Can I complain for a second?

[SavvyScoobie]

Can I complain for a second?
I recently watched this video made by someone which inspired me to make this post.

Why why why is it so hard to purchase something useful now?

I purchased this home maintenance ‘gadget’ I guess, and I spent 20 minutes reading instructions, putting it together, setting it up, making it look nice in my space, until it was finished. Then turns out I need an app.
Nice okay, let’s get this stupid fricking app…I need an account. Why would I need an account if it’s set up to the machine..

I make an account, I need to verify it, add a profile picture, my dob, last meal, and all my deepest insecurities. Like oh my god this is so tedious.

After wasting what felt like years of my life I tried the gadget. Love how it didn’t work! Turns out it needed batteries which it failed to mention in the goddamn instructions!

Years ago if you needed batteries for something it was considered inconvenient and maybe even a design flaw.

But now? You need an app for something just for it not to work and charge you 10 bucks a month to read the instructions!

Oh yeah and you need an app for everything. Love the extra iCloud expenses.

Everything is automated with ‘new tech’ that nobody asked for and is completely useless! You might as well buy some potato chips to snack on, while doing everything yourself because the machine that cost you a kidney failed on you!

But then you’ll get shamed because you’re not up to date and ‘efficient’.

And don’t even get me started on the memberships that offer you nothing of value.

Like Netflix doesn’t even let you share the account? And it has ads? I didn’t wanna watch the ‘best’ movie of the year with the same overused plot anyways. 🤨

I’m going old school and using the cheapest shit from now on.

 

[November]

Sometimes being poor has its perks.
None of my whitegoods, tv or cleaning appliances can connect to the internet. Heck half the time, my laptop cant even connect to the internet!

 

[twoslayers]

I think with smart tech, the key is to be selective. Think about whether the connectivity really benefits you for whatever it is and then think about the brand carefully. I wear an Apple Watch and I love it, it works great. I once had a smart thermometer. I didn't work well at all and I ended up switching back to an analogue model. You don't have to be all digital or all analogue - horses for courses.

 

[NotASlayer]

There's another issue, related to people losing access to digital media that they've paid for, or requiring subscriptions in order to keep accessing things, and that's companies having the tendency to brick smart tech that they no longer want to do anything with.

 

[Kendar]

Can I complain for a second?

After wasting what felt like years of my life I tried the gadget. Love how it didn’t work! Turns out it needed batteries which it failed to mention in the goddamn instructions!

Years ago if you needed batteries for something it was considered inconvenient and maybe even a design flaw.

I don't think needing batteries was always a design flaw. Back when I was a kid, ANYTHING electronic and portable used batteries.

But anything that required batteries either came with them included, or CLEARLY stated that batteries were not included.

 

[Joan the Vampire Slayer]

I feel you! This is a big reason I went back to using physical media.

 

[twoslayers]

With physical media versus digital, quality can be better one way or the other depending what it is. Some TV shows pre around 2000 can be better quality on DVD if they haven't been remastered. Audiobooks are much easier and cheaper digitally however and digital music is so much easier.

 

[Stake fodder]

Oh yeah and you need an app for everything. Love the extra iCloud expenses.

Everything is automated with ‘new tech’ that nobody asked for and is completely useless!

👏👏 I hear ya! I bought a car about six weeks ago, and it needs a connecting app to do some stuff. The dealer tried to help me load it on my phone when I was there, but it wasn't compatible. About a week ago, I got an email with a link to the app again, and this time it downloaded. So I have the app, but it is being such a hassle to connect it to the car, especially as I have limited mobile data, and obviously I don't have WiFi in my car. I'm getting the sense too that what I really "need" this app for is monthly subscription services.

Besides that, the car is full of so much electronic junk that I don't need and likely will never use. But there's no opting out of those add-ons. Someone (NotASlayer, I think) was complaining elsewhere about banks requiring apps. I only got a cell phone when it got to the point that I couldn't do a lot of things without one.

