I have mentioned already that . . . I didn’t choose a “word” for the year. But I do actually have a “theme” going on. (And actually I’ve had this “theme” going on for several months before the new year even arrived.) I’ve been doing some pretty serious thinking about technology and its role in my life, having realized that many of my mental health woes – and certainly my reduced attention span – have come about because of technology. (Or more accurately . . . the way I USE my technology.)
Now don’t get me wrong — I’m not a technology nay-sayer. I LIKE technology and can’t imagine not having access to it in my life (more on that in a minute). I just want to be sure I’m personally benefitting from my technology use. And that I’m fully aware of how I am (because we all are) being manipulated by our technology.
It really started for me early last year . . . when the whole Elon/DOGE thing was the news-of-the-minute and they were stealing our data. And then I got more and more irritated about the scourge of social media. And influencers. And the damn algorithm. And all of the metrics we don’t really need. (Like – as an example – please explain to me how Spotify reporting your “top songs” for the year and how many hours you listened is helpful . . . to you – personally – rather than to Spotify.) And AI. And all the enshittification.
I knew I was grabbing for my phone too often – and staying on it for far too long. I just couldn’t seem to stop myself.
As the new year was dawning, I could see that I wasn’t alone. I noticed a whole lot of other people (on Instagram, of course . . . irony on top of irony) talking about choosing “more analog” and “less digital” for 2026. Which sounds like a great plan. And I will admit that on my very first pass at my own More/Less list, I had “analog” under the More column, and “digital” under the Less column.
But then I started thinking . . . and, well . . . you won’t see “more analog/less digital” on my list anymore.
First of all, I already embrace the “analog” quite fully in my life. Most of my hobbies are already “analog” hobbies. (Knitting. Embroidery and needlepoint. Painting. Gardening. And on and on.) I read books in all forms (including digital), but I mostly use my library and check out hard copies of books. I cook from actual cookbooks that I own. I journal . . . with a pen in an actual journal. I keep an analog planner and calendar. I love making hand-written lists — and crossing things off with my pencil! Shoot, I even use an old alarm clock in my bedroom. (I mean, it does have a digital display, sure, but it is connected to power with an electrical cord and I have to set the time manually when the power goes out.)
So I’m not sure I need MORE “analog,” actually.
And I do like and appreciate many aspects of my “digital” life. I like being able to text. And blog. And organize my photos. And listen to music. And stream television shows. And share funny memes. And maintain a digital calendar. And get together with far-away friends on Zoom. The list goes on and on. But there are quite a few things I don’t like about my “digital” life. And that’s where my focus needs to be.
It’s not that I need LESS “digital.” I just need to use it in a healthier way.
I read a Substack essay by Brad Stuhlberg early in the new year, and this quote resonated for me in a big way . . .
“We believe that you should use technology. And that technology should not use you. A good question to ask yourself regularly: Am I in charge of this technology, and is it helping me? Or is this technology in charge of me, and is it hurting me.” — Brad Stuhlberg
So that’s my overall “theme” these days: being more intentional about how – and when – I use the “digital” side of things. If you look again at my More/Less list, you’ll see that I want MORE “digital wellness” and LESS “digital distraction.” This feels like a much better balance for me. And I can tell you that I’ve already made some progress. (Baby steps, but still.)
I have a lot more to say on this topic, but I’ll save it for future posts. In the meantime . . . how about YOU? Do you struggle to find analog/digital balance? Are you fed up and feeling manipulated by your technology?
I have never been active on social media, as I am not one to spend hours looking at what other people are doing or saying. I see my phone as necessary technology, but I do not enjoy using it for anything other than texting and calls. I also hate how big and heavy phones are these days, so I bought a razr just so it would fit in my pocket. I don’t love it enough to keep up with it! I generally use my laptop for reference purposes, i.e. reading news, current events, looking up things I am curious about, etc. However, I probably spend too much time doing that, but I truly love the internet for those purposes, and I am dismayed by the fact that all the info has to be heavily curated for accuracy. So, I feel like I own my tech for the most part. I only read a few blogs in the morning with my coffee, check the news, and then move on. I use streaming platforms for entertainment, but scrutinize them carefully each month to see which ones I am using and cancel others, buy kindle books, but not exclusively since I use my local library quite a bit. I follow a handful of instagram accounts only with notification, do not look at TikTok, X, or FB since I have always felt they are a useless time suck. I guess all of this makes me seem old, but then again, I am. 🙂
My answer to your question is a resounding YES… thus my bit of a digital detox this month. And stepping back from social media has helped… significantly! My hope is that I always use technology in a way that is best for me, but that is not always the case. I, like you, have a journal that I write in with a pen. I have an analog calendar as well… it serves me the best. I do use a digital calendar for some things (it is really nice for appointments that I need to travel to as I can click “advise me when to leave” and it predicts traffic patterns quite efficiently!) I use my phone for my alarm, and I use a meditation app before bed that has been incredibly helpful with that hurdle of “falling asleep” that happens occasionally. I have grown to really dislike IG… and I wish there were better rules for the use of AI… but that would require lawmakers that actually make laws. Sigh.
