I’m all for advanced technology, don’t get me wrong, it makes so many things more efficient, more organized, and streamlines processes better and faster. We have found countless paperless solutions, but perhaps we might have also surrendered one of our most valuable senses, the ability to touch.
If you’re like me and a tactile person, you might be resistant to abandoning the notion of reading an actual book, and opt out of buying a Kindle. I appreciate the portability of this kind of technology when traveling, but when I’m in the comforts of my own home, I prefer to turn a page. It’s an opinion and nothing more.
So many of us upload all of our pictures to organized folders and photo galleries, with no thought to ever print them out. How often do we visit them? Do you remember they are even there? They live in our computers, not on on our coffee tables. Speaking from my right-sided brain, my photos bring me more joy in photo albums, where I can reach out and touch a picture, and with each turn of a page, reminisce my past. I love to sit back, relax and share with others. But that’s just me. I want to touch, not click.
Regarding files, I like thumbing through certain files, knowing that I can access them, and can physically touch a piece of paper to refer to. However, I do appreciate the paperless trend regarding bills. Those kinds of papers I’m happy to relinquish to the digital world.
Regarding catalogs and magazines, I’m on the fence. Sometimes I like to flip through catalog pages (instead of scrolling a page), and maybe even tear out a page for future reference. But truth be told, when I want to hunt down a particular item, I really love that I can rely on the computer to be my expert search engine. So efficient, so easy. Which brings me to the joys of shopping on-line. Need I say more? Seamless, immediately gratifying with a simple click.
Let’s face it. Technology is morphing at such a rapid speed, it’s our future. For those born unto this, it’s exciting and for those who are first finding their way, it’s scary. Blackberrys and cell phones have certainly impeded on our face to face interaction, as for the most part, people are choosing to text rather than talk (yet another consequence of techno-mania) As a result, conversations feel less personal and too often are misinterpreted. It’s difficult to feel emotion, sarcasm, or humor through a text. Sometimes it’s nice to have a real conversation.
At this point in time, I don’t want to have my faced glued to a computer screen for every aspect of my life. I’m not ready for that exclusivity yet. Are you? Let me know me what you YOU think, let’s tay in touch.