We switch off to slow down and turn back to technology to save time. We like mobile wallets as much as counting coins and holding the queue. Feeling hurried is draining but telling someone you are busy is a good ego boost. The post-industrial tempo is irritating, but also comforting. When we get the chance to slow down, we dread boredom. Our “always on”, “up-to-the-minute” digital content, meant to excite, thrill or rapidly inform, is at the same time sedative. Although we associate speed with intensity and strong experience, after a long day, we knowingly run through a stream of news and pick action-packed films to unwind. Nothing is inevitable about the way we adapt to and appropriate technology and its paces. If it has changed banking, global patterns of consumption and how frequently your mum supervises your cooking, it’s because of parameters we set ourselves.