Far out in the uncharted backwaters of the unfashionable end of the western spiral arm of the Galaxy lies a small unregarded yellow sun. Orbiting this at a distance of roughly ninety-two million miles is an utterly insignificant little blue green planet whose ape-descended life forms are so amazingly primitive that they still think digital watches are a pretty neat idea.
DOUGLAS ADAMS, The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy
People call me a Luddite. I get this when I whip out my flip phone to make a call or send a text. I don't have the latest and greatest technology. I admit this. But I reject the Luddite label because Luddites don't use flip phones or any phones. They send handwritten letters by Pony Express. I am a mid tech user, and this is my manifesto.
1. Technology should solve problems not create them.
I like wearing cheap Casio digital watches. Nothing epitomizes the mid tech user like those watches. They are not wind up analog watches that cost a fortune nor are they smartwatches that also cost a fortune. They are cheap watches that get the job done of telling time, the date, etc. Those geeky watches solve problems. Those other watches create problems especially when you have to wind them or recharge them every 8 hours.
I also use a flip phone instead of a smartphone. I make calls and send text messages. I do not have a landline telephone. As you can see, I am in the middle between the landline user and the smartphone owner. This is the mid-tech zone
2. Technology should be cheap and reliable.
I do not upgrade to the latest and greatest thing. This is because I can't afford it. Instead, I buy the low cost alternative which would be a Chromebook instead of a Macbook. You can get a Chromebook for less than $200 at Walmart. I can't say the same for the Macbook.
3. Technology should be simple.
I don't want a car with a touchscreen. I want a car with physical buttons. I don't think taking your eyes off the road to do things on a touchscreen is safe or smart. I also see no point in having all the appliances in a home connected to the internet. All of this amounts to ridiculous complications of devices that worked totally fine without them. Always go with the simple.
4. Be a late adopter.
I bought a Sony Walkman radio two decades ago. Later, I bought an iPod. Both are out of production now. I no longer use an iPod, but I use my Walkman daily. I wish I had never blown the money on the iPod. That experience taught me to not be in a rush to buy the latest and greatest piece of tech especially when it will become obsolete a year or two later.
You're not missing out on something by being the last person to adopt a new piece of technology. It will still be there when you decide it is worth buying. It will probably be better and cheaper as they have worked out the kinks and bugs. The reality is it will likely turn out to be a fad, and you will save a lot of money by not buying it.
5. Hang on to your old tech and physical media.
I did not throw away my books when I bought my Kindle. Today, I am more inclined to throw away the Kindle. I also keep my CDs and DVDs. I hate vinyl records, but I still like cassette tapes. I subscribe to my town's newspaper. I am never in a rush to declutter "obsolete" tech and media.
Conclusion
The mid-tech strategy is just sensibility applied to the field of technology. It is not a rejection of technology but simply taking the slow road on gizmos and gadgets. When a new piece of tech proves itself to be cheap, simple, and reliable, I will buy it. I have not regretted being the last person in line on this stuff. I regret being at the head of the line. This will never happen to me again.
