We are using technology wrong

The Jolly Teapot’s latest rant is a good one. While it starts with a keen observation that I have also made — that people no longer have the skill to be bored — it moves through the way in which we don’t fully understand how the technology was meant to work. These objects can do so many things conveniently, and yet we often leave the default, most inconvenient settings to rule our lives.

But it goes further. It goes into the quality of the time we are spending with our phones, the information being consumed, and how most of it is important to someone else (the App maker) and not the person who “owns” the phone:

The problem is not using the phone, it’s not looking at a screen all the time. It’s not that people don’t know how to master the technology; the problem is what’s displayed on those screens, what people actually do with their phones. […] I’m just sad because it all feels rather joyless. I’m pretty sure that 90% of these moments are either wasted on low-value entertainment or triggered by message notifications and interruptions that could have been easily avoided with a slightly smarter use and understanding of all the features available.

The solution is to become more mindful. To put the phone down, to learn to be bored again and see the life happening around you. Even as you stand on a line waiting, look around. Watch other people. Watch the cashier. Think about how or if you could handle that job. Sit at a stop light and look around at the sky, the nature or the architecture, the people in other cars. Stop being controlled by the endless notifications and hollow distractions. They’ll still be there.