Staying Connected

Staying Connected: Being a Slave to Technology in My 60s

By Noreen Hynes B.Comm, FCA. First published in Starts at 60 in 2015 — updated June 2026

What is the thing that, when you leave the house without it, you feel bare, and immediately angry with yourself when you realize you forgot it? Your cortisol level increases, your heart starts beating faster, and you curse under your breath.

All this upset over a small piece of technology, because you are afraid of what you will miss that day. It is your lifeline in a way. It helps you organize your life, keep track of your appointments, and remind you of them. It allows you to keep in touch with your friends, extended family, and grandchildren, no matter where they are in the world, and to remember their names and birthdays as your memory fades. It even allows you to pay your bills, run your business, track your daily exercise, monitor your heartbeat, store recipes, plan your journeys, get directions, store your music, and send messages from verbal instructions. You can book a taxi, and payment is made instantly. Now you have access to AI — your all-in-one knowledge source. It is your best friend, the one thing you can fully rely on to do as you ask, like a personal assistant that will never answer back. It will even allow you to keep track of your children so you know where they are at any time. It is your photo album, where you keep daily pictures of your grandchildren as they grow up.

You probably reach for it first thing in the morning to see the news updates tailored to your interests and read your emails. You cannot help taking it out during the day to check Facebook, X, LinkedIn, or any other social network you are on. You are addicted to it. You automatically reach for it on the bus, on trains, and in taxis. You even look at it during dinner and while you watch television with your partner. You know it is anti-social — even damaging to relationships — but you still do it. You cannot help yourself.

Nobody says anymore when they meet their grandchildren: "Oh, you have grown so big" or "You have changed so much." There is no need, because you see them every day as they grow, no matter how far away you live. You know it is too intrusive and that you can control access to it — but like an alcoholic who will not stop, the pull is too strong.

By now, you have probably guessed: I am talking about the iPhone. Your best friend and constant companion.

My Gap Year in Australia

I am in Australia on a gap year with my husband Declan, so that we can be with family here. Our lives are entirely organised on our iPhones. Even with its faults, I love mine because it makes life so much easier. I talk to my children in Ireland regularly on FaceTime — it is like sitting with them. I message them in between calls, share photos on Messenger, and post on Facebook to share life's moments with family and friends at home. I book all my appointments in Cozi, my electronic diary, and share this information with my daughter, my husband, and my son-in-law so they know where I am and can avoid double-booking the days I mind our grandchild.

You could say I am very dependent on my iPhone — and you would not be wrong. But there is a downside. It can cause information overload, too much white noise. Bad things happen on the internet, and people need to understand the good, the bad, and the ugly of all types of communication technology.

The Warning We Should All Hear

As Ruby Wax said at her 2015 Sydney show: "I sent my memory to the cloud, and I have forgotten how to retrieve it."

She argues that our brains are frazzled by so many simultaneous events competing for our attention that we can no longer lay down long-term memories. We need to understand how to set privacy settings on social media platforms such as Facebook and LinkedIn. Identity theft is real and deeply traumatic. Too much information causes stress and may be genuinely damaging to our cognitive health.

How do we distill the wheat from the chaff so that we can live a longer, more peaceful, and more fulfilling life?

Yes, there are downsides to using iPhones and technology more broadly — but for me, the benefits far outweigh them. The key is simple: control your access so that technology becomes your personal assistant rather than your master.

Don't be a slave to technology. Let it be yours.

First published in Starts at 60 in 2015 and updated in June 2026.

Noreen Hynes B.Comm, FCA, is a Chartered Accountant, retired CEO, and serial entrepreneur with 40 years of financial experience. She is the author of the award-winning Start-Up Checklist for Success and the forthcoming Rich Start: The No-BS Money Guide for Your 20s. She writes on AI, economic policy, and personal finance at noreenhynes.com. Follow her @noreenhynesauthor.