Why I’m Obsessed With Intentional Tech
The Reader’s Edge | Charlie Samways | May 10, 2026 |
My grandparents would always comment on the speed of technological advances from when they were young. They passed nearly three years ago, and I’ve been asking myself what they would be saying now.
In this time, we have seen a huge growth in public awareness of AI, thanks to chatbots like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.
There was one very specific reason why I was thinking about this: the more I use the latest technology, the more I feel like I'm throwing myself onto a hamster wheel of companies competing for my attention.
Last year, I realised that my own creative autonomy was slipping away. Tasks that I once prided myself on were suddenly being handed to an AI Chatbot to do instead.
As time went on, I realised that losing the routine of creating for myself meant I was starting to lose that special skill and doubt my own creative decision-making. Not only this, but more and more of my time was going into feeding the algorithms of social media, which knew exactly how to keep me tuning in.
I could see that AI technology would only improve, and I wasn’t willing to give up my creative freedom. Something had to change.
My initial answer was to search out books on this subject. My favourite so far has been Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus (see my book notes here). It’s well researched and puts across a key point that hit me hard. We all believe controlling our attention is about discipline.
The ugly truth is that we are all fighting against companies that are spending millions of pounds to keep us hooked. Discipline isn’t actually the major issue here.
You might even think that a digital detox is the solution. Sadly, this is another method that will fail for the majority of people. Hari argues that a detox treats the symptom rather than the cause; for the same reason, wearing a gas mask occasionally isn't a solution to air pollution. It might offer short-term relief, but it doesn't address what's creating the problem.
The answer isn’t less technology. It’s better technology, used deliberately.
The solution that I have found works best is adopting intentional tech. That is, choosing and using technology that works for you, understanding both its benefits and its costs, and finding ways to keep the benefits while removing the costs.
Finding ways to adopt intentional tech may be the hidden solution to a growing attention crisis.
The Craftsman’s Approach to Tool Selection
We want our tech to work for us and not against us.
This is especially true when it is time to work. It can be hard to find motivation to tackle challenging tasks, at the best of times. But it is made even harder when technology is hitting you with distractions.
It’s easy to grow tired of people thinking that throwing technology out is the answer. For many, this isn’t realistic, so will be doomed to fail. Instead, becoming intentional with the application of the technology we use is the most suitable path forward.
One way to approach this is through the Craftsman’s Tool Selection - whenever a piece of technology is considered, ask yourself about the realistic positive and negative impacts on your life. Then go one step further and consider ways that those negative effects could be removed.
A great example of this for me came when I had to upgrade my laptop. I knew the positive was increased processor speeds, meaning I could achieve far more than on my old laptop.
The negative I identified was that this new laptop would also have plenty of distractions and would make it far easier to jump between apps and browsers. The solution was to use app and website blockers at certain times of day, allowing me to continue deep work sessions.
For anyone familiar with my YouTube channel, you will also know that I’m a lover of e-readers. In my opinion, these are flagships of intentional tech. They provide a simple purpose (reading), without distractions.
Switching to e-readers was one of the best decisions I ever made. It was the starting point for me to see how technology can help our productivity, without the ugly side effects. All of a sudden, I was able to find routines with tech that improved my life.
I’m yet to have a day when my e-reader sends me down an ugly path of algorithm-based distractions. Long may that continue.
Some technology is simply too beneficial to turn down. The solution is understanding the positives and negatives of new technology, then looking to remove the downsides.
This Week’s Question
What’s one piece of intentional tech that genuinely works for you rather than against you? What makes it different from the rest?
Reply to me at hello@charliesamways.com. I read every one.
From The Channel This Week
This week’s video is a practical extension of this idea. Ten Kobo features that make it one of the best examples of intentional tech I own. If this newsletter resonated, this is worth your time.
10 Kobo Secrets That Will Change How You Read
Plus, don’t miss out on my Free Kindle Guide, available to download for all subscribers.
Wishing you all the best this week, and finding ways to make your technology work for you.
Catch up next week,
Charlie Samways