Rescuing myself from Digital Hell
I super appreciated the message in this video of use what you have. I've often tried to live by that, but still find myself sucked into the "one gadget" or "brand of notebook" here and there.
The best move I did recently was to get a dedicated digital music player, I went with the JM21, Android based so can still stream using Qobuz when I want, but I've loaded an SD card with the music and audiobook collection I already had and it's great for intentionally listening to an album. No random notification pops up mid song like on the phone. It has wired and Bluetooth, but to be honest it's WiFi and Bluetooth are turned off and it plugs directly into audio splitter box to use my now very old speaker set (15 years old at this point) by my PC or directly into my Sony overhead earphones.
I made a case for it too out of scrap fabric and some quilting batting and an old button and cord for the closure, and made my own strap for it out of paracord and nylon thread. Yes that is also me in the "I have a new hobby" video, brings a new dimension to "use what you have" when you have a hobby of collecting hobbies! 😉
But yeah it helps a lot to be more intentional, I used to chase the tech, but it turned out to be a hollow promise and I am finding so much more joy back with notebooks and physical media or dedicated non "smart" devices.
This video and others that have cropped up in my feed recently have helped me realise that I am not alone in that overwhelming feeling. That there is a way out of it, and I think it helps being a little bit of the weird one as a kid (aka undiagnosed autistic in my case) as I don't feel as much pressure to keep up with the latest tech, or maybe it's also just getting older.
I did for a bit to be fair, but couldn't afford it and getting the latest phone on contract was not up there with smart financial choices. But that means I still have my old digital non internet connected camera with memory card which is now next on my personal swap out list, just been to order a new charge cable for it as it got lost over the years. But the battery lasts for months on the thing! I saved up for it after borrowing a similar one from a friend, and then unlike my phone I never upgraded it. So it's from just long ago that it's still just as good today, without that much noticeable difference in picture quality. Especially when using a mini printer like the one in the video.
So yeah physical notes books, intentional digital devices, physical media... All of it helps. I'm not fully done switching and unplugging and there are parts of my life that I still have to use "the latest tech", my employment kinda relies on it. But in my personal life, I can take back that control a little bit, and it really does do wonders for the mental health side of things.
