Summary

The author reflects on the evolution of technology, lamenting the loss of simplicity and the overcomplication of modern devices, which have infiltrated every aspect of life.

Abstract

The article "Modern Life is Shit — Just Admit It" by Philip Ogley is a personal reflection on the author's relationship with technology over time. Starting with his early experiences with gadgets like the ZX Spectrum, a calculator watch, and a Walkman, Ogley reminisces about a time when technology was fun and served specific purposes. He contrasts this with the present, where multifunctional devices like smartphones have blurred the lines between different forms of entertainment and communication, leading to an inability to fully enjoy any single activity. Ogley critiques the intrusion of technology into every aspect of life, including the now-ubiquitous access to Wi-Fi, and expresses a sense of loss over the ritualistic aspects of pre-digital life, such as sending a story by post. He also points out the absurdities of modern technology, like remotely lighting a wood burner or spending excessively without thought due to the ease of digital transactions. Despite recognizing his own hypocrisy as a user and promoter of technology, Ogley yearns for a return to simpler times, represented by the ZX Spectrum, which required patience and offered a pure form of enjoyment.

Opinions

Technology has transitioned from being a source of enjoyment and specific functions to an all-encompassing, multifunctional tool that overwhelms and dilutes the experience of its users.
The author believes that the constant connectivity and multitasking capabilities of modern devices have made it impossible to fully appreciate individual activities.
There is a sense of nostalgia for a time when technology was less integrated into daily life, and tasks like sending a letter or playing a record were distinct and enjoyable experiences.
The author criticizes the overuse of technology, such as the ability to control home appliances remotely, suggesting that such advancements are unnecessary and contribute to a disconnection from real-world experiences.
Ogley acknowledges his own complicity in the overuse of technology, yet he remains skeptical of its pervasive role in society and questions whether it is possible to revert to a less technology-dependent lifestyle.
The ease of digital transactions is seen as a double-edged sword, enabling mindless spending without the tangible awareness of financial outlay that comes with handling physical money.

Modern Life is Shit — Just Admit It

I was one of the first to own a ZX Spectrum in 1982. As well as a calculator watch. And a Walkman.

My father used to travel a lot and brought me stuff back from Japan and the USA.

I got into gadgets and electronics at an early age, and always had a decent music system, camera, and computer. And when the internet arrived, I thought it was the best thing ever.

Then something changed. About ten years ago, I noticed technology had gotten serious.

I remember when gadgets and computers were fun. Something to mess about with. A bit of entertainment.

A record player played records. Phones were for calling people. And a camera was an instrument for saving memories.

Now everything is bundled into a plastic box we can use anywhere. All our joys and pleasures crammed into a device on which you can listen to music, chat with your mates, and read the news while scrolling on Facebook, all at the same time.

‘What’s wrong with that?’ my sister asked a few nights ago.

‘EVERYTHING,’ I told her. ‘Because you can’t enjoy everything all at the same time. It’s impossible.’

Technology gives you this option, and we take it. We can even access Wi-Fi on planes now. One of the last bastions of the Wi-Fi-free world — the sky — has now gone.

I’m the perfect hypocrite I know. I’m writing on Medium now, on a computer.

But maybe I have to.

I used to enter a short story competition every year and send my entry off by post. I never won, but the ritual of sending it was almost as enjoyable as writing the story.

Then they changed the submissions policy. No postal submissions, so I have no choice. I have to use a computer.

What I’m saying isn’t sour grapes or teary nostalgia for the old days, it’s simply the truth. Technology was cool and useful for a while. Until it got into everything and everywhere.

You can set your wood burner to light up before you get home these days, so when you get back all you have to do is throw logs on the fire.

Think about it. You’re creating a fire in your home, and you’re not even there.

Wow! Talk about stupidity.

And I’m the same.

I bought take-out fish and chips the other night for my brother and sister and only realized a few days later it had come to £37. Thirty-seven quid for fish and chips! I must have been nuts!

I didn’t even think about it. I just flashed my card at the reader. If I’d known the cost, I’d have ordered a bag of crisps.

I’ve fallen into the trap, I admit it. But the question is, can I escape?

I don’t know. Maybe there’s a tipping point where going back to a tech-free life isn’t an option. And if there is, I’ve already crossed it.

Because after I’ve published this, I’ll notify Twitter, then WhatsApp some friends the link. Then wait. Then check my stats. Then respond to comments. Then wait some more. And so it goes on.

I wish for the days of a ZX Spectrum, a computer so basic that even loading a game took about twenty minutes. And even then it rarely worked.

Some people might call this a total pain in the ass. I call it paradise, and I want it back.

Thanks for reading this electronically produced piece.

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