I picked up a refurbished iPod this 2026. This was cutting edge tech at the turn of the millennium because it was convenient (“1000 songs in your pocket!”). Today, it’s the opposite: it’s impractical when you already own a phone and a Spotify subscription.
So why are Gen-Z buying these, and why are millennials like myself pining for the good ol’ days of single tasking tech?
Of course nostalgia plays a big part. But I feel like we’re reaching a saturation point with our all-singing all-dancing smartphones. When something you pick up more than 144 times a day can do everything AND hijack your attention 24/7, a part of you just wants to escape.
The online world used to be a way to escape reality. Today, reality is a way to escape the world in your pocket. You can’t just shun technology wholesale. Resisting means being intentional with how you interact with digital objects.
Decentralizing tech usage is a first step towards this intentionality. Listen to music on a separate player like an iPod or a DAP (Snowsky makes some good ones).
Play games on a Steam Deck or console that isn’t tethered to your social accounts. Take photos and videos with a digital camera or GoPro. Read an actual book!
Apparently, abstaining from phone use and replacing it with these non-phone activities for just three days is enough to rewire your brain according to science.
We think all of this techno-feudalism is inevitable, but we have so much more power than we realize.
The music keeps on playing.
Joey
PS. You’d be surprised at how much less you’d use your phone if you deleted all social media. It’s plain boring!