The Role of Technology
I have been intrigued by electronics and technology pretty much my entire life. One of the first memories that I have related to technology was when I was about 5 years old. My dad had two old VCRs that were no longer working. He sat my 7 year old brother and I down and explained that the machines no longer worked and he wanted us to take them apart and put them back together, piece by piece. I was thrilled and my brother hated the idea … which made me a little more thrilled since we were always rivals. My brother spent about fifteen minutes before giving up and throwing it in the trash. I probably spent four hours or more tearing this thing apart, organizing the pieces so I remembered where they went, and putting it all back together. When I was done, I felt extremely accomplished, even though the stupid thing still didn’t work.
Having had an affinity for technology for so many years, I have thought a lot about how technology should influence my life. I have lived through periods of time when I used almost no technology (during a service mission in Italy) and other periods when it practically defined who I was. Through those experiences, I think I have finally found the role that I want technology to play in my life. But first, let me tell you how I got here.
My Struggle with Smartphones
For a couple years, the only “smart” device I owned was the 2nd Generation iPod Touch. I liked iOS and it was incredibly easy to learn how to use. Then I decided I wanted a smartphone so I didn’t have to rely on Wi-Fi all the time. The first smartphone that I owned was the Samsung Focus, because I was a starving college student on a tight budget. However, I already saw the advantages that Android and iOS had over Windows Phone 7.5 and that led me to get an HTC Sensation 4G. After that, I had experienced the three major touch-based Operating Systems, and Android emerged as my preferred OS. Windows Phone and iOS had advantages over Android, especially in 2011, but overall I felt that Android offered the best value proposition.
Over the next few years I had owned over 50 different smartphones, almost all flagships. These included different generations of iPhone, Windows Phones from HTC, Samsung and Nokia, Android phones from LG, HTC, Samsung, Motorola, Sony, OnePlus, Alcatel, Huawei, OPPO, and Google’s own Nexus devices. I continued buying and reselling phones because I loved learning everything I could about as many different phones as I could. After a while, this got tiring though. I just wanted something that I could use long term (or at least a few months). I favored Android, and Nexus phones were always my preference due to the fact that they included stock (or “vanilla”) Android and they were among the first to receive updates.
Settling Down
Like a bachelor at an advanced age, I longed for permanent companionship. I wanted something that could give me what I needed and not just take my attention. I started feeling this way in the summer of 2015 but had a hard time committing to any one device. The Nexus 6 was way too big and not that great, the Nexus 5 was by far my favorite phone but pretty dated, and I could never get attached to any other Android or the iPhone. Windows Phone was a no go due to it’s lack of support for Google’s services. After a few months of frustration and continued anxiety, the Nexus 6P was released. This hit every requirement that I had. Quality craftsmanship, gorgeous design, excellent camera, great screen, stock Android, fingerprint sensor and stereo speakers (call me spoiled). I bought the phone immediately upon release and I continue using it now. It just works for me.
Lesson Learned
Honestly, as much as I enjoyed those years of learning every mobile OS and skin imaginable, I feel that it took over my life. All I talked about with friends and family was how cool or terrible the phone was that I was using at the time. It allowed me to give great advice when they were trying to decide on their next handset but it hijacked my interests and my life for those few years. I have just started to realize the impacts that it had on my life, and I think there are many more that I haven’t even discovered yet. I don’t want an infatuation with technology (or anything trivial for that matter) negatively impact my priorities and goals in life. Technology should enhance my life, not distract me from it.
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