[Question] Forbidden Technology

Do you benefit avoiding certain popular technologies? What alternatives do you use?


Some technology (like flashcards) is good for you. Some technology (like heroin) is bad for you. As technology advances, both kinds of technology are on the rise.

This is especially obvious with regard to information technology. Over the course of a few years, I ran a series of experiments to figure out which mediums make my life better and worse. This culminated with a one-year commitment to abstain from the bad stuff.

I’ve found it improves my quality of life to avoid specific non-media technologies too:

  • Desktop GUIs

  • Closed source software, including any smartphone without a custom ROM

  • Fresh grocery store tomatoes

  • Exercise machines

  • School

  • Jobs

Instead, I use the following alternatives:

Everything on my personal list of forbidden technology is a commercial product optimized for ease of use. My alternatives tend to be cheap or free, but also skill intensive. It could be that the learning curve keeps most people away.

But that’s not what really kept me away from these things for most of my life. It’s not like growing tomatoes is hard or antimemetic. The real reason I didn’t grow tomatoes for so long was simply because I didn’t know how much better homegrown tomatoes taste. Having tasted them regularly, it’s hard to go back.