Your Email Inbox Controls You, Not the Other Way Around

And other lessons about how technology sometimes makes our lives harder

Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash

Sometimes, I wonder who is in charge: me or the gadgets? “You’re running low on storage,” my devices tell me, “An update is required. Your battery is low. Review your security settings. This version is no longer supported. Secure your account with two-factor authentication. Backup your recovery codes.” On my desktop, there’s an image of an overflowing bin that needs emptying. It would be quaint were it not such an on-the-nose metaphor for the list of computer chores I need to do. I spend a lot of time being nagged by tech.

I’m pretty diligent when it comes to looking after gadgets. I keep my software up to date, clean my screens, remove dust from the fan vents, and clean my keyboard (pro tip: don’t do this on a full stomach.) These physical tasks are something we have to accept about possessions: The richer we are, the more things we have to dust. As Caity Weaver says in the New York Times about a ridiculously overpriced T-shirt: “The thing about a $590 T-shirt is that, upon acquiring one, you immediately become the human assistant to a $590 T-shirt.” The same is true of my devices. I have a growing list of errands to run for my digital pseudo-employers. These tasks aren’t big or taxing, but they keep…