i've been anti-update/upgrade for some years now. sometimes it makes me feel less tech savvy but I love to take my time indulging into new tech. I haven't even given chatgpt a chance yet lol. I still collect physical media & write all my ideas in a notebook. I love the idea of having a device not synced to anything. will try this. thanks :)
I’m a sloth with the updates too 🦥🦥 call me stubborn or call me a Taurus Rising but I need to update when I feel ready too! I love physical media, there’s still nothing like it! ✨🧚🏾♂️
I think Apple has done an excellent job at chasing “newness” whether it’s through design, function, or lifestyle branding. They’ve mastered the art of keeping up with (and ahead of) the Joneses. One could argue they’ve defined what the Joneses even look like. While there’s truth in the critique that we’re constantly being forced to adapt, I also appreciate that Apple allows users to opt out of updates if they choose, though socially and systemically, opting out isn’t always realistic.
When I travel, I often notice that most people aren't using iPhones, especially the global majority. Many carry Androids or basic smartphones with just enough functionality to access WhatsApp, browse the internet, or make calls. Yet here in the U.S., we’ve built convenience systems like MyChart, digital wallets, and cloud-based learning apps that assume everyone is “connected,” when in reality, a vast number of people globally (and locally) are not.
So to ask whether it's ethical to use a device whose materials are unethically sourced, while also participating in a system that leaves the most vulnerable behind, feels like a rhetorical question. Of course, the answer is layered. Innovation should serve people, not alienate or erase them.
It’s not just about whether tech evolves, it’s about who it evolves for. And if progress inherently excludes or burdens certain populations, especially elders, those without access, or folks from under-resourced communities, then it’s not truly progress, its systemic drift disguised as evolution.
Thanks for this piece, DonYé. Your think pieces have honestly become my morning coffee and newspaper moments. This is a necessary check-in on where we’re headed, the pace of life, access, and what it means to be designed for.
What you're talking about here is part of a scarier, bigger concept that tech companies are pushing on purpose: forcing humans to become a substandard species to AI so billionaires can ultimately rule the world (I promise I'm not a conspiracy theorist 😅).I think it's extremely unethical, because ultimately, they know we have no chance at keeping up which forces us to have to participate in adapting to tools we don't want to use WHICH THEN proves what they're talking about in this video: https://youtu.be/C8ddJ5b2TG0?si=oXcoayL8mN1rB787
I've been reading a lot about what Silicon Valley billionaires are ultimately trying to achieve through their endless quest for optimization, and they've abandoned the human joy of exciting tech that we get to decide how we use in place of stakeholder-forced innovations to justify insane price increases. I'm trying to digital detox more often but I can't help but worry about who is going to be left behind.
I’m often confronted with the reality that I just can’t keep up with everything, but I’m also growing concerned that I’ll get left behind one day. When I was younger, tech advances felt groundbreaking, and I had this innate urge to keep up. Now that my identity is not outwardly defined, I like what I like and don’t feel the need to chase or upgrade to the next big thing. I’m Gucci.
-my childhood home (an apartment in the hood, mind you) updating with the times when i was in highschool and no longer accepted checks (the primary way my family had paid rent whilst there for 3 decades). i remember hearing all the griping and grumbling about it when my old af family had to "get with the times" and create an account and go into "the portal" to pay rent going forward.
-android just got the big oneui 7 update recently which has been a NIGHTMARE Y U C K. i hate it so much. i literally went to sleep and woke up with a whole new phone. i was searching to see if i could reverse it in any way and it's hard coded into the phone 😔 that's simply my phone now, whether i like it or not.
