When I was a kid, nearly everything had a clear and simple way to turn it off. Switches flipped down to cut the power, and knobs clicked off when turned all the way to the left. You always knew if your TV was on, even if the screen was still dark, because the tubes were warming up. Radios were the same way. Before transistors came along, they ran on vacuum tubes that needed a moment to heat up before any sound came through. And you didn’t have to worry about it accidentally being too loud or soft. A simple knob controlled the volume.
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Even telephones had unambiguous signals. When the handset was resting on the cradle, the line was closed. The phone wasn’t in use, and no one could possibly hear what you were saying. And if someone called, you definitely heard it ring. You didn’t have to worry about accidentally placing it in “Do Not Disturb” mode. Not only that, you always knew where the phone was — it was attached to a cord.
Lights, vacuum cleaners and everything else that plugged into the wall had a physical switch.
Ambiguous switches
Fast forward to 2025. The same buttons that turn on my PC, phone, and TV also turn them off — but rather than having an on and off position, they’re just push buttons, and you can’t tell if they’re on or off by looking at them. Not only that, sometimes you aren’t even sure if you’re turning something on when pressing the button. When my Google phone goes dead and I plug it back in, I have to keep pressing the power button and wait for the battery to get a little bit of a charge before it turns on. Life would be easier if I could just flip a switch to the on position and wait for it to power up, just like I waited for my childhood TVs and radios to warm up.
And even though it’s unlikely to cause immediate damage, you’re still advised to properly “shut down” a PC or Mac before turning it off. That allows the system to close programs correctly, save its state, and avoid potential data corruption.
Many stovetops and other appliances now have touch-sensitive controls rather than physical knobs. I’ve sometimes found myself struggling just to turn my induction stove on or off. There’s no satisfying click, no clear position — just a flat panel that may or may not respond.
Once devices like phones and tablets are up and running, you have to control them with your fingers. Good luck if you’re wearing gloves, but even barehanded, there have been times when my phone simply doesn’t respond. There’s no button to press, no alternative input, just a screen that decides whether it wants to acknowledge you. To turn off an iPhone, you have to press two buttons simultaneously and then slide your finger across the screen. I’m very tech savvy, but I had to Google how to turn it off and sometimes forget.
And “turning off” a device doesn’t always mean what it used to. Pressing the power button on my smart TV remote doesn’t shut it down — it just puts it to sleep. It’s still quietly drawing power in the background. That so-called “phantom load” might seem small, but over time it adds up. When I remember, I try to unplug things before going on a long trip, not just to save a little electricity, but also to guard against power surges. Unlikely as they may be, a surge can still fry electronics that are plugged in, even if they appear to be off.
Even dimmer switches can be confusing. One of my rooms has a push-button on/off switch paired with a separate slider to control brightness. I thought I might need cataract surgery because the room seemed so dark, until I finally figured out how to adjust the dimmer. And just to make things more confusing, the light gradually fades out when you turn it off, so it takes a few seconds before you know it’s really off.
Are they listening?
Some devices that appear to be off are not only on, but they’re also listening to what’s being said in the room. Smart speakers like Amazon Echo, Google Nest, and Apple HomePod may not have an on/off switch. Unless you disable the microphone, they’re always listening for their “wake word.” Sometimes, they even respond when you don’t say it. But it’s not just speakers. There are smart displays, smart TVs with voice control, and of course, phones and tablets always listening for “Hey Siri” or “Hey Google.” I have so many of these devices that they sometimes answer at the same time if I say the wake word loud enough for other devices on the same platform to hear.
And don’t get me started on my smart car, which not only listens and talks to me, but also changes lanes on its own. I could turn that feature off, but I haven’t.
Even my lightbulbs are “smart,” connected to Wi-Fi and always in standby mode in case I say something like “Alexa, turn on the lamp.”
Although I’ll admit I’m being a bit curmudgeonly, I’m not really complaining. Modern technology is remarkable, and there are good reasons behind many, although not all, of these design choices.
Still, there was something comforting about the old days, when on meant on, off meant off, and our appliances and cars couldn’t eavesdrop or talk back.
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Larry Magid is a tech journalist and internet safety activist. Contact him at [email protected].