Amish are not anti-technology. That’s a misunderstanding of their position. They just don’t believe in spending money on things if they can deal with it without spending money. A pencil and a paper instead of buying a calculator.
If they can honestly see the need for headphones or yoga pants, they will spend money on those things but only after great deliberation.
It’s not just about money.
In many communities, it’s how much the technology may distance them from their main values - God, Family, Contemplation. A lot of them who have telephones have them in outbuildings far from the house, so they don’t disturb their home and religious life.
The more traditional communities decide the use of technological innovation on the basis of how each specific technology impacts those principles.
That explanation simply doesn't go far enough.
Most sensible people won't spend money on things for which there are cheaper alternatives. Most FReepers, for instance, would not spend money on purchasing a calculator if a cheaper alternative (like pencil and paper) would completely satisfy their needs.
Regards,