How to Survive the Next Era of Tech (Slow Down and Be Mindful)
In his final State of the Art column, Farhad Manjoo reflects on the industry’s changes and presents a new guide for navigating the future of technology
Nearly five years ago, in my very first State of the Art column, I offered a straightforward plan for how to survive what was shaping up to be a turbulent time in the tech world.
At the time, technology felt thrilling and world-changing. You could use a smartphone to call up a car as if you were some kind of baller. You could video-chat with people anywhere in the world, like “The Jetsons” — and maybe some of those people would use the new tech to throw off the yoke of repression, somehow. They were the days of miracle and wonder.
But tech also felt confusing. There were so many new things — every year, new phones with so much more power, made by so many new companies, all running so many new and purportedly revolutionary apps — that it was easy to get lost in the hype. It was also easy to pick the wrong horse. There was no guarantee that this or that novelty would last until next year.
So to get the most out of innovations and avoid betting on the also-rans, my inaugural advice to readers was to follow these…
