As time goes on, less and less analogue technology is being employed by the masses, however this isn’t simply an issue of the new replacing the old, nor is it simply an issue of convenience (although convenience is a factor). Analogue technology, while it does have its advantages, has many more failures, failures which are not easy to rectify. Digital technology on the other hand is accessible, it is sustainable, and it is constantly improving, things that cannot be said of analogue technology.
I struggled for years with learning to read and write, even today I’ll often write something down and no one will even be able to identify what language its written in. However, when I get on a computer, I can type and my words will come out smoothly, for anyone to read, and they can easily be translated to any language I wish with the push of a button. People who have issues with reading text can have technology read for them, and people who can’t write or type can have their computers write for them as well. In this way we could say that digital technology is the great equalizer, even those who cannot normally access analogue technology can access a digital version of whatever they need.
Digital technology is also more sustainable. As was written in the article by Craig Mod, paper, Note books, pencils and pens, all of these pieces of analogue technology have a massive tole on the environment. The number of tree that are cut down in order to produce them is not something that can be easily replaced. Of course waste from digital technology can a lot have a massive environmental impact if they are not properly disposed of, however I’ve been using this computer for a few years, and the computer I had before this one I still have, using this technology I’ve probably saved at least a dozen trees over the course of my academic career, if you multiply that by the population of our small university, you’re looking at small forest that didn’t have to be cut down for our school supplies.
Perhaps most importantly, digital technology is constantly evolving, it is constantly doing more to meet the needs of those who use it. Comparatively, the design and function of a pencil hasn’t really changed much in the last century or so, except for the introduction of the eraser. With all of this in mind, It may actually be the best for the sake of our society that analogue technology continues to be phased out. Of course there will always be a reason to use it to some extent, and there will always be those who prefer it to digital, however I think so long as we progress with caution, we should embrace the growth of the digital age.
