At CES 2016, tech manufacturers of all stripes gave attendees and those of us following along at home glimpses at their latest-and-greatest new creations. Some of these new devices were good, some were not so good, and some were downright stupid. Case in point: Samsung’s $5,000 “smart refrigerator.”
Being Lazy Has Never Been Easier

The so-called Family Hub refrigerator (because this is America, the primary food source is of course the hub around which all families revolve) includes sensors, cameras, a 21.5-inch touchscreen interface, and smart capabilities. Samsung representatives no doubt attempted to make an intriguing case as to why anyone would need all this garbage in a refrigerator, but I couldn’t bring myself to listen to their BS and checked out early on that one.

Because actually just remembering stuff is so 2015, the Family Chub fridge takes a photo of its interior every time the user closes the door. This reference photo, or any of the refrigerator’s cameras—because just one camera inside your fridge isn’t stupid enough—can be accessed via the user’s smartphone. That way, one can always be on top of shopping needs. Or, you could just, you know, keep a damn shopping list like people have been doing without incident or difficulty for thousands of years.

On top of that useless bit of technology, the Chubby Family refrigerator also enables users to order groceries online via the “Groceries by MasterCard” app. Because gods forbid you ever have to leave the house and interact with other people, you miserable C.H.U.D.s.
Continuing the World’s Downward Spiral

Once again, technology is ruining the world. I’m all for convenience, but this is really overdoing it. This is not convenience—it’s laziness, pure and simple. Is it really so hard to keep track of one’s shopping needs manually? Do you really need to be able to see what’s in your fridge via your precious smartphone from miles and miles away? Or, because America, probably from the couch?

Just because everything can be smart-ified now doesn’t mean everything should be. Most people in this country need to interact with other humans more. We are, collectively, becoming too reliant on technology and the virtual, digital world to do our living for us. Get out of the damn house, get some fresh air, actually go to a store, talk to a real live person in person, push a shopping cart, carry your groceries yourself.

In short, stop being so lazy and stop relying so much on your technology. If nothing else, find something better to spend five grand on than a stupid smart fridge.