I Do Not Like Mondays

In an age of artificial intelligence and automation, I find myself clinging to manual, analog processes and often wanting to do things myself, rather than simply relying on technology too much to do it for me.  

It’s like the old acronym “DIY” — Do It Yourself — with some of us being those weekend warriors determined to handle all kinds of projects on their own, rather than calling in help or hiring a professional, for example.

What manual stuff am I talking about in my case? I shoot cameras with modern digital bodies and, almost always, fully manual or vintage lenses affixed to them. I often prefer a real book to reading a PDF or tablet/Kindle/etc. I write this site’s content myself, without AI. Heck, I even still drive a stick — a manual, or once called a “standard,” transmission — vehicle, and have done so almost exclusively right from the first time I was learning to drive in a parking lot around age 15.

I wrote about that last one nearly six years ago in an article called “Manual Fool” in which I extolled the virtues of manual transmissions. I argued they’re more fun and keep the driver more engaged/less distracted, and that I myself know my driving intentions for the road ahead like no machine can.

There are, of course, limits to this. And there’s only so much sense in trying to do things manually or without app/AI/etc. assistance. You can call me a control freak, but yet I love my manual processes, and often want to utilize just the right blend of technology without taking it too far.

And I’m not alone, it turns out.

Though the motivation behind it may be a bit different, 71% of vehicle buyers said they’d buy a car with less tech in it if it meant more privacy for them, according to a new report from cybersecurity and digital privacy company Kasperskey. The report, “Is My Car Spying on Me?”, found that 87% of respondents said automakers should be required to delete their data upon request.

Only 28% said they have “some idea” of what data their vehicles are collecting about them and their vehicle use. Kasperskey polled 2,000 U.S. drivers in November in conducting the survey.

So while I hold onto my manual processes because I simply like them and to help keep me sharp, others don’t want technology going too far and doing things without their permission.

Kasperskey has some suggestions if you’re one of the latter, including:

—Don’t install your car’s mobile app on your phone.
—Don’t activate Apple’s CarPlay or Android Auto pairing functions.
—When you pair your phone via Bluetooth, don’t allow the car to access your address book or give it other permissions.
—Buy an older car or a car with a minimal set of “smart” sensors and/or no communication module.
—Ask about the manufacturer’s privacy policy when you purchase a new car.
—Use security solutions to protect your phone and other primary devices. 

Here’s some food for thought. A friend of my wife just replaced an old Toyota Corolla with a brand-new vehicle and said this: “While I thought my old car would probably survive the apocalypse, I feel like my new one could get taken down by a computer virus.”

Whether you like to just DIY or want to keep technology from taking too much control of your life, remember, you still can.

Content © Aaron G. Marsh