We live in an era where we are expected to keep replacing perfectly serviceable things. This is especially true of electronic gadgets - phones, computers, and such. Anyone who has lived through the last four decades, especially as an adult, has had to contend with a constant stream of advances in technology, whether in home appliances or with the digital landscape. As newer and fancier models arrive in the shops, the temptation is too great not to jettison our old ones for them. With the intense competition to bring new products to the market, is it also possible that the newer ones aren't as reliable as the ones they replace? After all, more and more the mantra is 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it, just replace it'.
Last year we had to call in an appliance repairman to fix our refrigerator. Many were busy and were only available after a couple of days. We finally found one that was willing to come by. The first thing he told us when he arrived was that he would have refused the call if our fridge had been one of the newer models. Ours was over seventeen years old but he said the new ones with all fancy bells and whistles were not made to last. After he repaired the fridge, he told us never to replace it and appreciated that the fact that we still had our old washer and dryer. Now, maybe he had not kept up with the technology and was not confident of repairing new models but our experience with the dishwasher has convinced me that the older models were real workhorses. I am always loath to replace something when it is still working well. My motto is, 'If it ain't broke, don't replace it'.
As luck would have it, the fridge broke down again after a few months and the handyman this time threw up his hands and admitted that it needed to be replaced. And so began a hunt for the replacement. We eventually settled on a model which would work without us having to fiddle with too many bells and whistles, or worse, having to download an app. I don't mind using apps to do my banking but I have no need to talk to my fridge or my coffee mug. Yes, I said coffee mug because someone gave me a mug that is capable of keeping the coffee hot for a long time. The mug can be controlled through an app to set the temperature. But the base needs to be charged and the whole thing has to be handled carefully as far as washing goes. Needless to add, the mug is sitting in its box unused. The point is the more the features, the more the complexity, and the more the chances the gadget will malfunction. More is not needed when less is adequate and more is not always better.
I have written before about shaving razors (long back actually), a classic case where more blades are not better and disposable cartridge has only meant more plastic waste. Talking of waste, there is the coffee pod a monstrously wasteful product. I could go on but you get the idea. A lot of change seems to be change for its own sake like the annual releases of new smartphone models. But in some cases, changes have meant steady improvements to function and safety. I think cars over the last three decades have certainly become better although even here the proliferation of bigger vehicles has been a drag on the environment. Overall, people are keeping their vehicles far longer than they used to in the seventies or eighties. That is certainly a good thing.
Changes have not merely remained in the technological realm but have permeated all aspects of daily life. I think as a generation, we have adapted to these very well although there may be room to debate how well. But we can certainly claim the right to look back and sigh about some of the things that arguably worked better before.
Take the case of eBooks. It is amazing that you can carry a small library in a little handheld device or even your phone. You can feel good about saving trees by not having the printed version. But what I did not expect was to pay such a high price for eBooks. Why do they cost as much as their hardcopy brethren? After all, the cost of production should be negligible in comparison to the latter? Furthermore, you don't even actually own them. You have just acquired a license to read them. Unlike the printed books, they cannot be lent to others, sold in the second hand market or donated. In my book (no pun intended), this is a bad deal. One of the joys of buying and reading a book is the ability to share that joy with others. If I cannot do that, then at least I shouldn't be paying a premium to read the book. I can see why the print industry is still going strong.
So, go ahead and look back wistfully on the good old days when things used to be built to last. I do hope that that applies to our bodies too! In any case, indulging in nostalgia is a luxury readily available when we are old.
One final thought. Technology has been the driver of dramatic changes in our lives. But ironically there is one area of tech that is seemingly bucking the trend. Systems written in COBOL, that venerable old language, are still around and are in fact supporting many important sectors like banking, insurance and government. Sixty years on and still chugging along, COBOL, I am sure, will be replaced eventually but like I said, if it ain't broke, don't replace it!
