Digital Technologies

The tools, devices, and apps that have transformed modern life into a permanent beta test, ranging from the smartphone in your pocket (a supercomputer that also takes mediocre photos of your lunch) to the "smart" fridge that notifies you when you're out of milk but can't actually order it. Digital technologies promise convenience but deliver a constant stream of notifications, updates, and the lingering fear that your devices are listening to you (they are, but only to sell you things). The most successful digital technology remains the "off" button, which is used approximately once a year.

Digital Technologies Example: "My new digital technologies include a watch that tracks my sleep (poorly), a phone that suggests emojis based on my facial expressions (creepily), and a vacuum that maps my floor plan but still gets stuck on the same sock every Tuesday. I live in the future, and the future is mildly annoying."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Metadigital Technologies

The tools and platforms designed to manage, analyze, or optimize our interaction with other digital tools and platforms, creating a beautiful, self-sustaining ecosystem of digital dependency. This includes password managers that need passwords, cloud storage for your cloud storage backups, and "digital wellness" apps that run on the same phone they're supposed to help you use less. The ultimate metadigital technology is the "app store," a meta-platform that exists solely to sell you other platforms, taking a cut of everything while providing nothing itself—pure, distilled digital capitalism.

Metadigital Technologies Example: "I downloaded a metadigital technology that promised to analyze which apps I used too much. It then sent me notifications suggesting I use it more to better understand my usage patterns. I was trapped in a recursive loop of app-based self-improvement that improved nothing except the app's own usage statistics."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Supernatural Technologies

The tools and devices used to interact with, channel, or protect against supernatural forces, ranging from ancient relics to modern gadgets that definitely work if you believe hard enough. This includes holy water (water with aspirations), blessed amulets (jewelry with a job), and those "ghost boxes" that scan radio frequencies for spirit voices (they mostly pick up static and the occasional stray broadcast of a Rush Limbaugh rerun, which ghosts probably also find annoying). The user manual for supernatural technology is usually written in a language no one speaks and includes warnings about "unclean thoughts" voiding the warranty.

Supernatural Technologies Example: "He bought a supernatural technology device online—a 'spirit communication tablet' that was just an Etch A Sketch with angel stickers on it. When he asked if anyone was there, the screen remained blank, which he interpreted as the spirits being shy. The device had a 100% success rate at producing nothing, which was technically a form of communication."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Paranormal Technologies

The gadgets and devices used to detect, record, or communicate with paranormal entities, ranging from the classic EMF meter (measures electromagnetic fields, also measures microwaves, also measures nothing when ghosts aren't cooperating) to the more elaborate "spirit boxes" that scan radio frequencies (catching everything and nothing simultaneously). Paranormal technologies are beloved by ghost hunters because they beep and flash, creating the illusion of activity even when nothing's there. The most advanced paranormal technology remains the human imagination, which can see ghosts in any shadow and hear them in any creak.

Paranormal Technologies Example: "He invested $500 in paranormal technologies—a full spectrum camera, a digital voice recorder, and a laser grid that was supposed to reveal shadow figures. On his first investigation, the camera battery died, the recorder picked up only his own nervous breathing, and the laser grid revealed... a wall. He concluded the ghosts were technologically sophisticated and had jammed his equipment."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Media Technologies

The tools and platforms that deliver content to our eyeballs and eardrums, from the printing press to the smartphone in your pocket that's currently distracting you from this definition. Media technologies have evolved from Gutenberg's Bible to TikTok dances in roughly 500 years, a pace of change that has left our attention spans in the dust. The latest media technologies promise to connect us, inform us, and entertain us, but mostly they just serve us ads between videos of people falling down.

*Example: "His house was full of media technologies—a 75-inch TV, a soundbar with subwoofer, streaming devices on every screen, and a smart speaker that occasionally mishears conversation and orders pizza. Last night he spent two hours scrolling through options and watched nothing. The technologies had achieved peak performance: infinite choice, zero satisfaction."*

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Game Technologies

The tools and platforms used to create and play games, from dice and cards to the latest virtual reality headsets that cost as much as a used car. Game technologies have evolved from ancient gaming stones to photorealistic simulations where you can be a medieval warrior, a space explorer, or a farmer who just wants to live a quiet life (Stardew Valley, anyone?). The most advanced game technologies now include haptic feedback suits that let you feel virtual impacts, which is either immersive or terrifying, depending on whether you're in a fighting game or a dating sim.

Example: "He invested in the latest game technologies: a VR headset, motion controllers, and a haptic vest. He loaded a game where he was a superhero flying through a futuristic city. The vest vibrated when he was shot, which was immersive. It also vibrated when his cat jumped on his lap, which was confusing. He now lives in constant fear of phantom sensations."

by Nammugal February 14, 2026

Gaming Technologies

The hardware and software specifically designed for the act of playing games, from ergonomic controllers that claim to prevent "gamer claw" (they help, slightly) to gaming chairs that look like they belong in a race car and cost as much as one. Gaming technologies also include the streaming setups that turn playing games into a profession, complete with green screens, professional lighting, and a webcam pointed at someone who is definitely not dressed as nicely below the frame. The ultimate gaming technology remains the "pause button," which separates civilized gamers from those who have never known its comfort.

Gaming Technologies *Example: "He built an elaborate gaming technology setup: a custom PC with liquid cooling, a mechanical keyboard that sounded like a typewriter having a seizure, and a mouse with 17 programmable buttons. He used it exclusively to play a 20-year-old game that ran on a toaster. The technologies were overkill, but they made the toaster game look amazing."*

by Nammugal February 14, 2026