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Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

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Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#51

Post by buildsjets »

bdcravens wrote: post #32
danielbln wrote: post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

While I agree with the general sentiment of over-use of smartphones and useless apps, someone who won't use their phone because someone scribbled something about not doing work on certain days on some parchment six thousand years ago is not someone we should cater to. To each their own delusions.

Additionally, varying interpretations would say you shouldn't use the lights, elevators, etc, so modern living in any manner may be incompatible with orthodoxy.

Many modern appliances come with a "Sabbath Mode" which allows observant users to schedule their operation in advance of the Sabbath. For example, many ovens can be pre-programmed to turn on before the Sabbath and turn off sometime during the Sabbath, as well disable their automatic door-lights, to allow the users to comply with the ancient restriction of not starting a fire on the Sabbath.

Similarly, observant users may use artificial light, they just may not turn it on or off. So there are Sabbath lamps where the bulb remains lit but a shade can be lowered to block out the light.

Are these modern cheats to allow observant users to benefit from the convenience of technology while ignoring the tenets of their faith? I'm no reliogiologist, but if these are cheats, they are ancient ones, not modern ones. For example in past times, people would cook before the sabbath then leave the food on a warm hearth with insulation for later consumption.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#52

Post by ninetyninenine »

Aurornis wrote: post #43
ninetyninenine wrote: post #2

I don't have a problem with technology. I have a problem with technology trends that are irrational. For example the smart phone. A physical button or even alexa is easier to turn off the lights. A smart phone menu is just stupid. I want to decouple stupidity away from technology. That's not possible though. Most places where I worked... just a exploring the code for a couple minutes I encounter something stupid. So…

> For example the smart phone. A physical button or even alexa is easier to turn off the lights. These aren’t mutually exclusive. I usually press the physical button for my lights but it’s great to be able to pull out my smartphone and turn off lights across the house, or even in the same room if I’m doing something like holding a baby who is falling asleep. Putting the common light controls on easily accessible phon…

>This is a deeply cynical and unhappy way to navigate life.

And deeply true. Here’s the thing I feel a lot of people think happiness is all that matters. What about truth and reality?

My claim is that stupidity being intrinsic to humanity is fucking absolutely true. It has nothing to do with cynicism. I’m baffled at how people don’t even argue the veracity of the claim they just claim it’s “unhappy” as if being delusional is the better alternative.

> I think people who get irrationally angry at the ability to control things from a phone are missing out at this point. You don’t have to use it or buy it, but I’ve derived a lot of value from it.

I work at a place where there are no keys. To unlock a door you have to use your smart phone. Imagine if they did that for lights. I rent an apartment with no physical switches and they force you to use your smart phone. Infuriating. I think if you were rational you would know I’m talking about smart phones in place of physical switches not smart phones paired in addition to physical switches in situations where you have no choice to use it.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#53

Post by ninetyninenine »

bongodongobob wrote: post #36
ninetyninenine wrote: post #2

I don't have a problem with technology. I have a problem with technology trends that are irrational. For example the smart phone. A physical button or even alexa is easier to turn off the lights. A smart phone menu is just stupid. I want to decouple stupidity away from technology. That's not possible though. Most places where I worked... just a exploring the code for a couple minutes I encounter something stupid. So…

I can still use light switches to turn off my lights. I can also turn them all on or off at once, change the brightness, color, and temperature. Smart light are great, I'm sorry they confuse you.

I just tell Alexa or Google home to do set the temperature and change the color. Superior technology less hassle.

It has nothing to do with me not being able to set it up. It more has to do with the stupidity of the user interface of pulling my phone out of my fucking pocket, navigating to the app, navigating to the menu and picking the lights and the color and flipping it.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#54

Post by Aurornis »

aeblyve wrote: post #14

I feel that this is a basically reactionary perspective, despite the author's assertion that it is not. Doomscrolling, like drug addiction, is largely the product of the holistic social-biological environment of the actor. People generally do not intentionally throw away stimulating, happy, healthy lives to become destitute drug addicts, and a comparison of opening a parking payment application to being offered alcoh…

> People generally do not intentionally throw away stimulating, happy, healthy lives to become destitute drug addicts

It’s true that people don’t intentionally become destitute drug addicts.

However, it’s completely false to claim that people wouldn’t get addicted to drugs if they had stimulating, happy lives.

A very common entry point to drug addiction in modern life is when people are having a great time in life, doing well enough to afford large amounts of drugs, and feeling invincible because so many things in their life are going their way. People willing experiment with drugs for fun, which can quickly turn into a habit and a cycle.