change can be a good thing, but i've never understood why we have to change so drastically so often in the name of change. i would have been okay with my past phone update for a decade or two had samsung allowed it. it doesn't feel fair now that i really think about it. what even is the alternative when the tech billionaires continue to think that they know what's best for the people
i've been anti-update/upgrade for some years now. sometimes it makes me feel less tech savvy but I love to take my time indulging into new tech. I haven't even given chatgpt a chance yet lol. I still collect physical media & write all my ideas in a notebook. I love the idea of having a device not synced to anything. will try this. thanks :)
I’m a sloth with the updates too 🦥🦥 call me stubborn or call me a Taurus Rising but I need to update when I feel ready too! I love physical media, there’s still nothing like it! ✨🧚🏾♂️
virgo stellium here so yes, im not changing nothing that doesn't need changing 🪨 lol
I think Apple has done an excellent job at chasing “newness” whether it’s through design, function, or lifestyle branding. They’ve mastered the art of keeping up with (and ahead of) the Joneses. One could argue they’ve defined what the Joneses even look like. While there’s truth in the critique that we’re constantly being forced to adapt, I also appreciate that Apple allows users to opt out of updates if they choose, though socially and systemically, opting out isn’t always realistic.
When I travel, I often notice that most people aren't using iPhones, especially the global majority. Many carry Androids or basic smartphones with just enough functionality to access WhatsApp, browse the internet, or make calls. Yet here in the U.S., we’ve built convenience systems like MyChart, digital wallets, and cloud-based learning apps that assume everyone is “connected,” when in reality, a vast number of people globally (and locally) are not.
So to ask whether it's ethical to use a device whose materials are unethically sourced, while also participating in a system that leaves the most vulnerable behind, feels like a rhetorical question. Of course, the answer is layered. Innovation should serve people, not alienate or erase them.
It’s not just about whether tech evolves, it’s about who it evolves for. And if progress inherently excludes or burdens certain populations, especially elders, those without access, or folks from under-resourced communities, then it’s not truly progress, its systemic drift disguised as evolution.
Thanks for this piece, DonYé. Your think pieces have honestly become my morning coffee and newspaper moments. This is a necessary check-in on where we’re headed, the pace of life, access, and what it means to be designed for.
What you're talking about here is part of a scarier, bigger concept that tech companies are pushing on purpose: forcing humans to become a substandard species to AI so billionaires can ultimately rule the world (I promise I'm not a conspiracy theorist 😅).I think it's extremely unethical, because ultimately, they know we have no chance at keeping up which forces us to have to participate in adapting to tools we don't want to use WHICH THEN proves what they're talking about in this video: https://youtu.be/C8ddJ5b2TG0?si=oXcoayL8mN1rB787
I've been reading a lot about what Silicon Valley billionaires are ultimately trying to achieve through their endless quest for optimization, and they've abandoned the human joy of exciting tech that we get to decide how we use in place of stakeholder-forced innovations to justify insane price increases. I'm trying to digital detox more often but I can't help but worry about who is going to be left behind.
Wow this is a scary concept but makes a lot of sense. Will definitely be watching this YouTube video.
I’m often confronted with the reality that I just can’t keep up with everything, but I’m also growing concerned that I’ll get left behind one day. When I was younger, tech advances felt groundbreaking, and I had this innate urge to keep up. Now that my identity is not outwardly defined, I like what I like and don’t feel the need to chase or upgrade to the next big thing. I’m Gucci.
oh wow this makes me think of two main things:
-my childhood home (an apartment in the hood, mind you) updating with the times when i was in highschool and no longer accepted checks (the primary way my family had paid rent whilst there for 3 decades). i remember hearing all the griping and grumbling about it when my old af family had to "get with the times" and create an account and go into "the portal" to pay rent going forward.
-android just got the big oneui 7 update recently which has been a NIGHTMARE Y U C K. i hate it so much. i literally went to sleep and woke up with a whole new phone. i was searching to see if i could reverse it in any way and it's hard coded into the phone 😔 that's simply my phone now, whether i like it or not.
change can be a good thing, but i've never understood why we have to change so drastically so often in the name of change. i would have been okay with my past phone update for a decade or two had samsung allowed it. it doesn't feel fair now that i really think about it. what even is the alternative when the tech billionaires continue to think that they know what's best for the people