GOING OLD-SCHOOL WITH TECHNOLOGY


Have you heard of Andrew O'Hagan? Have you read his piece 'In Praise of Technology'?

Well, for those of you who haven't, 'In Praise of Technology' is a fascinating take on an issue which is talked about the most these days. If you find somebody writing about whether technology is a boon or a bane, you would undoubtedly expect the writer's rant on how technology has ruined our life and how pleasant and romantic things were before technology became ingrained into our lives. However, there is a change of perspective here. You won't find any of his complaints in the said article. The writer has fully embraced the fact that no matter how much we deny it, technology is a boon and in some ways, we cannot work without it. When I read the thing, I found myself fully agreeing to whatever he said. It is true, I would never like to travel miles together just to get a music album. I love Spotify. 


Just like he has pointed out, I too believe that my phone is a godsend. I can communicate with people in numerous ways, look up things I do not know, get a play-by-play update on the news and I can also click pictures even if I don't have a camera with me. Clearly, the phone is technology's best gift to mankind. 

One of these days, I was thinking about this article and agreeing to whatever he has said. That was when I chanced upon the big brown trunk. Now, this big trunk holds all our photographs and tit-bits from the previous years. Like always, I opened it up and reached out for my album. Soon enough, I was once again, enthralled by the beauty of the pictures and captivated by the memories. In those moments, I found myself going over the lines of the article that I had agreed with so many times. 





Of course, technology is a boon. What's even better is how that has developed over the years and become easy and accessible. But there is no denying the fact that there is a certain charm in doing things the old fashioned way. The present-day phone camera is clearly an asset for us. Being able to click pictures at the drop of a hat is indeed a wonder. But having to pause, work out the camera and get a copy of the picture to see it properly is an exercise that transcends the modern asset. By having the physical copy of the picture, you are able to go back in time and relive that day. And I feel this is something that is provided only by the photographs in your album, not the ones in your phone. 
So at the end of the day, I decided that even though technology is indispensable, sometimes, slowing down and doing things the old-fashioned way gives you the thrill of doing it! 































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