Reframing The Tech Narrative: From Convenience to Enrichment
How convenient tech changes us and a better way of approaching and building technology
You’re looking at my archenemy: the Thermomix (the German Instant Pot)!
You can do everything and anything with it without needing to learn how to cook: Prep multiple dishes simultaneously, use it for baking, fermentation, blending, whipping, sauté-ing,….everything! It’s a whole kitchen in one device. It’s a semi-automatic robo-chef. And I hate it!
Many of my friends have this mysterious device in their kitchen; many use it daily, many can’t stop talking about how convenient it is, many love it. And I hate all of them for it! 😜
When you ask me – a hobby cook who once almost chose a cooking career instead of whatever you call what I am doing now and who still sometimes laments that he went for the latter – this….”thing” is…evil! And yes, I know I am veeeery biased!
“You're so sexy with your Thermomix” has never been said by anyone, ever!
To me, the Thermomix exemplifies today’s dominant tech paradigm. A logic embedded in nearly every device around us that prioritizes convenience above all else. As Tim Wu aptly puts it in The Problem with Easy Technology:
“A dominant if often unexamined logic favors making everything as easy as possible.”
It wasn’t always like that, and some engineers and designers still operate from alternative narratives and frameworks for creating technology. So today’s post is all about exploring the framings that define how tech is made. My goal? To help you embrace a better way of approaching technology — one that fosters a more beautiful, meaningful, and joyful life, and in doing so, reduces the overwhelming presence of convenient tech in our lives.
Quick note: If you’re a Thermomix fan and feeling a bit defensive right now, stick with me! The point isn’t to eliminate all convenient technologies (I know many chefs love their Thermomix… 🙄). Instead, it’s about creating balance – a life with tech that’s both convenient and enriching. Here’s how: