Did you know you’re a victim of our own home? The latest idiotic trend believes we are seduced by the “smart home”. Phones and screens everywhere to keep you trapped in the matrix. The real problem is not the screens or the tech but people’s inability to stop touching them. An article in the Wall Street Journal shows that designers are now cashing in on screen-free “dumb” rooms because “smart systems “keep dropping off” or because “people are waking up to the idea that screens are getting in the way of real life interactions.”
From both a user and design perspective, the Pattersons consider their analog room a success. Freed from the need to accommodate an oversize television or stuff walls with miles of wiring, their design team—BarnesVanze Architects and designer Colman Riddell—could get more creative, dividing the space into discrete music and game zones. Ellen’s octogenarian parents, who live nearby, often swing by for a round or two of the Stock Market Game, an eBay-sourced relic from Ellen’s childhood that requires calculations with pen and paper.
In the music area, James’s collection of retro Fender and Gibson guitars adorn walls slicked with Farrow & Ball’s Card Room Green, while the ceiling is papered with a pattern that mimics the organic texture of vintage Fender tweed. A trio of collectible amps cluster behind a standing mic—forming a de facto stage where family and friends perform on karaoke nights. Built-in cabinets display a Rega turntable and the couple’s vinyl record collection.
“Playing a game with family or doing your own little impromptu karaoke is just so much more joyful than getting on your phone and scrolling for 45 minutes,” said James.
The Wall Street Journal (free link)
This is presented as some kind of profound insight, as if humans just discovered fire. Every room in your house is already analog. You do not need custom paint jobs and cabinetry and a wall of records to stop scrolling. Just put the damned phone down. This possibility isn’t mentioned in the article.
The article describes people spending thousands of dollars to recreate what we used to call, way back in the late 20th century, a recreation room.
Homes are now expected to “actively support well-being,” complete with rotary phones (which I have connected via Bluetooth to my cellphone), analog clocks (which I have scattered about the house), and one person even installed a refurbished 1950s phone booth (which I don’t have because I’m not stupid).
It is possible to own a TV, a computer, and a phone and still choose not to use them. Self-control is free. If only there was some tech to fix people’s brain cells so they can remember they’re are allowed to turn things off. Here’s one more suggestion… GO OUTSIDE! It’s an analog world out there. Just put your blinders on so you don’t inadvertently see a screen.
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