I don’t know where this myth comes from that drug addicts are a product of their environment, not their own actions. When one of my friends was in rehab (fully recovered now for many years, thankfully) one of their rules was that people had to accept responsibility for their choices and actions in getting involved with drugs. Apparently it was common for people and their families and friends to generate a lot of “not your fault” excuses to absolve them of any responsibility for getting involved with drugs: Blaming peer pressure, a breakup, a bad job, a tragedy. This made people temporarily feel less guilt, but it also allowed them to avoid addressing their own behaviors and actions. Their theory was that entirely externalizing the drug addiction and turning the patient into a 100% pure victim just opens the door to relapse when those circumstances happen again, because it teaches them that it’s not their fault and out of their control anyway.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#55

Post by buttercraft »

the_snooze wrote: post #31
yoyohello13 wrote: post #8

I recently won a water bottle in a raffle. It looked nice, stainless steel, big (probably 2 liters). When I unwrapped it, I saw a QR code that said "Instructions." Weird, why would I need instructions for a water bottle? Then I saw a large rubber plug in the bottom. I realized with horror, it's a bluetooth enabled heating/cooling element controlled by an app I'm supposed to download. The heating element is huge, take…

>1. Needs power. 2. Needs an app. 3. Has less water capacity. It's like someone looked at The Homer [1] and thought "that's solid engineering sensibility." [1] https://simpsons.fandom.com/wiki/The_Homer

It was the rack and peanut steering that sold me on it.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#56

Post by ninetyninenine »

AlexandrB wrote: post #26
ninetyninenine wrote: post #2

I don't have a problem with technology. I have a problem with technology trends that are irrational. For example the smart phone. A physical button or even alexa is easier to turn off the lights. A smart phone menu is just stupid. I want to decouple stupidity away from technology. That's not possible though. Most places where I worked... just a exploring the code for a couple minutes I encounter something stupid. So…

Strong disagree on Alexa. Maybe it's the way I talk, but I find voice assistants wildly inconsistent. There's nothing more frustrating than having to repeat yourself to a robot. Maybe AI will improve the situation in the next few years, but I'm not convinced.

Agreed. But repeating your self is an unintentional artifact. when it works it’s beautiful.

The phone app is just annoying by design.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#57

Post by inetknght »

ToucanLoucan wrote: post #40
sejje wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's gotta be someone else's job! --everyone

I mean yeah but if you clean it, they won't think that. And if you mention you cleaned it, they'd be more inclined to do it in the future. And, worse case scenario, you spend like 5 minutes occasionally doing it and now have access to a clean microwave, without needing to buy more e-waste and encouraging the production of cheap, stupid things like a water bottle with a heater in it.

> if you mention you cleaned it, they'd be more inclined to do it in the future

Alternatively, if you mention you cleaned it, they'd be more inclined to say that you're the one who cleans it.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#59

Post by bluGill »

ToucanLoucan wrote: post #23
ryandrake wrote: post #3

Maybe this is a privileged outlook, but I've decided that each piece of technology needs to earn its place in my life, and I'm going to use it deliberately for a specific purpose, if I deem it to be worthy. The smartphone has not earned it yet. Im not going to live in an apartment that requires a smartphone to get into the door. That may involve me making sacrifices, I don't care. You have to draw a line somewhere. I…

The big differentiator for me is "Does this use of technology solve a problem?" I do have a smartphone, FWIW, but it's a tool. And granted, one of it's uses is to kill spare minutes while I'm waiting for someone in a car, or riding public transport somewhere, but that is a choice. I am consciously choosing to partake in social media as a distraction because I have nothing else going on. In response to your examples h…

My phone doesn't have the space that a paper menu does. If I know what I want the QR menu works well, but if I'm trying to decide a menu works much better for comparing the options.

Re: Should We Decouple Technology from Everyday Life?

#60

Post by gonesurfing »

ryandrake wrote: post #3

Maybe this is a privileged outlook, but I've decided that each piece of technology needs to earn its place in my life, and I'm going to use it deliberately for a specific purpose, if I deem it to be worthy. The smartphone has not earned it yet. Im not going to live in an apartment that requires a smartphone to get into the door. That may involve me making sacrifices, I don't care. You have to draw a line somewhere. I…

This sounds very similar to the approach prescribed in the book Digital Minimalism. I just finished it and can’t wait to join you with a somewhat similar approach!
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