Technology is often a double-edged sword: in one respect it innovates and makes past conveniences more useful but at the same time it adds to our own growing collection of personal clutter. If you’re like me old devices end up in a box in the back of my closet or they remain on my shelf collecting dust and cobwebs instead of being thrown out when the latest ‘i-device’ comes out.
The New York Times recently wrote an article recommending which old devices you should throw out that are collecting dust on desks/shelves and in closets all across the city. As they put it, it’s easy to say that “that paper maps and Rolodexes have given way to their digital counterparts” but what about that desktop computer sitting on your desk or the camcorder from 1998 in your closet and what about the books with fading pages on your shelves? Lose it, Lose it and, surprisingly, keep them the Times says and we concur, except maybe on that last one regarding books.
For those in the spring cleaning mode or for those of us not wanting to show up on the next episode of Hoarders, getting rid of your extra/outdated devices will be a good thing. What to do about that alarm clock, GPS Unit, MP3 Player, and cable TV – all of which have been replaced by better modes of technology? Check out the NYT article and come back and tell us which devices you’re going to let go of in the spirit of spring cleaning!