I don’t feel like this is a personal struggle for me. I use technology A LOT, both at work and at home, and it mostly makes my life easier. Like you, I also have a lot of hobbies that aren’t about technology. Journaling (now with fountain pens, talk about going backwards!) and knitting, painting and crafting, gardening. And sure, that Spotify top list doesn’t mean anything but I get a big kick out of it and find it pretty interesting. I rarely use Facebook anymore, I don’t spend much time on Instagram, and I really enjoy TikTok and get most of my news from that app now that I don’t watch televised news anymore. I think we need to be less afraid of AI and more informed about it. I use it regularly for a variety of things, both work related and personal, and I appreciate the things I have learned because of it. I guess at the end of the day what really matters is that we all have the ability to find a way that it all works to our benefit and it sounds like you’re taking that seriously and making strides that are helping you to do just that. I think this is all a really important conversation to have.
That quote is… one to take to heart! I am in the LOVE TECHNOLOGY camp, but am not always using it best. FB/IG started as a way to keep in touch with family, especially when so many of mine were scattered across the globe, but that’s all changed a lot. Like you, though, much of my life is analog. Electronics rarely even enter my bedroom, and I have to reset my alarm clock when the power goes out, too (along with a few other clocks around the house… I just like them). I’m on a computer so much at work, too, that I definitely don’t sit in front of one for hours at home unless there’s a very good reason! Good stuff to think about, Kym. Thanks!!
I don’t know that I’ve felt the need to be overly concerned about my digital usage. I use my cell phone for texts and calls, use my laptop for blogging and reading whatever news I feel necessary, but no longer use FB, and keep an analog paper calendar. I still use IG, but that may be due to reading the news less, so I’m following news and political people more on IG. I use goodreads but that is just to keep track of my reading for personal use. I do have to be careful when I’m feeling especially stressed that I don’t sit and scroll mindlessly, looking for good news that I wish was out there. So to answer your questions: I don’t feel like I’m struggling in finding a digital/analog balance, and I still feel like I’m mostly in charge of my technology. Thanks for giving me some things to think about!
I stopped using social media a couple of years ago when I realized that the negatives far outweighed the positives. I do subscribe to various channels on YouTube but use it more like TV than social media, i.e. I only look at channels I’m subscribed to and don’t ever scroll it. I also do not use the Substack app to read any newsletters that I subscribe to because it turned into a social media app, in my opinion.
I love to read the blogs that I read, like yours, and the newsletters I get through email and digital newspapers. And I read books in all forms.
Can we call blogging analog? It’s been around longer than any other type of SM we use. Most of my phone time has been for staying in touch with family or friends, health oriented check ins, and personal business. Most of the time I can limit scrolling and SM. I don’t really like SM all that much. I love the analog hobbies and habits, such as writing a letter with fountain pens and stationary, which is so old fashioned! It’s almost like writing in code, as only people over a certain age can read it! lol My hands like reading (real books) and knitting more than they like holding a phone. Thanks for the insight, Kym. I like the way you think!
I know that I have my phone in my hand probably more than I should, but like you, I do a lot of analog activities already and prefer writing things out by hand to typing them (especially to-do lists!). I deleted Facebook years ago and took myself off Twitter once Elon took over, so really Instagram is the only social media I really use, and that’s pretty heavily curated. I think where I can improve is being okay in those in-between times during the day with NOT looking at my phone but just appreciating the silence or focusing on my breath. I could probably also check the news less; it’s never good, so I don’t need to know about it quite so often.
My rule is thumb is to remember that digital technology should serve me instead of the opposite. I feel pretty successful. Perhaps those of us who grew up without technology are more aware of the pros and cons of usage? I use a paper calendar and augment that with a digital one so I can add appointments when I’m in offices or getting my haircut. I enjoy this blog community. I scroll IG now and again but curate my followers and following. I also appreciate being able to search for information online. I use a fountain pen and a paper journal, make paper lists, hand write thank you notes and birthday cards. Now and then I get a bit irritated with a group of friends who like to group text at all hours. I remember the days when it was considered bad manners to phone people for social reasons early early in the morning or after 9:00 p.m. in the evening. I wish the same applied to texts. Instead I put my phone on “Do Not Disturb” when I have had enough. I have loved texting and facetime with my family. It’s been a lifesaver and kept me from being really sad about being far from dear ones.
It’s funny. Literally, seconds before I opened your blog, the thought popped into my head – no doubt induced by all the electrical outages we’ve been experiencing lately – that before the advent of modern technology how did people get things done? How did Lewis and Clarke achieve their mission without cars, email, and photography? How did so much of civilisation survive without modern medicine? How did Gothic cathedrals, pyramids, and Macchu Picchu get built? How did we start the day easily without toast from a toaster, alarm clocks and flush toilets (think about That for a moment). I think our modern technology usage could be traced as a continuum from hardly any (living off the grid) to use for convenience sake (washing machines) to use for fun (movies, tv, Nascar races) verging toward dependence, addiction and total mindlessness (checking our phones every five minutes for everything from Isaac Newton’s birth/death dates for a term paper to whether Susie Q broke up with Martin Mullethead at the Head-to-Toe mall before or after my mother picked me up so I didn’t get to watch the drama.). I think our age group still USES technology more than Martin Mullet’s whose age group gets used BY it. At least I gosh darn hope so. (Personally, I am semi-addicted to Safari and my Scrabble app, am “meh” about Instagram, don’t use FB, Twitter, etc., enjoy Pinterest and almost anything with knitting content, which is where most of my obsession lies. Hence my super-long Comments.)