An older perspective on the media technology runaway train

I work in media and have usually been an early adopter of tech, had the first i-pad, VIVE and used to be on the latest releases of phones and my camera kit was always up with the leading edge of developments. I'm nearly 50 and had a computer when dial up first went mainstream. I don't say this in any way of a boast its just a bit of context.

In the last 5 years I've seen my love for apple decline; the build isn't as good as it was and the built in obsolescence as new OS are released is infuriating. I still use a macbook pro for my laptop and my main edit machine is a mac although I run FCP 7 as it still remains my favourite editing platform and does all that i am usually required to do.

I watched as friends followed the trend going to 4k cameras, which then needed 4k edit stations, more storage, faster processors, I watched their wages disappeared into kit. The crazy thing is the end users are still asking for DVD's! or at best HD digital files. Very few people request 4k, certainly not in the world I work in.

This crazy train of tech was not easy for me to see while I was in it. I was carried by the wave of excitement of the shiny new things and that feeling of not wanting to be left behind.

After over 10 years of riding the train I took time out to go and do something totally different; working for an environmental social enterprise helping grow food, showing others how to grow food and running a veg box delivery scheme. That year out changed me. I could see now how I was as much a victim as a user of my much loved tech. It's long been interesting to me that we call the things we own possessions. Sometimes I wonder who is doing the possessing? Objects become the deciders of the actions we take, selling our souls for the latest kit and tech.

This wasn't/isn't an easy realisation and I still cant help getting that wave of excitement as I look as some new shiny box with buttons and touch-screens. I still read the science and tech pages, I'm still interested.

What has changed however is am not riding the train. I don't have the latest kit. I don't have the latest upgrade or even the highest specs. I still get well paid for my professional work and still get asked to make SD DVD's! I actually have to work less hard as I end up with more money in my pocket as I'm not constantly upgrading. Sure I will have to upgrade at some point, but I've found outlets for second hand professional kit that is maybe only a year old and is often less than half price. Obviously this kit comes from people still working harder than they need to, riding the runaway train and perhaps acting as though they are possessed by technology.

I hope my words give any aspiring freelancer or other 'technology junky' a moment of reflection. I have reclaimed so much of my time and after all, that is our most precious resource.

Peace.