Analogue’s the way: Bengalureans want to slow down

Several Bengalureans are turning to old technology to cut the clutter and slow down. They are replacing the latest gadgets with feature phones, film cameras, MP3 players, and wind-up watches. 

Saikavin S, a computer science student, felt his critical thinking was being hampered. He was unable to exercise self-control when it came to scrolling on social media. “I wanted to experience life to its fullest and be more mindful of my actions and decisions. I figured I could live without a smartphone for most of the time,” he shared.

He had been thinking about making this switch since last October. He even experimented with “productivity launchers”, apps that strip a smartphone down to function like a dumbphone. However, he would slowly slip back into old habits. He finally switched to a feature phone this March.

The frustration had been building for a long time. As a child, he read books and had conversations with friends and family about what he had read. Years later, such conversations had mostly stopped and were replaced by endless scrolling. He also read an article about how tech giants design their apps to “degrade our critical thinking skills”.

Saikavin has since found alternative ways to meet basic needs. “I use public transport so I can avoid ride-hailing platforms. I look up directions beforehand on my laptop and write them in my pocket notebook.” He also regularly withdraws cash from ATMs and does not use digital wallets. “This is challenging because the government is pushing cashless payments as the norm. One gets five free withdrawals and is charged Rs 23 per withdrawal thereafter,” he explains.

Offline playlist

Purushotham S, a software engineer, has been seeking more control of his music in the age of streaming platforms. “I went back to my old MP3 players because music streaming services have become repetitive with their suggestions, and there is little control over algorithms. Essentially, the listener has no control over their playlist,” he said.

He keeps up with new music through recommendations from friends, online reviews, and social media trends. “What has changed is the sense of exclusivity and the ability to listen without distractions or ads. Choosing and queuing tracks makes the experience feel more deliberate,” he added.

Purushotham also uses an analogue camera and occasionally listens to music on a turntable.

Tactile experience

Amoghavarsha, a lawyer, has been wearing analogue watches for the past four to five years and is particularly drawn to mechanical timepieces. “There’s something symbolic and intentional about waking up every day and winding your watch,” the 32-year-old says, adding, “It’s a reminder that things work as long as we intend to make them work — careers, relationships, the direction of life itself. Everything requires some winding up.”

Ankitha Nihaari, an artist, prefers analogue watches because she does not want to be dependent on another screen. She uses a smartwatch only during workouts and switches to her old Casios and HMTs afterwards.

Aakriti Thatal, an independent researcher and photographer, gravitated towards analogue technology for tactility and a sense of control. She shoots with a Yashica Electro 35 film camera and uses an HMT Janata mechanical watch, which she particularly enjoys for its unique Hindi numerals on the dial. “I was interested in the whole process of taking images, going to a studio, getting them developed, and seeing them in print.” As digital cameras are not limited by frame count, Aakriti realised she tends to take many photographs that eventually need sorting. “Using an analogue camera gives me some sort of discipline to be more selective with my shots,” she explained.

Analogue as a remedy?

Dr Manoj Sharma is a professor of clinical psychology at NIMHANS and head of SHUT (Service for Healthy Use of Technology) Clinic, India’s first tech de-addiction centre. In his experience, he has also seen people choose feature phones as a way to de-addict from smart tech, online gambling, trading, and betting.

However, Tanveer Hasan from the Centre for Internet and Society feels that this in unviable in the long run. “In the Indian context, where phones/smart devices are both social privilege and existential necessity, like for digital banking, I do not think that it will become sustainable or scalable.”