In an era where relentless innovation and growth are the norm, a disconcerting trend is emerging. Despite companies’ constant quest for improvement, many of us find ourselves in a frustrating situation where our once-trusted devices no longer perform as they once did. Whether it’s an Alexa that struggles to understand commands, a Google Home that has lost its touch, or a Siri that fails to recognize our voice, the feeling is the same: “They used to work perfectly.”
I feel like we’re hurtling towards a dystopian future, and so I must ask a crucial question: “Are these issues beyond repair, or can they be fixed?” While companies strive for progress, I’m concerned that some products are purposely left to languish, leaving consumers exasperated. For me there is a cognitive dissonance; it’s supposed to work, it sort of does, but doesn’t work at all; and yet I feel like it should.
The Perplexity of Neglected Products (The Island of Misfit Toys)
It’s baffling: How have we allowed once-revolutionary products to deteriorate into shadows of their former selves? Take, for instance, voice-activated assistants like Alexa, Google Home, and Siri. These groundbreaking innovations reshaped our interaction with technology, but now they often fall short. What caused this regression, and can we restore them to their former glory?
Amazon’s recent announcement of AI integration for Alexa devices adds an interesting twist, but it begs the question: will this address the issue of technological degradation? Or will it be another cycle of build and break, leading to eventual obsolescence? Sadly, we often find ourselves trapped in this cycle of innovation, only to witness the subsequent decline, which even sadder leads to only a better camera on your phone. Lets face it no one cares.
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While it’s easy to single out Amazon, this problem extends across all consumer product categories. It’s not just about innovation, but it’s worth is intrinsically tied to longevity. If innovation cannot persist, its value diminishes. Ultimately, everything succumbs to entropy and decay unless maintained. This is sadly what we’ve become accustomed to, and even worse what we accept from our technology. The golden age where things were created, innovated, and cherished are long gone.
The race to stay ahead leaves little room for reflection and long-term planning. While larger organizations may craft long-term strategies, the fleeting nature of inspiration and innovation often leads to rapid development and equally rapid abandonment. This raises questions about the profitability of maintenance.
Consider the constant pursuit of better smartphone cameras. Do we really need them? This cycle of ‘innovation for innovation’s sake’ leads to fleeting products rather than enduring solutions.
The Profitability Predicament
So, what is the role of profit in this cycle. Is the relentless drive for financial gain causing companies to create subpar products that prioritize short-term market adoption over long-term sustainability? Are they more focused on launching the “next big thing” rather than ensuring the continued excellence of existing products?
Everything moves so quickly that there’s very little time for reflection, assessment, or long-term planning. Innovation sparks momentarily, but the notion that great ideas inevitably lead to lasting greatness is far from the truth. Society generates remarkable innovations in every sphere, our addiction to constant innovation often leaves no room for stability and permanence. Everything is fleeting, and we hop from one technological marvel to the next, whether it truly addresses our needs. We do what we’re told and consume what we’re given, despite what we want.
Somehow we’ve been trained to be a society of addicts, whether it’s social media consumption, smart phones, stocks, the next big thing, or even “keeping up with the Jones’”; it’s all the same. We glom on to yoga, working out, technology, innovation, being known, how many followers we have, and we’re still constantly stuck on what comes next…well, most of us, but not all of us. We’re stuck in this “age of innovation”, when really what we want is to be stuck in an “age of stability.” Nothing is stable right now, and we’re running too hard.
Reflecting on Your Technological Journey
What is your technological journey? Have you seen the trends that I’m bring up? Does your home assistant suddenly no longer work for you? Are the upgrade that are being purported as innovation bringing down your quality of life and increasing your ire toward technology?
I know it is for me.
I’m investing less in new technology. Once a technophile, I’m now holding on to what little that still works until it’s completely broken. That means old laptops, old phones, old tables, and old ways of doing things. The new way doesn’t seem to work as well and it doesn’t seem to be as polished as it once was.
I love innovation and technology, but I also see the social and human pitfalls of failed or failing or faltering technologies. I ask does anyone out there (other than the consumers) care about what they’re doling out? This throw away society of break or fix doesn’t work, and it doesn’t work when it’s cheaper to get a new one than fix the old one. Forget about sustainability. This is NOT sustainable for any long-term period.
So, I ask should we, as consumers, demand more from manufacturers? Should we hold them accountable for maintaining and improving their products, even after their initial release? Take USB-c as an example. Hold them all to a standard that benefits consumers, not themselves. Or is the current model, which emphasizes rapid innovation and replacement, here to stay?
What do I want?
I want us all to be society and group that advocates for persistent technology that works, that is supported, and that brings to the forefront the brilliance and innovation of our collective inventors and geniuses. Don’t let that die. I supposed in the end it comes down to innovation vs. maintenance. One can constantly innovate but that is like watching stones skipping over water. To maintain and ensure is what builds confidence and keeps everyone coming back.
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