The Joys of Inconvenient and Nostalgic Technology
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In this episode of All of It, host Tiffany Hansen explores the cultural and emotional resonance of 'inconvenient' technology with New Yorker staff writer Hanif Abdurraqib, whose essay 'Our Longing for Inconvenience' examines how the relentless pursuit of digital convenience is eroding human connection, curiosity, and ritual. Abdurraqib argues that modern life’s frictionless design—seen in dating apps, AI customer service, and streaming platforms—creates a false promise of ease while diminishing meaningful engagement. He shares personal anecdotes about rediscovering his collection of burned CDs, using a VCR, and embracing vinyl records, all of which reintroduce tactile, time-intensive experiences that foster presence and memory. Listeners and callers weigh in with stories of intentionally downgrading—using old iPads as dedicated readers, collecting physical books, and seeking out analog pleasures—as acts of resistance against digital overload. The conversation reveals a generational and emotional shift: people aren’t rejecting technology, but seeking balance by reclaiming the 'work' of connection, discovery, and memory. The episode closes with poet Maggie Smith introducing her daily meditation practice, The Slowdown, reinforcing the theme of intentional slowing.
Intentional inconvenience—like using a VCR or vinyl records—can restore ritual, presence, and emotional depth.
Convenience culture often masks a loss of curiosity, human connection, and the capacity for meaningful effort.
Nostalgia is not inherently good or bad; it becomes problematic when it’s used to escape the present rather than enrich it.
Technology can be adapted to bridge past and present—like modern vinyl players or VCR adapters—making nostalgia accessible without sacrifice.
Writing by hand, even with poor handwriting, can be a powerful act of mental and creative recalibration.
The Myth of Convenience
Host Tiffany Hansen introduces the episode by questioning the true cost of digital convenience, setting the stage for a conversation on how frictionless technology may be eroding human experience.
Dating Apps and the Loss of Human Friction
“The dating app as a form... you are still kind of presented with all these options as though you are shopping for groceries or as though you are trying on outfits virtually, so to speak.”
The Material Longing for Analog Tech
“There's something I enjoyed about putting each CD in the player and seeing how well it held up after two decades. There was a real pleasure in that.”
Nostalgia, Memory, and the Cost of Convenience
“It's a different thing to say I want a Walkman or I want to put my phone in a box and read a book that requires a labor, a worthwhile labor.”
Reclaiming Ritual and Connection
Listeners and callers share their own 'downgrading' practices—using old iPads as e-readers, collecting vinyl, visiting libraries—showing how intentional inconvenience fosters curiosity, presence, and community.
“If we are not a curious people, we end up becoming a cruel people, a more cruel people, because we lose interest in the world outside of ourselves.”
“The dating app as a form... you are still kind of presented with all these options as though you are shopping for groceries or as though you are trying on outfits virtually, so to speak.”
“It's a different thing to say I want a Walkman or I want to put my phone in a box and read a book that requires a labor, a worthwhile labor.”
Host
Guest
Hanif Abdurraqib
person
Tiffany Hansen
person
VCR
product
Dating Apps
product
New Yorker
other
Walkman
product
Vinyl Records
product
Streaming Services
product
Ben
person
Cassette Deck
product
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