The Internet Of Things Is Becoming More Difficult To Escape (npr.org)

An anonymous reader writes: After a long day, many of us try to set down our technology and unplug from the world around us. But, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center and Elon University's Imagining the Internet Center, over the next few years, that will become much more difficult to do. The Internet of things will continue to spread between now and 2026, until human and machine connectivity becomes ubiquitous and unavoidably present, according to experts who participated in what Pew described as a "nonscientific canvassing." About 1,200 participants were asked: "As automobiles, medical devices, smart TVs, manufacturing equipment and other tools and infrastructure are networked, is it likely that attacks, hacks or ransomware concerns in the next decade will cause significant numbers of people to decide to disconnect, or will the trend toward greater connectivity of objects and people continue unabated?" The answers they gave were telling: 15 percent said significant numbers of people would disconnect while 85 percent said most people would just move more deeply into connected life. Unplugging is futile, and plugging in is unavoidable. It's already difficult to create distance from the technology that surrounds us, but as connectivity increases, it might become impossible to do so.

Comments

Oh, BULLSHIT!

[Rick Schumann]

It's not 'unavoidable' in any way shape or form and this whole story is complete and utter BULLSHIT. You do not have to BUY ANY 'IoT' things AT ALL to start with, and you do not HAVE to use them, either.

Re:Oh, BULLSHIT!

[Nidi62]

You will be assimilated, or you'll have to wash your clothes with a 20 yr old machine.

And in a stroke of irony, that 20yr old machine will probably still last longer than a brand new IoT connected machine.

And that right there is the trick. Until IoT is legally mandated by the government (and I hope that is a long way off, but we all know some kind of connection will eventually be required on things like cars), stick to older cars and older appliances. Get yourself a Jeep, Subaru, Volvo, etc-a car that can run for decades, and barring any bad luck you can avoid a connected cars for years. Ditto for appliances-fridge, drip coffee maker, oven, microwave, etc; unless you have some desire to always have the latest and greatest, any of these should last you a long time as well (again, barring any bad luck)