Which outdated technology do you miss the most, and why?
I don’t miss outdated technology—but I do miss the sentiment attached to every piece of technology that entered my life.
Technology improves life, yet it moves much faster than the natural rhythms of living—too fast for us to catch our breath, and too quickly for us to savour our old companions. Take the mobile phone. Many buyers race to keep up with Apple’s latest release, upgrading constantly at considerable expense. So who would miss the iPhone 16 Plus after they’ve bought the 17 Plus? And who would linger on an outdated Nokia? I would.
Twenty-five years ago, my sister gave me a Nokia mobile phone as a birthday present. The phone is long obsolete, but I still keep it—because it carries a history of love and happiness between us.
This raises a deeper question: while technological inventions improve life, do they connect us or push us apart? Stories of family members scrolling on smartphones instead of talking at the dinner table, or playing games during holiday yum cha with grandparents, are all too familiar.
Today, social media is an impeccable communication tool—yet many of us value online communities more than the relationships right in front of us. A “like” from a stranger can feel heavier than the support of a friend who has stood by us in difficult times. And AI agents are increasingly treated as better companions than real friends, simply because they offer immediate gratification.
Given all this, shouldn’t we pause and reconsider the long-term value of building relationships—whether in the virtual world or the real one? Should we miss an outdated gadget, or the newest product we can’t afford, more than the people who embrace us with real, breathtaking connection?
My choice is clear: I don’t miss technology, old or new—unless it carries a heartfelt pulse that holds me back.
Today’s prompt puts me on guard against the improper use of technology. How might the virtual world impact real life? May the poem below, and the wisdom of Scripture, invite you to choose your path with care.
—
✨ All Is Virtual ✨
Virtual worlds, trendy networks
Virtual living—never leaving home
Virtual currency, quick come, quick go
Virtual friends, chasing empty likes
Virtual acts, all fabricated
Virtual reality shows, online influencers
Virtual culture spreads like a virus
Virtual viruses can’t destroy the virtual—
yet they can shatter the real world.
—
Proverbs 12:26
“The righteous choose their friends carefully, but the way of the wicked leads them astray.”
en yan hua fang 