HI TECH v LOW TECH

‘Technology

solves more

problems than

it causes’

Technology – do you love it or loathe it? Rachel Ogden

explains why she buys all the latest gadgets, and finds

out why Liz still prefers the old-fashioned ways!

Rachel Ogden, 40, from

South Yorkshire, is a

freelance journalist. She’s

married and has two cats.

‘I never made a conscious

decision to have a lot of

technology. It started with

my first smartphone – and

it snowballed from there.

I have several gadgets

that I can control from

a device, including my

central heating (great

for switching it on if I’m

arriving home early so

the house is toasty the

moment I walk in), plugs

and lightbulbs (so I can

schedule lights and the

TV to switch on and off

when I’m away), a smoke

alarm (being able to

shush it from the kitchen

is genius), a smart speaker,

and a security system that

can be disarmed from my

phone so I don’t have to

rush to the keypad when

I walk in.

My favourite piece of

tech, though, is a driveway

camera. It may sound silly

but seeing that my cats are

coming and going when

I’m away is reassuring –

especially if my neighbours

haven’t spotted them for a

day or two. It also catches

couriers who leave packages

by the bins, so I know where

to look for them later!

However, I know that

I can live without all of it

• I’m just realistic that life
  with technology means
  I can be anywhere in the
  world without ever feeling
  too far from home.’

‘There are

enough

stresses in

life without

technology

adding to it’

Liz Mendlesohn, 65,

from Greater London, is a

retired teaching assistant

and full-time grandmother.

She has three adult sons

and four grandchildren.

‘It seems that the more

high-tech things people

have, the more stressed

they become when those

gadgets don’t do what

they want. I often see

people getting cross with

their mobile phone. There

are enough stresses in life

without adding to it.

I have a mobile phone,

but it doesn’t have the

internet. When I first tried

to learn how to text,

I didn’t pick it up. Then

one of my sons told me

that he needed me to be

I can see my cats

coming and going with

a driveway camera

PHOTOS: GETTY

28 womansweekly.com