Technology

Q: What technology do you use daily? A: My phone, obviously, more than anything else — it's basically an extension of my hand at this point. Beyond that, a laptop for work, and headphones, which I put on almost the moment I leave the house. It's a fairly ordinary list, but I notice how dependent I am on all three the moment one of them isn't working. Q: Are you quick to try new devices? A: Not really, no — I tend to wait until something's been out for a while and the early problems have been ironed out. I'd rather let other people be the test case. The exception is anything work-related, where I'll usually adopt new software faster because the benefit is more immediate. Q: Has technology changed how you study? A: Completely. I used to rely on physical books and handwritten notes, and now almost everything happens on a screen — research, note-taking, even the way I organise my thoughts. It's more efficient, without question, but I do sometimes wonder whether I retain things as well when I'm not writing them by hand. Q: What technology could you not do without? A: My phone, without much hesitation, mainly because of what it's replaced — a camera, a map, a notebook, a way of paying for things. If you'd asked me the same question about a laptop, I might have answered differently, but the phone is the one thing I'd genuinely struggle to function without.