Ew, technology.
Grandma here is finally accepting it: I guess technology isn't as evil as I thought.
I’ve notoriously resisted the flashy new things. New social media platforms, new Apple gadgets, the latest and greatest way to do x, y, z. I historically let things ride out for a while. I’ll let others be the guinea pigs and potentially waste their time and money before I consider investing in the next big thing.
I guess I’d consider myself a tech minimalist in that way. I still have an iPhone and use Google maps, but I avoid texting and rarely post on Instagram.
In recent months even, I began to look into ways I could reduce my tech use even further. I bought a kitchen timer, I went shopping for an old-school alarm clock, bought more physical books than audiobooks, and when I wanted to play music, I tried reaching for a vinyl instead of Spotify. My sister even bought me an Alexa last Christmas and I told her: “I’m not comfortable with this. I’m looking for ways to engage with less technology in my everyday life. Using an Alexa would be going in the opposite direction of where I’m trying to go.”
To my surprise, however, my relationship to technology is slowly changing.
I've been undergoing a career-building program that’s prompted me to learn tech tools and software that I would’ve previously scoffed at. I went from barely using the calendar app on my phone to:
Using Asana as my daily task management system
Religiously referring to Google Calendar to keep my time blocks in order
Using Evernote throughout the day to capture thoughts, take notes, and essentially become my “second brain”
Downloading Otter to transcribe my external processing
Adopting the Inbox Zero method
Recording video demonstrations
Sharing my work on social media
Using Zoom on a consistent basis
Weeks of projects that incorporated these applications have brought me begrudgingly to this conclusion:
Utilizing technology creates more opportunity to engage humanity.
My resistance to technology has long been because I believed it is a cold and inauthentic means of connection. While I still believe nothing can replace face-to-face interaction, I see now how tools and software can alleviate the burden of completing manual tasks and make space for humans to engage in more human things. And I guess that was the point all along, but I just wanted to be a hater.
I saw this most with my task management tool. Without it, I know I wouldn’t have been able to keep my workload straight in my own power. With a chaotic workflow, my free time would’ve gone down the tubes, leaving me no time left over to see friends, garden, or play music—all the human, tech-free things I enjoy most.
So perhaps there’s a balance for both. While you probably won’t see me sporting an Apple watch and driving a Tesla any time soon, I’m beginning to see and accept the value and the intent of ethical technology use.