We are becoming less and less "backwards compatible"

The recent 15-hour shutdown of AWS services from a hub in Virginia on October 20, 2025 should be a wake-up call to everyone.

But it wasn’t.

The fact that we are becoming more reliant on an “always on, always connected” lifestyle that relies on services that are less and less local without any kind of triplicate failsafe infrastructure should be alarming to anyone who is aware of our progress as a society.

The ignorance and apathy are palpable now.

Look around you at your social fabric, your political leanings, your religious beliefs.

Everywhere you look, there’s another pitch, another product, another countdown towards something “going away forever”. The endless promotion and marketing shows up wherever you are, whether you’re in your phone, your tablet, your TV, your monitor…anything with a screen and an internet connection has something that’s being hawked for you to buy, buy, buy (buy, buy).

The moment things went down for a day or so, I bet there were at least a few moments throughout the day where you had to stop and ask yourself “where did I used to get this from again?”

Maybe it’s not a new thing to harp on, but it’s something that I’ve begun to realize as I get older and start remembering back to when I was a child in the 80’s and 90’s. Things were simpler back then. We were straddling the line between the analog and the digital age. Cable seemed endless. Computers were used to type up essays and play video games. Your phone line was always open, and you actually had to remember phone numbers and commitments.

Every innovation abstracts away another layer of retention of thought and removes another barrier.

This can be both good and bad, and we have a choice about where we draw the line.

What we gain (and lose)

A mind can be a terrible thing to waste, but what exactly is a human mind meant to do?

For the most part, we survive and thrive based on how we apply ourselves to solve our problems. The bigger and more common the problem, the greater and larger the impact on our species. From the wheel to writing to the internet, and now AI, we are constantly abstracting away and reducing cognitive load, manual labor, and barriers to communication.

But technology has its dark side, and the abuse of these abstractions is becoming increasingly easy.

I’ve watched the younger generation have trouble counting change at the checkout line. I watch loved ones spend entire days in front of a screen without retaining a single thing as they scroll the clock app. I’ve watched coworkers walk into walls in the past because they were absorbed in their phones.

When you are the apex species, you can afford to shut yourself out of the world.

The scary part is that we have taken it for granted to the point where we are now racing towards creating something that will potentially exceed us in every way that makes us so. What happens when we are no longer at the top of the food chain? How does humanity cope with becoming subservient to its own creations?

At the rate we’re going, the vast majority of people I see are completely helpless when the internet cuts out even for a few minutes. Being constantly connected to the network and immersion in the digital realm has made us wholly dependent on it on so many levels.

Self-awareness and taking stock of your skill set in the real world is worth considering.

The once and future norm

As an “elder Millennial”, I was born in the analog age when dial up was being introduced.

For the first decade or so of my life, I spent the majority of my time outside, playing with dirt and water, riding my bike around the pool, and climbing the pine tree in the backyard. I’m still surprised that I never fell out or that my parents didn’t scream for me to stop. The rest of the time was spent either imagining I was in a fort with the couch cushions, harassing my little brother, or reading one of the many library books our parents would haul out every week or so.

I’ve watched and experienced the rise of the internet, social media, and now AI as I grew up. Now, I’m wrestling with my own role as a parent to two little boys who are obsessed with exploring all that there is to offer in life, internet included. The challenge I face now is how to blend and integrate the digital life into real life without allowing it to overtake and dominate their lives.

AI is here to stay. I want my kids to know how to navigate the new technologies that are being developed. They will grow up with memes, wholly synthetic content, social media, and all the pitfalls that are associated with overexposure and indulgence in these arenas.

I also want them to know the joys of being connected to nature.

Exploring backwards compatibility

So how to we cultivate a mentality of being able to “gear shift”?

For me, it was education, awareness, and a willingness to challenge myself with basic skill sets.

Cooking is a great place to start. The act of creating something from a set of real ingredients is something that is increasingly uncommon these days. When you can just order from an app or throw something into the microwave, the effort to do this has become a luxury.

What happens when disaster strikes?

If you aren’t ready or don’t have anything in the pantry that isn’t non-perishable, things can get ugly fast, especially if there’s no electricity. Learning how to make your own meals is an excellent gateway to growing a set of skills that doesn’t require a signal. It’s a slippery slope into a world that we’ve all but forgotten.

If you’re interested in hearing more, let me know in the comments!