Technology changes fast. And new advancements are announced with great fanfare. The promise of changing how we interact with the world is just as standard on new technological devices as a power-on button. This promise sounds good to us. And so we buy and buy these devices in incredible numbers. Meanwhile, our old devices sit around because we’re not sure what to do with them. Is ever-growing device clutter inevitable?
Experts in the tech world make a distinction between technical obsolescence and functional obsolescence.
Technical obsolescence occurs as soon as your device is surpassed in its features by another device of its type—for example, the maker of your smartphone comes out with a newer model ten months after you bought yours.
Functional obsolescence, on the other hand, occurs only when your device no longer works like it’s supposed to. That happens, for example, when the software it runs ceases to work properly and is no longer supported by the manufacturer.
A lot of us are tempted to buy something new soon after reaching the point of technical obsolescence. If we find out that the cool new gadget we bought last month has been replaced on the market by an even cooler one, then we want that one!
I would argue that we should wait until we get closer to functional obsolescence with our devices. So what if we don’t have the newest thing? Who’s really going to care?
Now, I am not against the development or use of technology. In fact, I’m pleased to say that minimalism is more possible today than ever because of technology. In my phone, I carry movies, books, music, maps, a calendar, plane tickets, and an address book (just to name a few)—all things I don’t have to maintain in bulkier formats. Technology is one reason minimalism continues to grow; it has never been easier to own less.
But I fear that these days many assume new technology automatically makes things better and only adds convenience. This is not true.
In fact, when we don’t consume technology in a mindful way, it often adds clutter to our lives. It quickly drains our energy, our time, our room, and our bank accounts. Who among us hasn’t wasted an entire afternoon trying to get a computer to accomplish one seemingly simple thing?
When deciding whether to buy or to hang on to devices and gadgets—both in the present and the future—the filter we need to employ is the simple question “What problem does it solve?”
Technology should make our lives easier by solving problems both at home and at work quickly and more efficiently. But if our technology is not solving a specific problem for us, it is only adding to them.
Eliminating the clutter caused by holding on to old devices (and cords and batteries) that we are no longer using is often just a matter of taking the time to dispose of them properly. Most areas have electronics donation and recycling centers.
But what about our future purchases?
Buying a new phone just because the upgrade has become available is foolish if it doesn’t improve your life. The same could be said of cameras, home entertainment equipment, and computers. You don’t need a bigger-screen television if you can see fine with the one you currently have. Rarely do people regret waiting as long as possible to upgrade their technology. You don’t need to line up to purchase a new product just because the corporation that manufactures it says you need it.
What you need to do instead is count the full opportunity cost of your purchases. What else could you do with the money you won’t spend if you pass up a tech purchase? Pay down your debt? Enjoy a weekend vacation? Replace that worn-out mattress you’ve been using longer than your last phone?
Start asking if new technology is really improving your life or taking you away from what matters.
Hanging on to technology for a while isn’t the end of a dream. It’s the beginning of making greater progress toward what you want out of life.
“Device Advice” is an excerpt from The More of Less.
My husband and I each have iPhone 6’s, and our 17-year-old son just saved up and bought a refurbished iPhone 6 because that’s what he could afford. I was talking to my sister about this and how he’d bought a 6 because it was a lot cheaper than a 7, and she added that she’d going to hang onto her iPhone 6 as long as she can because she likes being able to actually plug in her earphones instead of having them as Bluetooth remotes. :) Sometimes the old stuff is better. :)
Computers can suck
Update, upgrade, always new
My pen still works fine
I think it’s worth considering what ends up happening to the waste that’s generated by the relentless pursuit of the next upgrade. There are the labor costs, the packaging (much of it contains one-time-use plastics), shipping, and of course the final destinations of the replaced technology. One of the most jarring examples can be found in Accra, Ghana which is home to the world’s largest e-waste dump. The United States, Europe, and Japan “donate” obsolete technology to Ghana as a way to dispose of it so it doesn’t fill their landfills. There it’s stripped for precious metals and the remnants are burned, exposing residents to extremely high levels of carcinogens. Just look up Agbogbloshie if you’re interested in knowing more.
My smartphone is a 2013 model purchased in 2014 (Samsung Galaxy S4). It is starting to feel the functional obsolescence but I’m really trying to get it to see it’s 4th birthday in May. Then I’ll upgrade. I figure skipping a (typical 2 year) upgrade cycle does wonders for my wallet.
I tend to run technology into the ground. Last year I replaced a 7 year old laptop.
Consider also the human cost of our love affair with devices. Far from view, children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo are forced to mine coltan in dangerous conditions. Coltan is a key element in the batteries of iPhones and other devices but extraction in the Congo is largely unregulated. Warring factions fight for control of the mines, which are dangerous and run the risk of collapse. Needless to say, children are afraid to enter them and should be in school.
Unless iPhone providers can categorically say they source coltan from well-run mines that operate legally and safely, we should think twice about upgrading. Cutting back use of electrical devices has surely got to be good for our mental well-being. It would undoubtedly make life more bearable in the Congo. This report from Sky News illustrates the situation clearly – and graphically. https://news.sky.com/story/meet-dorsen-8-who-mines-cobalt-to-make-your-smartphone-work-10784120
Great point you make. Another factor in developing countries that’s becoming more prevalent is the brokering of mining rights to foreign entities in exchange for completing infrastructure projects. Some African countries like Zimbabwe or the DRC are mortgaging their future wealth that should belong to their people off to outsiders, further exacerbating the cycle of poverty and corruption that plague many of these fragile economies.
I just recently replaced my smart phone (ruined in the water) with a Motorola RZR flip phone that is 10 yrs old (Amazon $25) and now have a $10/month plan (PagePLus) oh am I tickled. (My friends aren’t as enthralled because I never text back, too much hassle with the keypad. And I do miss that convenience.)
That said my smart phone helped me refinance so much easier (could retrieve msgs from loan officer immediately and gather what he requested).
I have coworkers that use their phone for movies (one was even watching a movie while WORKING), texting all day long, listening to music— so I can see the need for one. For me it was a distraction, and I don’t handle distractions so well.
I am a tech savvy person. I hardly fascinate with latest features and new model but yes, camera quality is a must for me. So if I have a good mobile with perfect camera quality then I will not require anything else.