Your two examples are prime examples, but honestly, before the interactive phone systems, I would wait on hold for hours to talk to a person, so it has improved

Your two examples are prime examples, but honestly, before the interactive phone systems, I would wait on hold for hours to talk to a person, so it has improved things a lot, but it is still SUPER aggravating and feels like a step backward. But both of those things are only occasional inconveniences. The real place tech has made my life worse is just how completely dependent I am on it for 95% of my life. From the psychological dependence on knowing what my friends are doing, or how my crypto "investments" (read: gambles). Also needing internet connectivity to play various "single player" games even though I'm just a casual gamer and NEVER play with others.