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Best of Brakfast Episode 174 Yana Bolder
Technology is brilliant.
We can video call someone on the other side of the world, stream millions of songs instantly and order dinner without speaking to another human being.
It’s incredible.
And yet…
Why does it sometimes feel like technology creates as many problems as it solves?
Gen X has lived through one of the biggest technological revolutions in history. We grew up with cassette tapes, VHS recorders and payphones, then somehow ended up with smartphones that tell us how many steps we’ve done today.
We’re not against technology.
We’d just like it to stop making simple things complicated.
Here are some of the biggest offenders.
Passwords For Everything
Remember when you had one front door key?
That was it.
Now you need passwords for:
email
banking
shopping
streaming
your phone
your laptop
your smart TV
and apparently your fridge isn’t far behind.
Every website has different rules too.
One wants twelve characters.
Another insists on a capital letter, a symbol, a number and your favourite dinosaur.
Then comes:
“Your password has expired.”
Has it?
It was working perfectly yesterday.
Software Updates At The Worst Possible Moment
You’re just about to do something important.
Then…
“Installing update 1 of 47.”
No.
Not now.
Modern devices seem to believe there’s never a bad time to restart.
Usually five minutes before an online meeting.
Or when you’re trying to print something urgently.
Printers
How are these still so difficult?
Printers have existed for decades, yet every single one behaves like it’s solving nuclear physics.
“Paper jam.”
There isn’t.
“Printer offline.”
It’s literally sitting next to the computer.
“Low cyan ink.”
You’re printing in black and white.
Some mysteries may never be solved.
Two-Factor Authentication
The idea makes sense.
The timing doesn’t.
You log in.
A code gets sent to your phone.
Except your phone is the thing you’re trying to log into.
Or the signal disappears.
Or the code expires in roughly the time it takes to blink.
Technology keeping us secure is wonderful.
Technology making us repeat the process four times… less wonderful.
Voice Assistants
Sometimes they’re amazing.
Sometimes they hear:
“Play some Queen.”
And somehow respond:
“I’ve set an alarm for 3:00 am.”
How?
Even worse is when they suddenly wake up during a television programme because somebody on screen said something that sounded vaguely familiar.
Touchscreens For Everything
Not everything needs to be a touchscreen.
Especially in cars.
There was nothing wrong with:
proper buttons
volume knobs
heating controls you could find without looking
Now changing the temperature requires navigating three menus while trying to stay in your lane.
Progress isn’t always progress.
QR Codes Everywhere
Menus.
Parking.
Train stations.
Restaurants.
Sometimes all you want is an actual piece of paper.
Instead you’re expected to scan a code, download an app, create an account and accept seventeen cookie settings before you can order a sandwich.
It feels… excessive.
Smart Appliances
Does a washing machine really need Wi-Fi?
Does a toaster need Bluetooth?
Will your kettle really benefit from sending notifications?
Some technology solves real problems.
Some feels like somebody simply asked:
“Can we?”
Instead of:
“Should we?”
Endless Notifications
Every device wants your attention.
Emails.
Texts.
Apps.
Shopping offers.
Breaking news.
Weather alerts.
Your watch telling you to stand up.
Sometimes the greatest luxury is ten minutes without something beeping.
The Best Technology Is The Technology You Don’t Notice
That’s probably the secret.
The best inventions quietly do their job.
They don’t interrupt.
They don’t demand updates.
They don’t require subscriptions or passwords.
They simply work.
Maybe that’s why Gen X still has a soft spot for old stereos, simple remote controls and cars with actual buttons.
Modern technology has made life better in countless ways.
But every now and then, while waiting for yet another update to finish, it’s hard not to wonder…
Was changing the TV channel really this complicated before?
The Metropolitan Police officer who shot Chris Kaba is unlikely to face misconduct proceedings due to new government regulations. Firearms officer Martyn Blake shot the twenty four year old in south London in 2022 after Mr Kaba rammed a police stop. Mr Blake was cleared of murder, but the watchdog says the disciplinary case will now be dropped. The Kaba family has been given three weeks to challenge the decision. […]
