Game designer and writer Ian Bogost argues that tech companies have optimized convenience to the point of harm. His new book, "The Small Stuff," challenges the Silicon Valley playbook of automating everything away.
Bogost, known for his work on gamification and game design theory, contends that convenience culture has eroded human agency and connection. Tech platforms strip friction from daily life, but that friction often served a purpose. It kept us engaged, thoughtful, and present.
The thesis cuts against decades of startup gospel. VCs fund teams solving "pain points." Product teams obsess over removing steps from user journeys. Growth teams optimize for frictionless onboarding. Bogost says this relentless pursuit of ease has backfired. We've outsourced thinking to algorithms. We've replaced handmade rituals with one-click solutions. We've lost control of our own lives in exchange for speed.
"The Small Stuff" advocates for reclaiming agency through deliberate inconvenience. Cook instead of ordering delivery. Write by hand instead of typing. Walk instead of summoning a ride. These acts aren't inefficient nostalgia. They're forms of resistance.
This lands at a moment when major tech founders and investors are themselves questioning their creations. Tristan Harris runs the Center for Humane Technology. Former Meta exec Chris Hughes has called for breaking up Facebook. Even Sam Altman has acknowledged AI's risks alongside its promise.
Bogost's argument resonates because it names something users feel but can't articulate. Endless convenience creates ambient anxiety. Frictionless life feels hollow. The apps that promised to free us have become obligations.
The book doesn't dismiss technology outright. Instead, it reframes the conversation. Not every problem needs a startup solution. Not every efficiency is worth the trade-off. Reclaiming our lives means choosing