The future of tech makes me want to go back in time.

[xoagray]

i've noticed myself reaching backwards a lot lately.  Like reaching back for things from a simpler or more desirable to me period of time.  As if to try and hold on to some things from the past because I don't like where their modern counterparts are going anymore.  I've watched tech for example go from something where I was always looking forward with anticipation to it's advances, to where I fear every new update or release will bring some new enshitification.  Or remove a feature or function that I rely on. 

And then there's the ever increasing data collection that has become just rampant now.  My smartphone and smartwatch feel more like tracking devices than tools that serve me half the time anymore. I find myself avoiding them just to get away from the feeling of being constantly monitored.  It makes me want to go back to a simple flip phone and a PDA.  Sometimes I go straight past that and just use a pad and pen, forgoing any electronic solution entirely. 

Nostalgia is also part of it.  That's why I've started shooting film cameras again.  There's just something about the feel of it, it's like typing a letter on a typewriter instead of sending an email, it just feels more visceral, more real.  I've heard talk of an analog renaissance, and i guess it's fair to say I'm part of it.  For a multitude of reasons, I've leaned back into the analog world.  And I find after decades of being into tech and living in the digital world, I'm really the most happy there. 

Comments

[colinstu]

There's a reason I went from a 2017 car to a year 2000 car.

There's a reason I went from no watch (and using smartphone for time) to wearing a mechanical wrist watch.

There's a reason I've been deleting so many apps and platforms from my life.

There's a reason I've invested into 35mm film camera stuff and have stocked up on film awhile ago. (tho I should get the final things needed to self-develop too so I don't even have to depend on others for that).

There's a reason I've only been replacing clothing and fabrics (everything full of synthetics) with things made out of 100% pure cotton/wool/linen.

There's a reason why almost all of my cookware is cast iron now.

There's a reason why I have IBM Selectrics (tho I am a geek too. And I need them serviced again.)

Shit all peaked awhile ago and it's all been downhill from there. Just the next grifter trying to find new ways to grift. So many problems have simply been solved / perfected ... long ago. No longer let the allure of "new" and "shiny" to prioritize what really matters.

I detest consumerism. I wish everything was easy to repair and EVERYONE was onboard with it.

I could go so much deeper into all of these but it feels like it'd be screaming into a void. I guess I really should just say something.

[xoagray]

Honestly, I'm with you on most of this.

I have an Apple Watch, but right now I'm wearing my Seiko 5.

I actually just the other day got the last thing I needed to develop and scan my own film, at least the 35mm, I still need to get or make spools for 110mm.

I've been dumping platforms that I don't like out of my life now for a while, like Google, Facebook, and more recently Discord.
I drive a car from 2019, but refuse to use any of the online features of it or the companion app. And looking at new cars I have no interest in them at all.

And I have a little collection of typewriters, my favorites are my SCM electrics, but I've got a couple nice manuals as well. I've kinda' wanted to get a Selectric for a while, specifically a model 1 that used regular ribbons instead of throw away cartridges.

And I agree, We hit a peak as far as things getting better, now every step forward is two steps back. At some point we turned a corner where it feels like new things stopped being made to make people's lives better, and all that mattered from there on out was profit. I just can't get into that.

Yes ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

>>i've noticed myself reaching backwards a lot lately.<<

I've had that problem all along. This society was never a good fit for me, and is getting rapidly worse. Technology is evolving away from what I can use at all.

So I'm deeply grateful for the Amish community just north of here, where I can still buy stuff that will work for more than 2 weeks before wearing out, and doesn't have an unusable amount of bells and whistles.

>> And then there's the ever increasing data collection that has become just rampant now. <<

You can either have privacy or participate in society, never both. You can either have privacy or health care, never both. So yes, it makes me want to avoid the creepy people.

>>Sometimes I go straight past that and just use a pad and pen, forgoing any electronic solution entirely. <<

<3 Secure on paper only.

>>I've heard talk of an analog renaissance, and i guess it's fair to say I'm part of it. <<

A manual typewriter can't be hacked.

Re: Yes ...

[xoagray]

>>Amish

I used to live near the Amish back home in NY, I hear ya' there.

>>Privacy

And even if you do get some modicum of privacy nowadays, it's looked at like you're doing something wrong. I sometimes just want to move out into the woods and build a cabin and live out there. I can't, but the thought is sometimes very appealing.

>>Paper

More so than in the cloud, that's for sure.

>>Typewriter

They're pretty much the ideal way to write. No popups, no ads, no distractions. Just you and your thoughts and the keys. I love my typewriters. And as you said, no one is stealing my data from one,which is a very nice bonus. :)