We need more single purpose devices (and why your phone sucks)
Feb 6, 2022
Tech
I was reading âSurely Youâre Joking Mr. Feynmanâ when I came across an interesting passage.
The way Feynman described computers, the words he used - wonderful, awe, delight- I wouldnât describe computers that way today. Useful, convenient, a boredom solver, addictive, sure. But wonderful? Awe-inspiring? Something that makes me happy? Not necessarily.
Computers were supposed to be bicycles for the mind. But it seems like almost everyone has some sort of unhealthy relationship with their personal computing devices. When did the computer revolution get off track? And what can we do to fix it?
Anti-distraction < No Distraction
I find it extremely patronizing that the very devices that allow us to be extremely distracted are the same ones that provide an array of tools to counter that distraction. Itâs like putting people in a room full of junk food and then giving them a calorie tracker to stay healthy. Itâs a band aid solution to the problem they created themselves.
A device like a typewriter doesnât even have the option to distract you, so you never have to worry about changing the device to be âhealthierâ. Itâs designed to write. And so you just write. The device doesnât give you a ton of low hanging fruit to get more distracted than youâd anyway be.
The first step is to admit that it isnât our fault weâre so distracted on personal computing devices all the time. Itâs the devices themselves that are badly designed. And a narrative of offering people âscreen time trackersâ and an array of slapped on fixes wonât solve the root problem.
Multipurpose = Sub-optimal at everything
Multipurpose devices were always the dream of the computing revolution, but they come with a design flaw- in a tool that can do anything, people will choose the easiest thing.
Computers can run any program. A lot of these will increase human productivity- tools like excel, imovie, garageband, word processing. But a lot of them will serve as entertainment- Instagram, TikTok, Youtube. Arguably, weâve seen an increasing transition from computers as productivity tools to computers as entertainment tools.
Anecdotally, if I consider what children use computers for now, itâs almost exclusively content consumption and socializing. And yes, we canât expect every child to constantly be creating novel things, but I think the fact that they increasingly arenât is a direct consequence of how personal computers are designed.
In a device that can run all programs, the programs which give immediate rewards are as easy to access as the ones which require work. In other words, the âreward landscapeâ is extremely skewed towards entertaining websites/apps. So weâre naturally drawn to the lowest common denominator- the easiest option- which would be scrolling TikTok or twitter or watching dumb videos.
We might actually have to reduce what computers can do to let people use them to their full potential.
We need more single-purpose devices
When I get distracted writing on my computer, I sometimes have this extreme urge to buy a typewriter and just write everything there. But thatâs the exact wrong response. Word processing can 10x the writing productivity you get on a typewriter. Iâm not distracted because of word processing, Iâm distracted because of all the other things I can do instead of it.
So we need more computers designed to specifically enhance certain tasks. Some companies are already doing this- Kindle for books, or 8sleep for sleep fitness- but we can do so much more.
Consider the Nintendo Switch. The Switch almost begs you to be social. It comes with two detachable controllers by default. You can connect it to the TV and switch it out for your friend's device in seconds. Many of the most popular games have an emphasis on multiplayer mode.
See, imagine what someone looks like when playing with their phone. Theyâre probably hunched over, closed off, staring down with a blank face. Now think of someone playing on a Switch. You might be picturing someone with friends, looking upright at the screen, collaboratively playing, looking alive and happy. Thatâs the power of good design.
We need more devices like the Switch. Designed to specifically enhance something, whether itâs writing, gaming, socializing, or being entertained. Computers are bicycles for the mind, not dopamine machines, and we should start acting as such.