I feel the same. I think the sweet spot in technological usage for me is what it was like when I grew up in the 90's. I had Internet, computers and games, but they never took over the IRL aspects of life. Parents set boundaries so it was normal to just sit idle looking out the window, reading books and playing outside. I have succeeded sometimes to find that balance and it's weird what sense of relief and peace it gives. I don't feel the usual stress or overstimulation in my mind and it feels once again exciting and fulfilling to do simple small things that requires my focus. It's like I finally give my brain time to calmly digest something.
Good thoughts... and echo much of my experiences and successes with the role technology plays in my life. "
I think the sweet spot in technological usage for me is what it was like when I grew up in the 90's." sums it up... but for me, that point in time is somewhere between the 60's and 70's.
I'm a "
digital immigrant" (as opposed to a digital native)... I was born before technology fully enveloped life. In 1976 I had my first experience with personal computers and began my journey as a software developer. Since then, computers (and tech in general) have played a significant role in my life... but never a central one.
It wasn't until 2001 that I bought my first cellphone. To this day, I treat my smartphones basically no differently than how I used the old wall-mounted phone in the kitchen. When I'm at home, my phone sits on my desk in my office. When it rings, I make my way over to it. If I pick it up in time, great... if not, there's caller ID and there's voicemail... neither of which were available with that wall-mounted kitchen phone.
Tech companies (it's not just Apple) today want customers to have their products be the central hub of their lives. I have made a conscious effort to not fall into that trap. But they do make a convincing case for convenience and connecting the various elements of life.
For digital natives who want to break the cycle of hyper-connectedness and put technology in a more healthy perspective, I would encourage them to transition away from all-in-1, general-purpose devices and toward more specialized devices.
For example, rather than have a flagship smartphone that can replace 20 devices, get a more basic but capable phone and dedicated devices for the other tasks. I primarily use my smartphone for phone calls, texts, and navigation. That's it. Sure, I'll check out the news if I'm standing in a checkout line, but I don't live on my phone.
By diversifying devices, the person themselves becomes the hub of their lives and must make the conscious decision to do "A" or try out "B"... rather than respond to "suggestions" and "recommendations" made by social media apps.
I have a lot more to say on the topic, but I'll leave it at this for now.
