I love technology. In fact, I own at least three “i’s”—as in iPhone, iPad and iMac (and before those, an iPod)—and I belong to the über-geeky minority that actually watches online tutorials with great interest. My 2014 goal is to become an expert coder.

But for every gadget on which my sanity now depends, there’s another one that I refuse to use when possible. Here’s why—and why sometimes, it’s good to be old school.

1) Unplug the microwave. I haven’t nuked a meal in years and never liked them in the first place. I’m no scientist, but radiation on any wavelength is something I prefer not to emit on the daily. Microwaves turn pizza crusts into cardboard, and warm up coffee cups to a higher temperature than a volcano at its peak. Food just tastes better when it’s in its natural heating element; plus it takes only a few minutes to reheat on a stovetop or in the oven. Just say no to nukes.

2) Embrace the landline. Speaking of radiation, the potential for health problems due to excessive cell phone usage is not a conspiracy theory: Apple itself advises users to keep iPhones at least 15 mm (5/8 inch) away from their bodies, which is also why men who plan to have children are advised to put smartphones inside their jacket pocket instead of scrunched down their front jean pocket next to the baby-making materials. Sometimes talking on a smartphone can’t be avoided, but if you’re at home and need to chat for a stretch of time, invest in a landline. Not to mention, it’s a great back up if your smartphone decides to die spontaneously.

3) Stop hiding behind headphones. Never mind the fact that future generations will likely be partially deaf by age 60. Headphones drown out the sounds of life hazards, from a bus turning the corner to a friend down the street urgently calling your name. And if the great outdoors is not enough inspiration for a 30-minute jog without tunes, I get that, but headphones while kicking a punching bag? Headphones while sitting at a work cubicle all day? To me that looks about as cool as a Bluedouche (thank God those contraptions are out of chic). I’m not saying I tossed my headphones in the trash; they just aren’t an extension of my ears.

Side note: I blame headphones for the fact that most gyms, once bastions of sports talk and flirtatious banter, are now dead zones populated by buffed-out zombies. Gymgoers nowadays rarely ask to work in sets on equipment, much less aspire to any social interaction because doing so means having to sufficiently annoy someone into removing their headphones.

4) Read real books. No matter how many times over they update the Kindle or the Nook, they are still computer screens. And I spend enough daylight hours already staring at one screen or another. Save the tablet books for trips and travel. On your home turf visit a long-lost neighborhood library, or buy those cheapo used copies from Amazon or Craigslist. Many a random convo at a coffee shop or bookstore has been initiated thanks to a print-and-paper book. You can bet your future partner will never approach to ask what you’re “reading” on a tablet.

In short: Munch on a microwaved meal once a blue moon, press your phone to your ear when the boss calls, and crack open a tablet on a beach vacay, but don’t forget to kick it old school sometimes. Your friends, family and the bus driver that barely missed the guy with headphones will thank you.