Is anyone else a bit of a Luddite when it comes to modern tech (both hardware and social media etc)

[motley]

I can and do go whole days without looking at my phone, which I was upset at having to spend a whopping $100 on (but now realize was a good deal). I have some apps that came with and never use. I added exactly one (Mapquest for GPS purposes). I occasionally use the phone to call someone (remember that?), occasionally a text, that's it. I never look at it when in a social situation like out with friends and frankly find it rude when others do.

My laptop is rather modest, maybe even low end by today's standards, and I don't care because it's enough.

I don't have an i-anything.

I spend very little time on Facebook, mostly to see if anyone posted anything interesting like pics etc. I almost never post. I don't have accounts for any other social media unless you count LinkedIn for career purposes, which I will totally ignore when I retire (and mostly do now). I do browse the net at night sometimes (like this site, a few others like news or sports).

I am not subscribed to any streaming service.

And my career has been in I.T.

Anyone else? Humbug I say. To each their own but I never got the obsessions, esp with checking one's cell phone 100 times a day.

 

[rk911]

Our iphones/ipad/win10 desktop/win11laptop/MS outlook email all share a common calendar. I use Quicken to manage/track our accounts. The only social media I use is X. A bit of word processing (MS Word 2007 ), spreadsheets (MS Excel 2007) and e-mail (MS Outlook 2007). Pretty simple needs.

 

[motley]

I was thinking more of socially, but yeah I use MS-Office type stuff (not MS but Libre Office) for some basic personal use like spreadsheets for personal finance etc. I have my personal email open 24/7 and check it maybe a time or two during the day, esp if I'm expecting something. And I do a little online shopping.

 

[rk911]

Socially? Just X and that's maybe 15-min per day, occasionally a bit more. With all the forums I belong to.. amateur radio, flying, RVing, here, Windows Support and a few others I spend more time on e-mail than anything else.

 

[Texas Proud]

I do not have an I anything either... but DW and DD have many...

My cell is for emergencies... I posted on another thread how I was laughed at when someone said they tried to get in touch with me and I said the problem is you called my cell... not my land line... nobody else seemed to have a land line...

I do not use Facebook... I did open an account when it first came out but stopped looking as I did not care... I do look at this site often though when I get on my computer to surf the web... no other social media either...

 

[motley]

I do not have an I anything either... but DW and DD have many...

My cell is for emergencies... I posted on another thread how I was laughed at when someone said they tried to get in touch with me and I said the problem is you called my cell... not my land line... nobody else seemed to have a land line...

I confess I haven't had a land line for many years either; with a cell it seems an extra pointless cost for me.

 

[Keim]

I'd say iam when it comes to vehicles. I want real gauges and very few options. In fact, my daily driver is a 93 f150.

And probably most household stuff. Don't desire any smart home stuff. Intentionally seek appliances with minimal electronics. I prefer a newspaper and books for my pleasure reading.

I DO spend way to much time on my computer and phone.

Christ, I sound like a 100y.o. Gen Xer.

 

[motley]

And probably most household stuff. Don't desire any smart home stuff.

Yeah I find the whole concept mostly pointless if not bizarro. I don't need a coffee maker which is tied into a "the cloud" and announces the daily news or weather while it brews my coffee, or whatever. Just turn on, make my cup of coffee, and turn off.

 

[Surewhitey]

I've slowed my roll on social media except here. Never got Instagram. Never look at Facebook anymore. Yep we're getting old.

I buck buying stuff to the point of my tablet not being compatible with apps like Vanguard and United Air. It's ~7 years old now... I like new & faster tech, but it's less noticeable (performance) now vs 2010 model improvements.

Still driving the 2012 swagger wagon too...

 

[target2019]

I'm not as techy as I once was. But the home needs a sysadmin computer guy, and I still enjoy tinkering. I have less than a dozen smart devices. Bird feeder sends me snaps and video throughout the day. A couple of Google Mini's play dinner music. Smart plugs turn a handful of lamps on and off.

I'm working with AI in genealogy research. Just zoomed with a fellow researcher for 2 hours.

Wife attended a funeral service through zoom yesterday.

We have a 4-way channel with our kids on telegram.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I don't need a coffee maker which is tied into a "the cloud" and announces the daily news or weather while it brews my coffee, or whatever. Just turn on, make my cup of coffee, and turn off.

Yes, a smart coffee maker seems a bit too much. While it might be cool to say "Alexa, make a pot of coffee", someone has to physically put the grounds and the water into the machine ahead of time.

But there are a lot of things that people said they didn't need or didn't want and now are standard "must have" items. I'm thinking about dishwashers, garbage disposals, garage door openers just for starters. There are a lot of things you say you don't need until you get them. I didn't need no stinkin' smart thermostat until I got one. Now I can't imagine not having it. Just the ability to stealthily change the temperature from the basement without the wife knowing it is gratifying. I never had a heated steering wheel before, now I'll never get another vehicle without it. Same thing with remote start.