 

[hoponlilmama]

Can I complain for a second?
I recently watched this video made by someone which inspired me to make this post.

Why why why is it so hard to purchase something useful now?

I purchased this home maintenance ‘gadget’ I guess, and I spent 20 minutes reading instructions, putting it together, setting it up, making it look nice in my space, until it was finished. Then turns out I need an app.
Nice okay, let’s get this stupid fricking app…I need an account. Why would I need an account if it’s set up to the machine..

I make an account, I need to verify it, add a profile picture, my dob, last meal, and all my deepest insecurities. Like oh my god this is so tedious.

After wasting what felt like years of my life I tried the gadget. Love how it didn’t work! Turns out it needed batteries which it failed to mention in the goddamn instructions!

Years ago if you needed batteries for something it was considered inconvenient and maybe even a design flaw.

But now? You need an app for something just for it not to work and charge you 10 bucks a month to read the instructions!

Oh yeah and you need an app for everything. Love the extra iCloud expenses.

Everything is automated with ‘new tech’ that nobody asked for and is completely useless! You might as well buy some potato chips to snack on, while doing everything yourself because the machine that cost you a kidney failed on you!

But then you’ll get shamed because you’re not up to date and ‘efficient’.

And don’t even get me started on the memberships that offer you nothing of value.

Like Netflix doesn’t even let you share the account? And it has ads? I didn’t wanna watch the ‘best’ movie of the year with the same overused plot anyways. 🤨

I’m going old school and using the cheapest shit from now on.

I could've written this - 100% agree.

These days it's about turnover and data mining - you're encouraged to get a new phone every two years. I also dislike the lack of information - issues you find (like needing to use an app) until you get the item home and unbox it.

Sometimes there's a workaround and you don't require it (an app).

I don't care if I don't have the latest gadget. I only upgrade something out of necessity - like an item completely dying and not working at all.

Not only that - what are these companies doing to help the environment? It' so wasteful.

 

[SavvyScoobie]

I could've written this - 100% agree.

you're encouraged to get a new phone every two years.

This! This is driving me up the wall. Having to pay close to a thousand bucks to have a good Apple phone every two years like whaaat

Also in certain places or communities not having an Apple iPhone can get very inconvenient. Certain things on your phone might not work as well because they only support Apple.

Not only that - what are these companies doing to help the environment? It' so wasteful.

I’m being blunt here; nothing. They just slap an ‘eco friendly’ sticker on their products every four years to avoid controversy.

Post automatically merged: Today at 9:29 AM

I feel you! This is a big reason I went back to using physical media.

Would love to do this but I need my cat videos.

Not but actually I wouldn’t be able to get by due to society’s reliance on phones and computers. It would get difficult since many day to day tasks might require me to sign in and check emails.

 

[hoponlilmama]

This! This is driving me up the wall. Having to pay close to a thousand bucks to have a good Apple phone every two years like whaaat

Also in certain places or communities not having an Apple iPhone can get very inconvenient. Certain things on your phone might not work as well because they only support Apple.

Friend, I had my last phone for a decade before I was forced to upgrade (for tech reasons, not because the phone didn't work).

And yes, phones are expensive!

I own a television that I've had for almost 15 years. She still operates like a dream. Not changing it until it completely stops working!

I’m being blunt here; nothing. They just slap an ‘eco friendly’ sticker on their products every four years to avoid controversy.

Post automatically merged: Today at 9:29 AM

If companies want people to upgrade, then they should help contribute to all the waste created.

 

[NotASlayer]

I only got a new phone because I needed it for banking apps. Fortunately, because of it being on contract, it was free (included in the contract payments) and the contract was less per month than I was currently paying.

But it's gone from apps being a useful extra to being an absolute necessity. If you had problems with a computer, you could still access websites on other devices. Now with sites being replaced completely by apps, or if a device needs an app to even work, if your phone breaks, shatters, gets lost or stolen...

It has certainly made me a lot more precious about my phone.