I generally prefer to embrace new technology (delivery apps are personally a godsend for me), but there are definitely times when modern inventions can seem overly complicated. Recently, editor Wizzmer asked the elderly r/Ask the Old People subreddit to share the a technology they refuse to use Today. Here are some of the gadgets they will never touch.
1.“Alexa, Siri, or any “smart home” voice.”
“Me neither. We had one for a few months (we received it as a Christmas present), but he would start talking or playing music in the middle of the night – it scared the hell out of me! Then it became clear he was listening for us: ads for things we talked about but never looked at online started popping up on our social media, so that was the end of it.
Yes, I am aware that the ship has sailed, and every device is listening and perhaps monitoring us more than we want to think, but it makes me feel better not to have Siri/Alexa in my home. »
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2.“Twitter.”
“Twitter used to be a decent place to get news and was sometimes fun. I now use Threads for fun and Bluesky for news. Effective app X.”
3.“I hate internet-connected dishwashers, washers, dryers, etc. I do NOT need to talk to my appliances and I don’t need to pay extra for it. C “It’s just one more thing that can fail.”
4.“A smart watch.”
5.“I have no use for keyless door locks. I am an early adopter of most technology, but I don’t like the idea of a hackable door in my residence. If anyone wants really come into my house it will come in. I just want them to work for it.
6.“So many new appliances and appliances have apps. Sometimes you have no choice but to download their app to set anything up. My refrigerator has an app that gives me a report on how many times I the door is open I don’t care, and I turned off notifications for these apps I just want to plug in a fridge, set the temperature and run it for a hundred years like my parents old Frigidaire did when I did. was. a child (even if I had to maybe use a LITTLE less power).”
7.“I wouldn’t say I refuse to use ChatGPT, but I’ve never bothered to learn how, and I don’t care.”
“I took a few courses on how to use AI. It was presented favorably, I understood it well, and I still consider it garbage.”
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8.“Pod coffee makers – that’s my probably irrational rant topic.”
“An expensive way to make crappy coffee.”
9.“I won’t use DoorDash/Postmates/Grubhub. It’s ridiculously expensive and would make me feel very lazy and entitled. (I recognize that if I were disabled I would probably feel differently.)”
“These services are very expensive. DoorDash can almost double the price of a meal. I hardly ever get pizza delivered anymore because of the delivery fees and the added tips. I won’t get pizza delivered either of shopping because I prefer to have the choice. The delivery people just take from the top and sometimes replace.
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10.“I use a cell phone, but I refuse to have banking apps on the phone. I also don’t use Venmo or any of those other money transfer apps.”
11.“I try to use and adopt as much technology as possible, but I refuse to use a kiosk to order fast food. No, thanks, I’ll live without it.”
12.“TikTok. I work with teenagers. Several asked me if I had a TikTok account. They promised that my (future) TikToks would be popular and that I could develop an audience. I roll my eyes or I mocks people who visibly play on their phones. I don’t want to be popular on TikTok.”
13.“QR menus.”
14.“I’m often made fun of for not using a dishwasher, but honestly, I don’t use a lot of dishes and can easily wash them myself in 30 seconds instead of running a dishwasher. dishes for 20 minutes I never saw one growing up.
“There are only two people in my house and we don’t have a lot of dishes. It would seem silly to have one.”
15.“Self-checkout. If there’s no cashier, I take my things elsewhere.”
“I’m not a fan. I’m one of those people with a full grocery cart. Can’t handle it. They also always seem to be down or need someone to solve a problem, and in a grocery store, I used to shop at , no cash payment allowed The line for the normal line can be huge as many use cash at this store.
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16.“90% of my internet usage is still on a laptop. Why work with a small keyboard and screen when it’s not necessary?”
17.“E-readers. I got an Amazon Fire tablet, which I use for internet, recipes and DIY stuff. But for reading, I want to hold a real book.”
18.“A TV. I have one in the living room that hasn’t worked in over 15 years.”
“I’ve turned on the TV maybe five times since my husband died two years ago. He was the TV guy. When we were dating, he asked me where my TV was. J “I pointed to an unopened box in the cupboard. It had been a gift from my parents, who found it shocking that I didn’t watch TV.”
19.“I don’t use GPS/navigation because I noticed it makes people lose their sense of direction. People don’t even know street names. I was trying to help someone with directions, and they didn’t even know the street names/numbers of the major highways and highways.
Are there any modern inventions that you refuse to use? Tell us in the comments or fill out this anonymous form.
Note: Some answers have been edited for length and/or clarity.