I’m on a quest for a more peaceful relationship with technology

I’ve been a technology nerd most of my life. I remember my family getting their first Gateway computer, and that was a total game-changer for me. I figured out everything I could about that computer and, of course, ended up on Napster quite quickly, ripping CDs for people at school.

Even before that, I remember being banned from the school library for continuously using up all of the color printer ink. I was printing a ton of pages of Star Wars characters to hang up in my room. Needless to say, I was not cool.

The obsession with technology has lasted a lifetime. From my first iPod to my latest iPhone and a plethora of technological devices, apps, and services over the years, I’ve always been an early adopter. However, after almost 30 years of using device after device and service after service, my relationship with technology needs to change.

Technology has turned into a distraction machine

Don’t get me wrong — I still want a relationship with technology. I’m always going to be a tech nerd. I’m still much more of a nerd than most (see writing for two technology websites). However, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten tired of the endless barrage of every new gadget or every new app. Social media is even worse — being a person on the internet requires you to maintain your existence across at least three or more networks at this point.

If you’re all in, you might have Facebook, Instagram, Threads, X (formerly known as Twitter), Reddit, LinkedIn, Snapchat, TikTok, YouTube, Mastodon, and BlueSky. And, you might debate yourself on what social media app you should post what — or spam across everything. Then, there’s everything else you got going on with your phone. From a deluge of apps that you rarely use to a tidal wave of notifications coming through, you can be constantly overwhelmed and interrupted.