Yes. I only own and operate vehicles that are pre-2004. They have computers, but are very simple, easy to replace, mostly easy to work on. Pre-1990 are much easier to work on. My tractor was made in 1947. Also dirt simple to work on. On all of these things I can disable the devices designed to cut engine life in half or to intentionally use excessive oil and fuel.
Everything around the home is low tech and life can go on if they fail. They do not have any remote connectivity, so obviously no telemetry and no way for governments to override control. The most complex tech for the home is the controller for the well pump which is easy to replace.
Why? Mostly safe from Carrington like events [1] or high altitude nuclear explosions delivered by stratospheric balloons. No dependency on contracts or service plans with vendors, a.k.a. no vendor lock-in. I own these things. Either I can fix them or I can find someone locally that can.
I do own computers but I do not depend on them or cell phones in any way whatsoever. They are for convenience and fun only. It's not quite like new-order Amish [2] but I agree with some of their logic.
I ditched the smart watch and went back to mechanical and quartz watches that just tell the time.
I still don’t really get most of the smart home stuff. My dad is really into it, and it all seems so annoying. He can’t even unlock his front door without using his phone, or he’ll have to recalibrate the lock.
I think there is a lot of value in tactile controls and feedback, and so much of that has been stripped out of our lives. I try to hang onto it and get it back where I can. The same goes for purely mechanical devices that work today and will work in 100 years. Those are the best.
I’m also so tired of charging stuff. As well as tired of buying products that turn into e-waste when the battery loses its ability to hold a change. It seems like user-replaceable batteries should be a hard requirement on everything.
I've always hated that people in sufficiently large groups seem to stop thinking for themselves. As soon as one starts doing something, people join in, just because.
I've sort of dealt with this fact by becoming suspicious of whatever the popular thing is at the moment. It makes me think twice about if I actually want something, or if I want it because it's new, flashy or popular.
I don't know if this qualifies as low-tech because I do have a desktop pc and an android phone. But I don't use streaming services, I don't listen to podcasts, i don't have any bluetooth-stuff, I only read physical books, I write using pen and paper, don't have a car, don't have any smarthome stuff, don't use social media, when I'm out of the house I don't have access to all my music, video's and holiday pictures, etc.
Honestly I don't feel like I miss out on anything.
To answer your 'How' question.. It helps me to imagine myself back in the 90s before I ever used the internet. Is a new tech/service/device something that I would have wanted or needed back then? Did I ever think "damn, I would love to be able to listen to my favorite radio show while walking the dog"? No? Well then the thing was never an issue for me, so I shouldn't try to fill that non-existent hole by listening to podcasts.
* I am pretty wary and unexcited about new products, gadgets, things from startups that are unlikely to survive very long. The Lindy effect is real, and powerful. I like "boring technology", and things that will be stable and around in 2 years, 5 years, etc.
* I think dedicated, single-purpose apps, products, services, and cloud / saas things are are pretty stupid. I like text files, shell scripts, spreadsheets, and markdown. If it has to be more complicated than that, then maybe json, xml, etc., but something generic and "flat file".
* I don't like configuring or customizing things. I prefer the default, out of the box configuration, because that's what I'll get if I reinstall, get another one, have multiple devices, etc. If something has a dumb configuration by default, but can be configured/customized to be wonderful using non-default settings, then as far as I'm concerned it's broken, the out of the box configuration is the only one that counts.
* Things like "smart" houses / devices that need wifi, an app, phone home, and depend on continuous internet connectivity are moronic.
* The more the internet slides into a hellscape of ads, algorithms, and AI slop, the more I like offline things. The corkboard at the supermarket is a great way to discover products and services. Phone calls answered by humans are pretty good. Walking up to a tradesperson parked at a jobsite and talking to them to see if they can do your job is pretty great.
* I'd rather use checks than venmo or zelle.
I don't really treat it like an identity, but more and more, yes.
> If so, why and how?
- Everything spews telemetry which ends up with data brokers and by proxy, various nation-states.
- Everything is software-based. If you work in or with software developers, you'll have an idea how bad it is. I can't trust that code, even when its not vibecoded.
How?
- By reducing usage of and dependence on tech products where feasible.
- By selecting low-tech product alternatives. My appliance don't need wi-fi. If I can't get an appliance without wi-fi, it's never going to be connected to wi-fi.
I try to use tech that provides what I see as a net positive for me while trying to limit the downsides. I do stuff like use a Pi-hole and VPN while using internet. I have security cameras, but use them on-site rather than Ring, etc. I dont use lots of small connected devices either, mostly opting for wired connections. I schedule the wifi to turn off late at night too. Try to limit content for the family to things that are educational or at least not mind numbing. I don't chase the newest tech and can be happy with older hardware, used hardware, etc. I have lots of real world hobbies to focus on too.
I want to be as self-reliant as possible. I don't want to rely on any other humans. I still have to, I believe, but the less the better. If I don't have a family, I'll probably buy a cabin and live in the woods. I can't do that now, so I'm teaching myself skills. I want to learn camping, hunting, basic medicare, etc.
Tech, on the other hand, is malicious or unreliable because the humans who control/maintain them are. If you can write your own tech, it's going to be a lot better.
Be high-tech but own-tech, and low-human.