Saying “the Amish are against technology” is a crude oversimplification.
The first issue is that even something as simple as the wheel is ‘technology’. Now, assuming what you meant to say is that the Amish are opposed to is actually digital technologies…even that is not entirely true.
In truth, the Amish are merely selective about which technologies they adopt or reject. It comes down to adopting technologies which enhance the lifestyle they are deliberately cultivating. For example, some Amish communities use simplified computers for basic word processing, spreadsheets, and similar.
While history may not vindicate the Amish fashion sense or some of their other ways of thinking, I believe history will prove the Amish to be much wiser than the rest of us. A few recent conversations reinforced that I’m not alone in thinking our children will have worse childhoods than most folks my age, and that a lack of vision around how we leverage technology plays a major role in that.
It would be reductive and unsatisfactory to simply point to the internet, or the smartphone, or social media, or some other innovation as the definitive worst modern technology that is to blame (though the internet enables the rest of these). Ultimately, it’s not about the technology itself but, as the Amish know, it’s about how that technology affects the surrounding world. Word processing good, video games bad.
Inter-dis-connected Network of Networks
The internet has increased the speed at which information (and disinformation) travels. In a less information-rich environment, you make different choices: you include more detail in your message because you don’t know when you might speak to this person again - and your message recipient builds up their attention span in a commensurate way. You build deeper relationships because more effort is required to maintain the relationship - a touchpoint is not a few keystrokes or swipes away. You commit to plans because you can’t just ‘change your mind’ minutes before. You trust more because you have to - you can’t track your child’s every movement via your smartphone.
Even if you could deliberately choose to kick it old school and restrain yourself from using the power available to you, most would say…why? This is made even harder once your brain starts to experience the dopamine withdrawal and loss of control associated from ditching smartphones, video games, and similar.
Not to mention the downsides, of course, to slower communication. Think of the soldiers in World War II who went on fighting months after the war had ended for an extreme (and personal favourite) example. Imagine the length of time medical and scientific breakthroughs would take without the internet. The internet has certainly saved lives, despite how many AI companies seem determined to bend things the other way by encouraging you to eat rocks or jump off the Golden Gate Bridge.
Still, I think future history books will judge widespread home and mobile internet access available 24/7 for nearly all ages to be a net negative for the mental health, social skill development, and community building of all of humanity in the early 2000s until we wise up as a species.
While the books are still in the process of being written, I believe the science is on my side today. I am currently reading Bowling Alone, the late 90s classic that examined the decline in American civic engagement during that time period. There are many worthy contributors to that unfortunate decline, and one of the first and most definitive and obvious contributors to be identified was widespread television entertainment. Putnam’s research found that avid TV watchers were less present in their community in every conceivable way, and formed fewer and weaker social connections as a result.
We Are Not Amused
I suspect updated studies today would instead point to the vast internet entertainment options available to us, from streaming services to YouTube, social media, and beyond as contributing to the same issue - but the principle behind it is the same.
While I think the medium of TV has some particular deficiencies, like its 'top down' and authoritarian (though not necessarily authoritative) nature, once again blaming the technology would be to identify the enabler but not necessarily the cause. It is our addiction to entertainment, coupled with the new-ish ability to have said entertainment delivered to us anytime by bad actors who manipulate us for their financial gain, that creates and worsens the issue. Having 24/7 access to something like YouTube is like giving an addict the key to a fully stocked liquor cabinet.
Most unfortunately, once those well-worn grooves in your brain are formed to expect the constant dopmaine rush, they’re difficult to undo - especially if your work requires you to regularly be online and available. Physician, heal thyself.
A presenter I once heard described smartphone and inbox notifications as ‘little love pellets’, reminding you that someone, somewhere likes you or needs you for something. Whereas TV just delivered something in a one-sided take-it-or-leave-it manner, video games, social media, and even your email inbox are constantly seeking ways to draw you in. This is not a bug, but a feature. Video games are designed to be addictive, especially those made in the last ten to fifteen years where the business model has flipped from full-priced releases to freemium games that encourage you to pay a bit more to play a bit more, or to access a bit more, or to show off to friends.
So, what is the solution? (Especially since I don't think the nearest Amish communities would suddenly welcome thousands of us showing up on their doorstep)
I don't have great answers, unfortunately. I am trying to make deliberate parenting choices to shield my children from the worst of the internet. I have installed an app on my phone to limit my use of certain applications, and have used some similar technologies on and off for my browser. A friend has gone further and replaced his phone with a 'dumb' phone, which is an excellent step if you can take it.
These are Band-Aid solutions for a much bigger problem, however. If there's one inspiration we can take from our friends, the Amish, it is that we must articulate a vision for what we want our lives to be like and be uncompromising in using that measuring stick to inform our decisions.