“This iPhone hasn’t been backed up in 13 weeks. Backups happen when this iPhone is plugged in, locked, and connected to Wi-Fi.” It’s a message I wake up to daily, the week count steadily climbing alongside my anxiety. Here’s the thing: in the last 13 weeks, my iPhone has all-at-once been plugged in, locked and connected to Wi-Fi. And I even pay for extra iCloud storage each month, so what gives?
I haven’t done anything about the iCloud problem yet because it feels like just one of my many issues rooted in technology. I have a calendar that won’t show up on my phone, a gmail filter with a mind of its own, an Apple TV that cuts out mid-streaming, a brand new Macbook that won’t connect to my desktop monitor, and so on. And don’t even get me started on the “retired” devices that sit unused in my home, collecting dust, loaded up with music, photos and documents from past lives. I got my first laptop at 18 years old, and if this is the kind of chaos and clutter that comes from just 9 years of using technology, I don’t even want to imagine what my situation will look like in another decade or two.
If history is indication, the future will go something like this: a new device or operating system will come along, claiming to be the answer to all that disorganization, the streamlined solution we’ve been waiting for. But it’ll come rife with its own set of problems, pop-up notifications and incompatibilities. On the tenth repetition of that cycle, could you see yourself reaching a point where you opt out altogether? Would you ever choose to stick to what you’ve finally found to be functional at the risk of falling “out of touch”?
I’m grateful to have access to the latest cutting edge devices, and I acknowledge the amazing progress that technology has enabled (socially, scientifically, creatively, etc.), but these days it feels like it’s evolving faster than ever before. Just when I found a way to organize my external hard drive, Dropbox came along. And right when I got my iPhoto in check, Photos became the norm. For me, the learning curve is becoming greater with each innovation, and with that, so is my frustration. I have a good friend who often attends Genius Bar classes just to understand her devices. Me? I don’t have that kind of patience, and really, should it be that complicated? After all, these inventions are meant to make our lives easier.
Around the office, we complain talk a lot about our technological issues, and how infuriating it is when something doesn’t work the way it should — I know, I know, #firstworldproblems… but a problem nonetheless! So we thought we’d open the conversation up to you guys: Have you had enough of technology? Or if you’ve found a way to stay caught up on it all, what’s your secret?
