Introduction#
This article is a record and reflection on life from 2025-04-15 to 2025-04-21.
The main theme of this week is managing work, adjusting my schedule, and studying; I visited the Anji DNA Digital Nomad Commune to meet friends, and I might consider staying there for a few days; I feel a bit burnt out due to the overwhelming new concepts, models, and frameworks related to AI, so I have re-established some study plans in Things; I also caught up on some new shows after a long time; and there are many interesting things happening.
Digital Product Porn and Decluttering#
I used to be an extreme enthusiast of digital products and software tools, perhaps because, although I had a worry-free life growing up, my family's habit was not to have a specific concept of "pocket money." I couldn't save any money in daily life, nor would I receive rewards for good grades, so even as a child, wanting a not-so-expensive toy required saving for a long time.
At that time, I envied my cousin's Nintendo Game Boy Advance SP, a classic clamshell handheld console with a backlight that could play Pokémon (now known as Pokémon), and I completed each game many times; of course, as I grew older and my preferences changed, the things I wanted increased, especially with the rise of smartphones, and I wanted a Nokia 5230 that had just been released; even my classmates' iPhone 4 and NDS handheld console after high school made me envious.
But I never really managed to own any of these, and it seemed to become an obsession.
It wasn't until college, with internships, entrepreneurship, and work, that I became financially independent and started binge-watching various digital product reviews, gradually acquiring a new high-spec MacBook Pro, Mac Studio, iPad, iPhone, Sony camera, Switch, Steam Deck, and various keyboards, stacking all the packaging boxes in the space on my bookshelf and wardrobe, which gave me a strong sense of satisfaction.
Sometimes I feel that perhaps I didn't truly want these things; the freshness and excitement of unboxing often fade quickly, leading to the need to buy more items to maintain that feeling, as if I were trapped in a kind of digital product porn, compensating for the things I couldn't have in the past, which only leads to severe entertainment/productivity excess.
Recently, while preparing for my wedding and moving, I started to "sell off" my possessions, getting rid of most devices that I didn't use frequently, freeing up desktop space and alleviating many mental burdens. I realized my mindset had undergone many changes; when I wanted to buy a new device or product, I seemed to be able to return to the most original rational thinking logic ——
What do I need? Can it meet my needs?
Recently, my main device, the iPhone 13, which I had used for four years, broke down, almost requiring a charging cable to function and often failing to power on.
I had originally thought I could hold out until this fall's Apple product launch to buy an overseas version, although I wasn't very interested in the new designs and features, at least I could use ESIM and Apple Intelligence. But I had to find a solution or a temporary fix, so I searched on Xianyu and found an iPhone SE3. After some hassle with the migration, I found it sufficient, but the screen was a bit small, and it lagged slightly, making it a bit of a stretch as my main device.
So I powered up the OnePlus 7 Pro I bought in 2019 again. Although it differs significantly from the iOS ecosystem, it perfectly fits my growing habit of wanting to use my phone only as a basic communication tool, and I was surprised to find it quite sufficient. I remembered that I didn't buy it because I needed a phone, but because I was amazed by its true full-screen design, under-display fingerprint sensor, and pop-up camera; it served as a backup phone for over a year before being idle.
After reinstalling, I found that the Oxygen OS I had flashed had not been updated since the end of 2022, remaining on Android 12, but I didn't feel like I was missing any features; instead, it felt very smooth. It seems that a flagship from six years ago is already more than enough to meet my current needs, and I can even use the Folo Android version ahead of time 🤩.
Previously, when talking about Chromebooks (which I have already sold), I mentioned:
I actually have many high-performance devices. My daily-use M2 Max MacBook Pro strikes a good balance between performance and battery life, allowing me to open it anytime while out and about to get into work mode, even carrying it while hiking or walking, which sometimes prevents me from truly relaxing or being present with those around me.
In fact, the performance of the devices has become excessive to the point that it doesn't constrain my efficiency; rather, I need to impose deliberate constraints to shift my focus more toward my surroundings.
I found that "just enough" is even more appealing to me than the various overhyped products available now, so I gradually began to pursue decluttering and "retro," which may also represent a shift in perspective, psychology, or even the center of my life ——
I am no longer that little boy who needed to surround himself with a bunch of digital products to fill the void inside; my life now includes a partner, a cat, and more interesting people and things. I have already obtained the GBA SP game console I dreamed of in my childhood.
Interesting Things and Items#
Input#
Although most interesting inputs will automatically sync in the 「Yu's Life」 Telegram channel, I still selected a portion to list here, making it feel more like a newsletter.
I built a microblog using Telegram Channel messages as content sources — 「daily.pseudoyu.com」, which makes browsing more convenient.
Videos#
- Never Go to Tibet with Your Wife
- Going to See Stefanie Sun's Concert with My Wife: I’ve Never Cried This Much Even When Proposing
Series#
- Black Mirror Season 7, found some of the stunning feelings from previous seasons, especially loved the visuals and storyline of Hotel Reverie, it was beautiful.
- Bittersweet Encounter, found a new show to binge-watch.
- The Last of Us Season 2, not a gamer, but I had a strong impression after watching the first season, so I’m following up.