I love books. I love the feel of turning each page, the waft of air as you fan the book, or even just looking at how far your bookmark is getting. I can see the benefits of the likes of a Kindle; all your books are stored on your one device, is lightweight & easily portable, adequate light is never an issue & many more attractive features, but it’s not the same. I love jigsaws & board games. The feeling of anticipation as you set the game up with the little counters, the roll of the dice & the competitive interaction, or finding that one piece of the jigsaw you’ve been looking for all night. I can see the attraction & benefits of a games console, but it’s not the same.
This is the epitome of being a traditional girl in a modern world.
Everything is tinged by technology. Even social interaction. You can’t walk down the street without seeing someone glued to a screen of some sort, thumps tapping away or wires coming out of their ears like some sci-fi alien; & they seem to be getting younger – even those tiny people being pushed around in a basket on wheels know how to use an electronic device before they know how to walk!
If you haven’t got yourself a Facebook page you’re a nobody. You don’t know what people are doing or planning, you don’t get invited or involved & when you do happen to be out in others company you have no idea what’s being talked about because you didn’t see it online. What happened? But without the likes of technology the world would still be a very big place & inaccessible to most. Without the likes of social media simple connection & networking would be limited. It helps people to openly express themselves, share experiences & not feel alone in their struggles & that is always a good thing.
Families very rarely sit round the table for dinner; the time to catch up with those who matter most, the chance to come together for something that should be celebrated. Now it’s treated as an occasion. However, should this indeed occur, you can guarantee there will be a phone or tablet entertaining at least someone seated. There are now restaurants that provide a television in your booth or some form of virtual entertainment you can play with while you wait for your food – & what’s stopping you while you eat!? You can’t walk through a pub or bar without seeing someone’s phone on the table or in their hand as they converse & socialise. Although I love to take pictures on my phone & document the things I am enjoying in that moment, I miss the days where you would come together & interact in a wholesome way; whether it be on a daily basis with your family or loved ones over dinner, or as a social occasion with your friends – without someone feeling the need to check their phone or post a status.
In the same breath however I cannot help but love being able to connect & interact instantly without the need to physically see that person or be stuck in the same spot while you talk on the phone, always with the cost of the call in the back of your mind. I love the ability to stay in touch with my family overseas at the click of a button or touch of a screen. I cannot lie & say it’s not difficult to still wrap my head around the fact I can just chat to the likes of my sister who is on the other side of the world & connect whenever I wish about anything; it doesn’t have to be ‘big news’ to get in touch.
I feel both blessed & cursed living in this hi-tech world. To know what life was like before the touchscreen or HD; to know what is being forgotten & to understand what has benefited. To realise that life without a line is a lonely place.
Mush's Musings 