There are a lot of Luddites on this site. I'll never understand the animosity to smart phones that many have here. It's a tool. It can be a real timesaver. The GPS function alone would make it worthwhile to likely most of the people that drive, (well those that drive more than 10 miles from their home.)

With the addition of AI to smartphones (oh, yes!) I bet a lot of the holdouts will want to climb on board the smart phone train.

 

[aja8888]

I have an iphone and Apple watch for fall detection.

I use the phone for communication (text, calls). My phone does not get used for internet stuff.

I have a Chromebook for THIS PLACE, accessing financial accounts, and emails. The CB never leaves the house and I use very strong passwords.

I have a FB account but never go there.

X is not in my wheelhouse.

I have a Moto G phone as an Xtra (is on DW's (deceased) plan). Yeah, I can't dump it yet.

For driving trip (long distance (500 - 4,000 miles), I use my Garmin (I love the thing).

No smart devices in the house. I live alone and my dog is OK with the temperature setting.

I like tech, but use it sparingly and don't give a darn about social media. I don't need to show everyone what I am having for lunch.

 

[Lorenzo]

And my career has been in I.T.

I think we're long-lost brothers. I sort of inadvertently wandered into that thread on Linux because I was stunned that people who did this all their working lives still seem to enjoy tinkering with computer technology in retirement. My career left me hating technology. Sort of.

I don't do social media, other than a couple of discussion forums like this one, where I can type in complete sentences. Connecting with others through content that is mostly in the form of images (not to mention memes) makes me uncomfortable. I like words.

But I'm not truly a Luddite. I have a desktop computer, though no laptop currently, and I use some smartphone apps to do useful tasks but nothing for "entertainment." I watch maybe an hour of TV per day, mostly news but occasionally I'll watch a documentary or even stream a Netflix series. Now that I do not have to deal with technology for a living, and I have the time to live in the real world, the real world can provide more than enough entertainment.

There was a line in the book Soul of a New Machine, Tracy Kidder's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1981 book about computer engineers at Data General tasked with designing a cutting-edge minicomputer in a year. When they had at last succeeded, and completely exhausted and fed up with diagnosing problems based on nanosecond timing, one of the engineers said he was moving to Vermont where he would deal with no unit of time shorter than a season.

 

[Souschef]

My DW had a trauma when her 1998 Caddy (POS) died. She bought a 2017 Mazda which in comparison, was a PC with an internal combustion engine.
She has adapted to it.
As for me, I have a smartphone that I mainly use for calls and an occasional text. It is handy when a site has a 2FA access.
I have a Facebook account that I set up years ago, but hardly ever use it.

 

[Sunset]

Also an IT person.
I like having remote camera's and wall plugs (turn on/off lights, etc) for when we are away as more security.
This forum is the one I will spend time checking most days.
I like to read the news on the computer.

FB and X don't appeal to me.

I buy my phones for ~$50 (new but older models) and spend ~$50 /yr on phone time. Don't have data unless traveling.

I just think people who can't grocery shop, drive, or even walk down a sidewalk without staring into their phones are like zombies. My phone is in my pocket if I need it, but rarely gets used. I have nobody I need to talk with at 7am while driving

I think I spend too much time on my computer as it is.

 

[pacergal]

DH and I both have iPhones and Macs, but definitely do not utilize all of the features.
I use my Mac for financial stuff, this forum, online purchases and online news
I use iPhone for calls/texts with family, calendar and Facebook only to stay in touch with cousins, some former co workers and a few old high school friends. Do a quick check in daily but don't spend hours on GB--that would drive me nuts.

 

[motley]

I think we're long-lost brothers. I sort of inadvertently wandered into that thread on Linux because I was stunned that people who did this all their working lives still seem to enjoy tinkering with computer technology in retirement. My career left me hating technology. Sort of.

Yes, bingo. Short of browsing the net and using it for music production, I have zero interest in using a computer or other "devices."

I don't do social media, other than a couple of discussion forums like this one, where I can type in complete sentences. Connecting with others through content that is mostly in the form of images (not to mention memes) makes me uncomfortable. I like words.

Don't forget all the goofy acronyms or using letters to represent words (like "how R U"). A generational thing I guess. But it seems lazy and just kind of childish to me. As you say, use actual words.

 

[Qs Laptop]

I am definitely not a Luddite.

I have a smartphone, and a tablet. I will be buying a new Pixel 9 Pro XL smartphone soon.
I have a Kindle and almost exclusively read books on it, never paperbound books.
I use my phone in my truck for GPS directions (Android Auto.) Also listen to Amazon Prime Music. Make/receive phone calls and receive and send texts in the truck (don't worry, sending texts is voice activated.)
I use VOIP phone service and don't have an actual phone set. Instead, I use a bluetooth headset connected to my PC.
I have a smartwatch and will be buying a new Pixel 3 watch soon.
I have two PC's--three if you count DW's. DW also has a laptop, a smartphone and a tablet.
I have a smart thermostat.
I am in the process of buying a smart garage door opener.
I have a couple of security cameras. (Yes, I can see what's happening on them via my phone and/or tablet when I'm not home.)
I have a big screen smart TV with a Roku attached. I have several streaming service subscriptions. I have the lowest level cable service available.
I've got two bluetooth speakers.
We have a home security system.

