Not Everything Needs to Be Smart! Enough Smart Things, Keep it Simple - The Need to Simplify Our Lives
We live in an era where everything, from your toothbrush to your trash can, is powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI). You might have heard the phrase “there’s an app for that,” but now it seems there’s a smart device for everything—whether it makes sense or not.
In a world obsessed with “smartifying” every corner of our lives, it begs the question: Do we really need everything to be that smart? Spoiler alert: we don’t. In fact, some things are better left dumb.
You might’ve stumbled across this post here “Not Everything Needs to Be Smart: The Case Against Unnecessary Tech Gadgets”, which we write to highlights the absurdity of over-complicating life with gadgets we didn’t ask for.
Let’s be honest. Some devices deserve to be smart, like our phones, which help us navigate, communicate, and get through daily life. But does your fork really need to be smarter than you?
Below, let’s dive into a hilarious rundown of the “too smart for their own good” devices we could do without.
Smart Toaster! Really?
Do we really need a toast notification for our toast?
Here’s a revolutionary idea: a toaster that’s connected to Wi-Fi. Because, you know, manually setting a timer and adjusting the toast level with a knob is just too much work.
This ingenious device sends you a notification when your toast is ready, in case you’ve wandered into the garden or left the country in the 2 minutes it takes to crisp your bread. I’m all for innovation, but if my toaster ever tells me I’ve left my bread too long, we might need to have a serious talk.
Smart Fork
I don’t need my fork judging my eating speed, thanks!
Because the world’s biggest problem isn’t poverty or climate change—it’s eating too fast! Enter the Smart Fork, which tracks your eating pace and lets you know when you’re shoveling in that pasta too quickly.
The future of health is in eating slower, apparently.
It’s not like the discomfort from eating too fast would be enough to stop you, right?
No, you need an AI fork to keep you in check. I can't wait for the future where forks start giving dietary advice. "Do you really need that second slice of cake?"
Smart Toilet? Seriously!
We’ve all had some deep thoughts on the toilet, but now your toilet is thinking about you. Smart toilets analyze your bodily functions, sending that data to your phone to track your health.
Because nothing says “cutting-edge technology” like your toilet deciding whether you’ve been eating too much fiber. Privacy concerns? Pfft, that’s so 2010. Now, it’s all about making sure your bathroom trips are optimized.
Maybe some things are better left private, right?
Smart Trash Can
A trash can that alerts you when it’s full and needs to be emptied. Because the sight of overflowing garbage isn’t enough of a clue, now you’ll get a helpful push notification telling you what your nose already knew. Talk about unnecessary alerts!
I can smell it, I don’t need a push notification!
Smart Hairbrush
Yes, this exists—a hairbrush that tracks your brushing habits and sends tips to your phone about how to improve your technique. Apparently, your years of brushing experience count for nothing if AI isn’t guiding your hand. Expect a new era of immaculate hairdos, folks. Too bad the Smart Hairbrush can’t tackle the real problem: bad hair days caused by humidity.
I’m just trying to detangle my hair, not start a hair-care data revolution!
Smart Pillow
This thing supposed to tracks your sleep patterns and adjusts itself for better comfort.
Maybe the secret to better sleep is not having my pillow nag me about tossing and turning!
Smart Salt Shaker
Well, it really exists, it connects to Alexa and dispenses the perfect amount of salt.
For God's sake Whyyyyyy
Smart Potty Training Seat
Now this is something, This smart potty training seat, tracks progress, rewards your child, and syncs with an app.
Because nothing motivates toddlers like an app ranking their poops activities.
Hazem Abbas
Final Words
It’s mind-boggling to think that with all the real-world challenges out there, some developers and companies are pouring time and effort into creating unnecessary smart gadgets. While the world is dealing with healthcare gaps, environmental crises, and the need for better education, we have people inventing "smart" salt shakers and Wi-Fi-connected trash cans.
Meanwhile, the open-source community is brimming with meaningful projects that can solve actual problems—whether it's improving access to digital learning or building tech solutions for underserved populations. Instead of using innovation to make salt sprinkle itself, maybe we should refocus on solutions that make a real difference in people’s lives.
Let’s steer creativity towards solving issues that matter, not trivializing our daily routines with redundant tech!
As our post from suggests, not everything needs to be smart. We’ve reached a point where technology is complicating simple tasks.
Do we really need apps to track how much water we drink or how fast we eat? As life gets more connected, we’re losing sight of the fact that sometimes, simplicity is better.
Let’s stop trying to turn every mundane object into a “smart” one. Not everything should be smart, and sometimes, a dumb device is all we need.
