History Main / NoTechButHighTech

The Oxford English dictionary defines technology as ''[[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/technology the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry]]''. Anything that we've created, be it as simple as a sharpened stick to hunt and kill more easily, counts as technology -- in fact, a serious argument can be made that a chimp stripping a twig of leaves and using it to fish for termites is using technology, and that technology predates the human species by a very long time.

* In ''Franchise/HarryPotter'' it's mentioned that the level of magic around Hogwarts causes havoc with technology. A camera, however, is able to work just fine with little explanation. Said camera is uses darkroom-developed film, so it can be assumed it's a purely mechanical model. Combined with the fact watches work just fine, it can be assumed the concentrated magic screws with any ''electronics'' more complex than a quartz oscillator. What is a result of this effect and what's a deliberate choice are often hard to disentangle; there are certainly no electronics in pens or notebook paper, but everyone has to make do with quills and parchment.

There is actually a rather large correlation between ''when'' something was invented and ''how much'' it'll be considered technology. As an example, consider the UsefulNotes/{{Amish}}: in fiction, they're usually depicted as a group of people who shun all technology and rely on old-fashioned things such as horse-drawn wagons (even though said wagons are technology of a form). Generally, the cut-off is whether it uses electricity: if yes, fictional Amish won't be seen dead using it. In {{real life}}, however, many Amish groups are happy using refrigerators and air conditioning; what the Amish use and don't use are more based on the perceived societal impact it has (generally, those that make it too easy to live far away are considered bad technology, as the Amish subscribe heavily to the "everyone under one roof" idea).

* ''VideoGame/ArcanumOfSteamworksAndMagickObscura'' has magick being fundamentally incompatible with technology as its application makes complex mechanisms turn haywire -- simple items like bows, swords of medieval suits of armor are fine however, even though technically bowyery or metallurgy still involve a level of technology. It can be presumed that such examples of technology are simple enough for magick to not interfere with their applications.

At times, this trope is {{justified|Trope}} when the {{phlebotinum}} is stated to cause interference with electrical circuits as reason for why tech doesn't work, but then it's inconsistently applied: a car, for example, might or might not work depending on whether the writer [[ShownTheirWork knows that modern cars are increasingly drive-by-wire]], so when a driver switches gears for example it sends a signal to a computer which then switches gears for you, instead of the gear shift being directly tied to the transmission. Firearms, too, might or might not work depending on whether the writer was using the {{phlebotinum}} as an excuse for [[FantasyGunControl why nobody is going in guns blazing on the enemies]].

* High technology devices, like Chromebooks, Smartboards, and [=iPad=]s have been employed during increasing proportions of classroom instruction time during the school day, commensurate with the extent to which such high technology is used in students' personal lives. It's gotten to the point where some news articles ask the question of whether it's still important to teach handwriting.

* In the episode "Fun on a Bun" of ''WesternAnimation/{{Futurama}}'' Zapp Brannigan remarks that the Neanderthals attacking them don't have technology, despite most of said Neanderthals carrying clubs, spears, a cage on wheels to carry a giant sloth and even a catapult.

* In the 2019 ''Comicbook/Marvel2099'' reboot, Doom derides the Thorites claim to eschew technology, when they all carry hammers.

* Averted in an episode of ''Series/SesameStreet'' where technology is defined as "a tool that helps you do something". A manual wheelchair is presented as an example of technology in the cold open along with a smartphone and flashlight. During the Word of the Day segment, a backpack is presented as another example of technology, along with a laptop, a tablet, and eReader, and another smartphone.

** In the episode "Savages", Cap challenges Tony to go a day without technology, which Tony interpets as dragging the Avengers to the Savage Land. The definition of technology doesn't seem to include fire, building a shelter (which Tony even calls "engineering"), or even Tony forging new armor using local materials and methods. PlayedForLaughs when they decide Falcon's mom's cookies are fine, because they're home-made.

** ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'':

Averted and lampshaded in one ''Webcomic/ArthurKingOfTimeAndSpace'' strip, which has Lancelot trying to teach Guenevere how to use stirrups in the baseline arc, Guenevere complaining about a telepathic command system in the space arc, and Guenevere struggling with her smartphone in the modern arc and sayng she "hates technology".

* Subverted in the ''WesternAnimation/AvengersAssemble'' episode "Downgraded", in which Hawkeye and Falcon find themselves in Vanaheim, where Falcon's flightpack is destroyed by electricity-eating monsters. Hawkeye, who's been snarking about Sam's lack of "skills", thinks Falcon is useless in a world with "no technology", but Falcon quickly realises that mechanics and chemistry still work just fine, and not only creates a canvas glider to replace his wings, but weaponry for both himself and Hawkeye, and even realises the mystic light that's supposed to repel the beasts is just a chemical reaction.

* As mentioned in the page quote, the film ''Film/StarTrekInsurrection'' features a group of Amish {{exp|y}}ies who reject technology, despite having irrigation systems for their farms and wearing clothing that doesn't look at all hand-made. They also admit to having warp capability--which is treated as a major milestone in technological advancement in the ''Trek'' universe--and demonstrate enough knowledge of positronic systems to diagnose Data's behavior in the prologue.

** Vogel, a Zamoran, at one point uses metaphor about how it's more rewarding to climb a tree to get fruit than it is to get them with a ladder to explain his people's Luddite culture. This only allows the main cast to belittle and deconstruct his beliefs by pointing out that ladders aren't high tech, are more safe than climbing a tree by hand and can actually be harder than climbing the tree in certain situations. Vogel himself is later annoyed by Hurtz's surprise that Zamora is a relatively modern society, furthering deconstruction the anti-tech stance of Zamora.

** Vogel, a Zamoran, at one point uses metaphor about how it's more rewarding to climb a tree to get fruit than it is to get them with a ladder to explain his people's Luddite culture. This only allows the main cast to belittle and deconstruct his beliefs by pointing out that ladders aren't high tech, are more safe than climbing a tree by hand and can be harder. Vogel himself is later annoyed by Hurtz's surprise that Zamora is a relatively modern society, furthering deconstruction the anti-tech stance of Zamora.

The Oxford English dictionary defines technology as ''[[https://en.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/technology the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry]]''. Anything that we've created, be it as simple as a sharpened stick to hunt and kill more easily, counts as technology -- in fact, a serious argument can be made that a chimp using a twig to fish for termites is using technology, and that technology predates the human species by a very long time.

-->'''Doom''': This is technology. Chiseled stone on a sturdy stick. This is technology at the root of technology. A tool to shape a world.

* In the Miraculous New York special, Teclonizer averts this: the first piece of technology he steals and clones is a Revolutionary War cannon.

* In ''WesternAnimation/ThunderCats2011'', the Thundercats' civilization was in MedievalStasis up to the series premier. The widespread disbelief in the advance LostTechnology Lion-O tries to investigate is spoken of as believing ''all'' technology is a myth, even though the cats clearly have things like metallurgy and architecture.

* ''Literature/RiversOfLondon'' uses the "magic interferes with electronic circuits" explanation as to why "technology" in MagicVsTechnology means "things invented after 1960". It also adds a few extra details like the fact both need to be "active" simultaneously, so a wizard can have a smartphone as long as he switches it off completely before throwing a fireball, and the fact this is very similar to the effect magic has on the wizard's brain if he's not careful.

* Averted in an episode of ''Series/SesameStreet'' where technology is defined as "a tool that helps you do something". A manual wheelchair is presented as an example of technology in the cold open, and a backpack is presented in the Word of the Day segment as another example.