I have two "X" (formerly Twitter) accounts. One is personal, one is business. Not very active.
I have two Instagram accounts. One is personal, one is business. Not very active.
I do not have a Facebook account, though DW does. Not very active.

 

[rk911]

I confess I haven't had a land line for many years either; with a cell it seems an extra pointless cost for me.

We still have a landline...sort of, anyway. We ported our old AT&T landline over to Xfinity and give that out to companies, banks, etc.

 

[FlaMariner]

Interesting topic....I'll jump in.....mixed list all over the board....but:

• Iphone XR (old)
  • text mostly w/family
  • rarely use the "phone"
  • check weather
  • have the library card in the phone
  • use it when travel for boarding passes, subway routes, maps, etc.
  • no landline (seriously?)
  • No appliances connected to the phone, no cameras monitoring anything....useless to me and a waste.
  • use as my watch (no watch)
  • no wallet (use the case to hold the DL and cr card)
  • use the flashlight when walking the dog at night
• MacBook Air (7 years old)
  • all my stuff
  • trying to go all digital
  • emails are preferred
  • look at online finances daily
  • have a zillion spreadsheets for stuff
  • online calendar
  • auto pay bills, email statements
  • shopping
  • maps
  • looking up real estate
• Social Media
  • never had Facebook
  • had LinkedIN until 6 months after w*&k...deleted and never needed/missed
  • ramble between this site and cruise critic....(do those count)
• News
  • WSJ (read on Macbook)
  • Fox News/Weather/Business (read on phone)
  • no paper newspapers or magazines
• Prefer the library and a real paper book (never read a book on an electronic device)
• Hate things that come in the mail. Wish the mail would go away. Set up e-delivery for anything and everything. Thinking I could invent a mail box that actually is connected to a trash can. I do sign up for "e-delivery" to see what's coming in the mail. Mostly (95%) to the recycle bin

I think I'm "in the middle" when it comes to too much techie to no techie......

 

[jollystomper]

I am not into using social media, but I am into the"behind the scenes" tech stuff that it and other applications use. So I still tinker with operating system platforms, cloud platforms, network servers, virtualization, containers, open source products, integration across systems/networks/applications, datasets used for AI, etc.

I have whittled down my home server farm to 9 from 17 during my working years, so I am cutting back a bit . But I still have a list of technologies on my whiteboard that I hope to get around a play with to understand better. Of course, these are more for filling time than primary efforts.

I have always been interesting in the computing world since I was a kid, and Megacorp paid me a "ridiculous" salary and bonuses for doing something that many times felt like a hobby. It is a tough habit to break .

 

[Beldar]

I use postage stamps and write checks.
I listen to wax & shellac records (no electricity needed).
I collect and use radios that have tubes.

Sure, I'm stuck with some "technology" but it doesn't necessarilly make life easier.

_B

 

[Ronstar]

I have an Apple Watch, iPhone (16 is on its way), and a Mac.

Online here and a few hobby forums, and on a few FB groups/ Inst/Pinterest for hobby research. Not on x.
Probably spend an hour online a day.

Maybe 1-2 hrs a day watching YouTube hobby related videos a day.

Maybe a few texts and phone calls a day.

 

[Walt34]

We just a few months ago replaced our 14-year-old tower computer with a new one, and replaced the laptop at the same time. I don't have a Facebook account, I rely on DW to tell me if anything interesting happens there. We still keep our landline and if you want to reach us that's the best number to call. I do have a cell phone but if you call that be prepared to leave a message that I might not get to for a couple of days. That's in part because the cell coverage here is the pits.

Our new car is now ten years old. In three years the pickup truck that I bought brand new will qualify for antique tags.

 

[threeonesix]

I can and do go whole days without looking at my phone, which I was upset at having to spend a whopping $100 on (but now realize was a good deal). I have some apps that came with and never use. I added exactly one (Mapquest for GPS purposes). I occasionally use the phone to call someone (remember that?), occasionally a text, that's it. I never look at it when in a social situation like out with friends and frankly find it rude when others do.

My laptop is rather modest, maybe even low end by today's standards, and I don't care because it's enough.

I don't have an i-anything.

I spend very little time on Facebook, mostly to see if anyone posted anything interesting like pics etc. I almost never post. I don't have accounts for any other social media unless you count LinkedIn for career purposes, which I will totally ignore when I retire (and mostly do now). I do browse the net at night sometimes (like this site, a few others like news or sports).

I am not subscribed to any streaming service.

And my career has been in I.T.

Anyone else? Humbug I say. To each their own but I never got the obsessions, esp with checking one's cell phone 100 times a day.

[MOD EDIT] In my opinion avoiding tech "just because" just means you're missing out on some things. My dad never learned how to use a TV remote. Guess what happened when TV's stopped having dials or buttons?