Written by Menswear Style in Tech on the 18th January 2019

Technology is everywhere. Whether you’re preparing a strong brew before heading to work or you’re trying to keep the house warm while you’re away, we live in a world where technology lets us take care of every single aspect of our existence. As a result, tech-savviness has become an indispensable life skill. It’s fair to say that we live at a time where you can’t afford to be intimidated by the use of technology. It’s an integral part of our day-to-day routine, regardless of your age. Admittedly, seniors can struggle to come to term with the latest tech gadgets, but most of them have already adapted to the Internet, smartphones and even smart homes. As it happens, tech-savviness is a growing phenomenon that has brought many generations together. But, modern technology is affecting human life at a deeper level. Indeed, on the one hand, it is a life-saver in the medical sectors. Surgeons, for instance, can proceed to complex operations while using tools that guarantee minimal invasion. Remote technologies can even allow surgeons to operate when they’re not on-site. In a word, we have the technology to make lives better for all. However, we don’t always make the most of the gadgets around us. The fast-past tech-savviness that has developed in modern life is beginning to affect the way we think about technology. Indeed, in a race to always adapt faster and more efficiently to the latest devices and equipment, most people forget to measure the benefits they get from their tech belongings. While it doesn’t mean you should throw away everything that uses an Internet connection in your home and live in a rock cave, you need to take a step back and ask yourself in all honesty what you get from it. Don’t let tech savviness affect your life comfort and happiness. It’s time to find your critical voice about tech again. Develop tech-life savviness to take control back from internet dependency.

We’re not smart enough to sleep well anymore 

According to a study carried out in 2014, 62% of teens take their phones to bed with them. Needless to say, most adults copy the same behaviour. We’re all guilty of checking our phones at night. The majority of people have their favourite gadget plugged in by the bed. On the one hand, there’s a logic behind it: Your smartphone now serves as an alarm clock. However, the blue light of the screen messes with your brain waves, forcing the brain to believe that it’s daytime, and consequently keeping you awake. In the meantime, most smartphone manufacturers have developed screens that don’t interfere with the brain sensitivity to blue light; some screens even have an automated night mode. But, unfortunately, we lack discipline and check our phones regularly before going to bed and when we wake up at night, leading to major interference with our natural sleeping patterns. Indeed, your phone addiction interferes with sleep. As a result, you wake up feeling tired. Surprisingly, the market answer to the dilemma is to introduce smart alarm clocks that create a soft light to help your brain wake up naturally. The truth is that we don’t need an intelligent alarm clock! We need a smart go-to-sleep clock instead!

Loyal customers don’t get the best deals 

Modern life is almost impossible without a broadband provider. Whether you’re booking your next holiday or you need to make an appointment with your GP, most things happen online. However, too many customers fail to consider the financial side of their IoT requirements. Indeed, it’s not uncommon for tenants or homeowners to research the best deal as they first move in and then stick to the same contract. While you change the gadgets that rely on your Internet connection, you may not bother to see if you can get faster broadband. With a range of websites helping you to compare prices, finding the best provider for your needs is not as much hassle as you might think. More importantly, you don’t gain anything in becoming a loyal customer. As a rule of the thumb, customers who stay with the same providers for several years end up paying as much as 40% more than those who shop around regularly. In other words, switching providers can be worth up to £540 savings! 

The tracker doesn’t make you fit 

Fitness trackers are a must-have when you want to measure of your fitness performance. At least, that’s what you can believe if you set a foot at your local gym. Most members train with a tracker wrapped around their wrists that lets them know how many calories they’re consuming, the number of steps they’ve accumulated over the day, and even how fast their heart is beating. In fact, if you’ve decided to get back in shape this year, you’re probably shopping around for the best fitness tracker. One word of advice: Don’t buy any. Why so? Because, ultimately, you don’t need to know that level of detail. Indeed, more and more fitness-enthusiasts are discovering that their wrist trackers act as a wall that cuts them from the real world. As a result, you can experience feelings of isolation and lack of personal satisfaction. Make a liberating experience instead; take a run down the park or the forest. Look at the trees, the people, the sky. Enjoy the diversity of the world around you and feel how you’re connected to everything. You don’t need to wear a tracker to run or to go to the gym.

Smart homes are not for you; you’ve got it wrong 

Revolutionary gadgets such as Alexa were introduced as a voice-controlled assistant. Alexa, Siri and Google Home, to name but a few, are said to make your life better and more manageable. Do you need to vacuum? Just ask Alexa to clean the room for you. Do you need to book an appointment with your hairdresser? Siri can remind you of it. For parents, voice-controlled assistants can answer any tricky questions from your children. But in reality, most people don’t need this level of assistance. Technology is just making you lazy! Indeed, assistants should make your life easier when they allow you to do things that you couldn’t otherwise do. Picture Alexa in the world of a blind man. Suddenly, he can listen to TV, letting the assistant help him to find something relevant. He can get access to the news in real time. He can even listen to books he wanted to read or plan his grocery deliveries. While you and I can do the same tasks through our smart home gadgets, it’s fair to say that able-bodied individuals shouldn’t be the primary target of this helpful tech. 

Time for a real detox from smart sharing 

Our smartphones are becoming more and more sophisticated. When Apple first launched the iPhone, it was the first phone that combined a camera, an Internet connection and a music collection. Since then, social media platforms have joined the smartphone movement, so that it’s impossible to go anywhere without making an Instagram post or sharing a Facebook recommendation. While technology is designed to bring us together, the surge of social media apps on smartphones creates more disruption than connection around us. More and more adults spend too much time lost in the feeds of their favourite platforms, confusing cyberlikes with real-life approval. From stress-related disorders that can be traced back directly to social media usage to real-time documenting obsession, most people would improve their mental health by removing a few social media apps from their phones!

Tech that enabled remote work also kills your social life 

Companies have needed a long time to embrace remote working options. Telecommuting has been praised for allowing employees to manage their professional obligations while maintaining their social lives. But in reality, digital technology has created an expectation of hyper-availability. Indeed, because remote employees can work out of sight at the hours that suit them and the company best, it’s not uncommon to expect them to reply to emails and take phone calls even outside of their working hours. Managing your time when working from home is a challenge of modern work life. When all it takes to be available is an Internet connection, when do remote workers actually stop working? 

Tech-savviness comes at a cost 

Most people have at least 7 digital gadgets that are connected to the Internet at home. The trend is expected to increase as more and more devices reach the market. From laptops to smart trackers, the Internet of Things comes at a high cost, both for your finances and for your mental health. Indeed, small British homes are cluttered with modern devices that you don’t need. Ask yourself whether you need a laptop and a tablet, or even whether your life has truly improved since the purchase of your latest gadget. It’s time to free your budget and your life from the unnecessary influence of devices and embrace a simple and minimalistic lifestyle. Clear the space to find inner peace again.

We put the spotlight on Fitness Trackers, Smart Homes, and the Social Detox in this guide which asks if you Are You Tech-life Savvy?