Tech Is Meant To Simplify Life — So Why Does It Suck So Much To Use These Days?

It's Tuesday, which means it's time for the column that has received more complaints than a KFC that has run out of gravy, The Gripe Report!

This week, I want to focus on something that is becoming an increasingly inescapable part of life: technology.

Have a gripe? Send it in!: matthew.reigle@outkick.com

Sure, it makes our lives easier… wait, does it?

I think that's the aim, but we've hit a point where the tech that is supposed to help simplify our lives is actually making everything more frustrating.

Lately, I haven't liked technology as much as I used to. Don't get me wrong, I still like it more than, oh, say, Ted Kaczynski did, but not nearly as much as those  ̶i̶d̶i̶o̶t̶s̶  ̶n̶e̶r̶d̶s̶ guys who line up for every single new iPhone no matter how much it's just like the one that came before it.

Maybe we need to slow things down on this front, and let's start with these…

"Hey, this is dead. Mind getting really frustrated by all the tiny screws and fixing it?" (Getty Images)

Car Key Fob Batteries

I was under the impression that car key fobs never ran out of battery. Like, I thought the amount of power needed for the fob to send a signal to the car that says, "Yo, open up," was so small that the battery that got installed in the factory should last until the entire car is in the scrapyard or rotting on your front lawn.

Unfortunately, this is not the case.

I managed to burn through not one, but two batteries that were installed in the fobs of my 2022 Kia Forte (try to contain your jealousy).

The first one crapped out like a year or two ago, and because I like to work smarter, not harder, I just simply grabbed my backup fob and made that my starter while the original starting key fob was relegated to my desk drawer.

But then, like a month ago, I started having problems with the fob, and I knew that the second one’s battery was bailing on me.

How is this possible? The only thing I can think of is that I tend to hit the button more than necessary. This is because I like to hit it twice so that the horn honks, and I know that my car is extra locked.

So, I ran to get some of those disk batteries that I think we should all just move on from. I hate those things. Whenever you learn something that uses those, you know you’re in for a frustrating afternoon.

Lo, and behold, I was.

I had to disassemble the key fob, which was held together with the tiniest screws I’ve ever seen in my life, to gain access to the battery compartment. Then, to make matters worse, I had a hell of a time getting the new battery out of its packaging (although I will concede that was partially because I’m a dope).

I got the job done (*crowd cheers*), but it got me thinking, shouldn’t these be rechargeable by now? You should just plug them in like you do everything else.

You'd probably have to plug it in once every other year.

Of course, in that time, you probably will have misplaced the cable.

"Alright, now which one of these do I want to use to call customer support when they can't transfer my phone number over…" (Getty Images)

Buying/Setting Up A New Phone

My fiancée has been putting off getting a new phone for about a year, despite hers barely holding a charge, and at one point typing gibberish on its own (which was creepy as hell).

The reason for this is not financial. We're fortunate enough to afford it, but the problem has just been that getting a new phone is never not a complete and utter pain in the ass.

I counted recently, and I think I've only had three phones since my junior year of high school. Now, that's partially because I take care of them, but also because anytime I've gotten a new phone, it has been a nightmare.

There's just always some kind of problem. The account holder isn't present, they're out of the phone you wanted, your photos don't transfer, and the deal you thought you were going to get doesn't apply to you.

The last time I got a phone was the first time I did so on my own cell phone plan instead of hitching a ride on the parents' account.

I thought this would make things like getting a new phone easier.

I was wrong.

Getting my original number on this new phone took days. At one point, my dad and I had to hop on a conference call with a customer support person halfway around the world to verbally confirm that we wanted to transfer the number.

Pain in the ass? Sure. 

Did it work? Hell no.

So, I had to spend another day on the phone trying to get this worked out until finally, I was able to send and receive calls and texts from the number I had wanted in the first place.

Hey, phone companies: how about making these routine requests a bit easier? For as much as we all pay, it's literally the least you could do.

I know it's in Polish, but that doesn't change the fact that I would absolutely hit that by accident while trying to hit "Cooking Mama." (Photo by Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Notifications That Pop Up At The Top Of Your Screen

I still can't believe I have to bring this one up, but I just upgraded my phone to the latest operating system, IOS 26, and they still haven't figured out a way to keep me from accidentally hitting notifications at the top of the screen.

I don't know if there's an everyday occurrence that enrages me as much as this one. You go to press something at the top of your screen, only for a notification reminding you to set your fantasy football lineup to pop up a fraction of a second before your dumb finger hits the glass screen.

That then whisks you away to an app you didn't want to open. I've even had instances of this making me forget what it was I wanted to do with my phone in the first place.

We're pushing 20 years since Steve Jobs pulled an iPhone out of his pocket for the first time, and this is still an issue.

How about fixing this once and for all, so I can stop being mildly inconvenienced?…

…at least by this one very specific thing.

Somewhere in this collection of apps is the one needed to turn your house lights on. (Photo by Matt Cardy/Getty Images)

Everything Has An App

Technology is great, and there's no doubt that it makes our lives easier, but sometimes I yearn for the simpler days of yesteryear when you didn't need to download an app for everything.

At this point, I feel like anytime I buy something and go home to set it up, the instructions are like: "Step 1: Download app."

Just what I need: more apps cluttering everything up. 

I mean, I've seen toasters that have an app. Like, no offense, but if I see you have an app on your phone to control your toaster, I will rip it out of your hands and throw it in the nearest body of water I can find.

I've gone out of my way to avoid this kind of thing. It's nice not to have to update an app on my phone just to turn on the air fryer or print something.

But it's getting harder to do this.

I know manufacturers think that they're being cutting edge by requiring an app for everything, but I don't think I'm alone in hating this.

…

That's it for this week's edition of The Gripe Report!

I've got to update my phone so I can work on my toothbrush, but in the meantime, send in your gripes — tech or otherwise — for a future edition!: matthew.reigle@outkick.com