"I Consider It Hot Garbage": Older Adults Are Sharing The "Modern" Technology They Refuse To Use, And I Couldn't Imagine Living Without Some Of These
I'm usually all about embracing new technology (delivery apps are personally a godsend for me), but there are definitely times when modern inventions can seem overly complicated. Recently, redditor Wizzmer asked older adults of the r/AskOldPeople subreddit to share the technology that they refuse to use today. Here are some of the gadgets they'll never touch.
1."Alexa, Siri, or any 'smart home' voice thing."
"Me neither. We had one for a few months (we got it as a Christmas gift), but it would start talking or playing music in the middle of the night — it scared me half to death! Then it became obvious it was listening to us: ads for things we talked about but never looked up online started showing up on our social media, so that was the end of that.
Yes, I'm aware that ship has sailed, and every device listens to us and maybe watches us far more than we want to think it does, but it makes me feel better not to have Siri/Alexa in my house."
2."Twitter."
"Twitter used to be a decent place to get information and was fun sometimes. I now use Threads for the fun and Bluesky for news. Eff that X app."
3."I hate the internet-connected dishwashers, washing machines, dryers, etc. I do NOT need to talk to my appliances, and I do not need to pay extra for it. It's just one more thing that can break."
4."A smart watch."
5."I have no use for keyless door locks. I'm an avid early adopter of most technology, but I don't like the idea of a hackable door into my residence. If someone wants to get into my home badly enough, they are getting in. I just want them to work for it."
6."So many new appliances and devices have apps. Sometimes, you don't have a choice but to download their app to set up whatever the thing is. My fridge has an app that gives me a report on how many times the door gets opened. I don't give a shit, and I have notifications turned off for these apps. I just want to plug a fridge in, set the temp, and have it work for a hundred years like my parents' old Frigidaire did when I was a kid (although maybe use a LITTLE less power)."
7."I wouldn't say I refuse to use ChatGPT, but I've never bothered to learn how, and I don't really care."
"I took a few classes on how to use AI. It was presented favorably, I understood it well, and I still consider it hot garbage."
8."Pod coffee makers — they're my probably-irrational rant topic."
"An expensive way to make shitty coffee."
9."I won't use DoorDash/Postmates/Grubhub. It's ridiculously expensive and would make me feel very lazy and entitled. (I acknowledge that If I were disabled at all, I'd probably feel differently.)"
"Those services just cost a lot of money. DoorDash can almost double the price of a meal. I barely even have pizzas delivered anymore because of the delivery fees and tips that get added. I'm also not going to have groceries delivered because I prefer to have a choice. The delivery people just grab from the top and sometimes substitute."
10."I use a cellphone, but I refuse to have any banking apps on the phone. I also don't use Venmo or any of those other money transfer apps."
11."I try to use and embrace as much technology as I can, but I refuse to use a kiosk to order fast food. No, thank you, I will do without."
12."TikTok. I work with teenagers. Several have asked if I have a TikTok account. They promised my (future) TikToks would be popular and I could grow a following. I roll my eyes or sneer at people who are obviously performing on their phones. I don't want to be TikTok popular."
13."QR menus."
14."I am often mocked for not using a dishwasher, but honestly, I don't use a lot of dishes and can easily just wash them myself in 30 seconds as opposed to running a dishwasher for 20 minutes. Never had one growing up. Never needed one."
"There are only two people in my household, and we don't have that many dishes. It would seem silly to have one."
15."Self-checkout. If there are no cashiers, I'll take my business elsewhere."
"I am not a fan. I am one of those people with a full grocery cart. It can't handle it. They also always seem to be broken or need someone to clear some issue, and at a grocery I used to shop at, no cash was allowed. The lineup for the normal line can be huge as many use cash at that store."
16."90% of my internet usage is still on a laptop. Why work with a tiny keyboard and a tiny screen when you don't have to?"
17."E-readers. I was gifted an Amazon Fire tablet, which I use for the internet, recipes, and DIY stuff. But for reading, I want to hold an actual book."
18."A TV. I've got one in the living room that hasn't been on in over 15 years."
"I've maybe turned on the TV five times since my husband died two years ago. He was the TV person. When we were dating, he asked where my TV was. I pointed to an unopened box in the closet. It had been a gift from my parents, who found it shocking that I didn't watch TV."
19."I don't use GPS/navigation because I've noticed it causes people to lose their sense of direction. People don't even know street names. I was trying to help someone with directions, and they didn't even know the names/numbers of the major interstates and highways."
Are there any modern inventions you refuse to use? Tell us in the comments or fill out this anonymous form.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
