited as you can probably tell). There’s nothing particularly interesting on facebook apart from the odd family pic upload – cue instant like and comment. I will ask Alexa to tell me about the weather and day ahead in a moment, so I feel I have someone to talk to, and also that she has something to do other than listen to me all day. Without my tech to entertain or distract me, I feel pretty lost. Is it normal?

I’m sure most people reading this will answer no – you need to get a life (yes I remember being told that one time). I’m also sure there are other people out there who brush their teeth because their Bluetooth enabled toothbrush tells them to, then have their coffee machine make the perfect cup of coffee at exactly the right programmed moment. You could argue our tech controls us, rather than us controlling it. I know I’ve certainly felt that when plugged into my YT playlists, listening and feeling what the algorithm tells me to.

Of course we can program our tech to interrupt us only as much as we want by looking at the notification settings (I’m constantly switching apps off as I don’t like to be disturbed by unimportant distractions). We can even ask Alexa to delete everything she has heard in a certain time period (although I’m not sure who is paranoid enough to do this on a regular basis?). Modern technology is great at fitting seamlessly into our lives – after all the best tech designers want you to use then depend on their technology as much as possible. However they also want to sell you more, and so there is sometimes a built in obsolescence rendering old tech useless (one great example within my family is the newer Nespresso Vertuo machines which use a completely different capsule system to the old ones, meaning we cannot swap and exchange different coffee flavours between ourselves – trying new food and flavour is very important to us).

I read an article in the FT Weekend some time ago (yes I paid for the printed version for a change) about how difficult it is to recycle old tech. The article highlighted what to do with old wireless earbuds that no longer charged up. No one can fix them (the casing is glued together to keep moisture out, making it difficult to open without destroying it) and no one seems interested in recycling them (including the manufacturer who I won’t name and shame as I buy a lot of their products and don’t want to be put on some kind of blacklist). My own example is an old Kindle Fire tablet that refuses to charge and therefore cannot be passed onto someone or sold on. I would be happy to donate such tech but not if it simply doesn’t work.

The collective environmental damage of all our tech and devices is not insignificant. The UK alone is currently hoarding 527 million small electricals, including unwanted kettles and toasters as well as redundant technology devices. That equates to 19 per household, including their chargers (at home we have an entire drawerful of leads that charge devices that were probably binned years ago). People simply don’t seem to know what to do with them sustainably.

The article points out that last year the UK started requiring major electrical retailers to take back similar products, regardless of whether the consumer bought anything. Why isn’t this being advertised more, especially by manufacturers who are under ever increasing pressure from both consumers and markets/governments to be seen as ‘green’?

I’m not sure what the answer is as to whether tech is raising our game or slowly ruining us and the planet. There are countless other factors I haven’t even addressed, like the effect of blue light, emitted from most devices, on melatonin production, the chemical that aids sleep. Or the effect of constantly being plugged into social media on real life connection, which is a central pillar of humankind.

I invite you to weigh in and provide your own opinions on whether you could do without your tech, and whether or not we would ultimately be happier? I’ll be thinking about this as I head to the new Samsung flagship store and home of the largest curved screen in Europe, as featured on The Apprentice this week to think on this one a bit more.

Happy teching.