Digital technology has been our companions for around the last 40 years, from the large computers in the back to phones even 5 year olds are addicted to.
Do you ever notice the life cycle of these specific products?
When you get a nice new phone, it looks shiny and nice and smooth. You get access to the App Store and can get all the newest apps and games.
And then a year goes by and either the screen breaks or a newer model comes out and you get bored with the one you have. Or your laptop gets a virus. Maybe the apps aren't as compatible, and instead of going to a store to recycle the parts, it's easier to just toss your current phone in the trash and order up a new one.
A new screen. A new smooth experience.
There is a problem going on in the West. Millions of tons of digital technology are gone through every year: Gadgets that use monetary metals like gold and silver, along with toxic components that harm the environment are casually thrown away and the people that have to recycle the materials are risking their lives to clean up the mess.
Yeah, these things either head to a landfill to "decompose" (not really), or are picked up by E-Waste companies to convert the materials into something more usable. Conversion processes damage the lungs and skin of the workers in these companies, which are mostly overseas of course.
Out of sight, out of mind.
Have you ever tried to sell your used phone, or a custom-built PC? These items are among the hardest to sell outright, because apart from the novelty of an old SNES or Nokia phone, most of the newer tech is useless to most people. There’s a huge supply of people getting rid of their tech, and not enough of demand on the market for them outside of loyal customers to phone companies.
I’ve been using an app called LetGo in order to sell my custom PC, and it’s almost absurd how many phones, televisions, and laptops are given away for cheap, without buyers.
These products can devalue by as much as 20% each year. Game systems are renewed, phones have newer models, and overall there is a gigantic supply of screens.
And along with the resource use of these gadgets, have you seen what happens to people that are hooked onto their phones and televisions and video games? Laziness, obesity, and for some reason, persistent boredom.
Kids are having massive attention and memory problems from flashy graphics and non-stop attention grabs by YouTube videos. Kids have a stronger relationship with their Xbox’s moreso now than with their own mothers.
Television programs provide constant product selling and propaganda, and tends to further divorce the mother from their children. In many neighborhoods, the fathers are non-existent in their role as fathers.
We know it’s a problem, however nobody seems to be stopping it.
My question is, do you get turned off by that idea? Does focusing in on a major societal problem make you antsy? Is it too hard to look down the road at the cliff we're barrelling towards and to do your part to steer you and your family away?
Our sons and daughters are in trouble: they can’t think for themselves. The largest waste of resources in history is meeting with the largest distraction from the real world.
Talk to your children more. Notice how much you complain throughout the day about how wrong things are, and do something about it.
You cannot trust a president to save your problems. You cannot trust the government to teach your children. You cannot shove off issues or pill them over and expect everything to be okay.
Apps can wait. CNN is just preaching to the choir. Treat money as an asset, not something you can flush down the drain and always have more of. We have countless instances in history of death as a result of careless ways, of people that chuck it and chuck it and suddenly they have nothing.
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