I would like to discuss the digital vs. analogue (physical) style as a topic of debate that has been going on since the time that technology became established in our lives. However, I have chosen to present the conclusions I have drawn from various articles I have read and my own thoughts, rather than the superiority of one over the other.
As a person born in the 90s, I felt that I was in the middle of a technological transition. Of course, this is not entirely true, we think this way because we are always busy adapting only a small part of an evolving phenomenon to our lives. Nevertheless, I can’t help thinking that it wouldn’t be wrong to think of it in a digital context.
There is no need to go any further, technological change is manifesting itself in every sector. Its essence is to do what has never been done before, but above all to bring comfort, convenience and speed to the public, to the general use.
Take a nostalgic trip to your memory and look at the technological milestones of your life.
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Obviously, this technology includes the acts of reading and writing, which humanity has never (and will never) abandon. This process, which has been going on for centuries with various types of writing tools, has for the first time taken on a different meaning. Imagine that, for the first time, humankind abandons the pencil and replaces it with typewriters with metal keys and plastic keyboards. That is a turning point.
The same is undoubtedly true of reading. Yes, the screens to which we are constantly connected and which are literally a must in every home offered us a preview in this respect, but their purpose was to offer a visual feast rather than the act of reading. This time we needed an instrument more modern than the typewriter, and that was the giant computer.
Today, there is only one tool that reflects the main benefits of technology: tablets. A thin and digital screen, a keyboard on the same screen, portable, lightweight, easy to use, simple and fast tools seem to fulfil everything we want. What more could you want? A tool that combines reading and writing offers us everything. But is this really the case? Why do we still use paper and pen or have a special feeling for the less digital typewriter?
As we can see, the digital structure may offer people what they want, but it may not be fully useful. So what is missing, what is wrong with it? In fact, it is not the lack of digital tools that is important, but the feeling that people have inside.
Let’s go back to when you were little. You went to school to get an education. You have a notebook and a pencil in your bag. These are your first tools for learning to read and write. You start to recognise letters by drawing straight and curved lines, you try to read syllables and you start to form new sentences. Everything must be done in its natural, physical form. When you research your homework, you have other books and encyclopaedias as your materials. The highest technology in your home is the big, heavy television.
Over time, you become aware of typewriters, and a different kind of architecture emerges, one that you actually have to get used to. At first glance, this design, which resembles a piano or other keyboard instrument, is frightening. All the letters are in different places and you feel the need to memorise them. As you practise, your fingers get quicker at pressing the right letters and you realise it’s not so bad. Typing can become fun or, conversely, you realise how tedious it is to start all over again if you make a wrong move.
Then you meet your first computer, and a feeling of both familiarity and unfamiliarity can envelop you at the same time. This creates an unusual sense of excitement. The magical structure, the screen that resembles a television, but the individual setting where everything is under your control gives you a freedom. It keeps your curiosity fresh and encourages you to spend more time with it. It seems that everyday activities you used to do frequently, such as writing, reading or drawing, have taken on a different meaning. Maybe you want to do more of them, or maybe you approach them with more interest than ever before. You are also not afraid of making mistakes. It feels good to take a relaxed, fast, fun and contemporary approach.
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Now let us return to the present and look at those who have just opened their eyes to life. If you have children growing up around you, your first observation will be that they are more familiar with smartphones and tablets than with toys. Let’s face it, we all think this is dangerous. But how true is that? I have just talked about a life story that most of us can relate to. The system we were born into started with a physical structure, so it offered us an analogue structure, and then the change that followed allowed us to encounter and enjoy the digital. But what if we were completely surrounded by digital, what would we be like? It is obvious that today’s children have to face it directly.
Although we prefer to be disciplined and keep children of this age away from such devices, it is difficult to give up this nature that has entered our lives. So we probably use them every day in our lives. In this case, children will naturally want to imitate us. There is no escape from this. The important thing may be to set limits or raise our own awareness to ensure that the inevitable process of adaptation takes place in the healthiest way possible. After all, this process of digital adaptation, which has become obligatory, may not be properly managed in every family.
So far, we’ve recognised that technology is inevitable, but that people’s attitudes can’t just be uprooted. What’s more, we shouldn’t feel bad about the fact that today’s usage is different. On the contrary, it is more useful to use it in the right way and to know how to do it.
To do this, I think it is important to find a balance between the two uses. So let’s look at what the present has to offer. Let’s think about what is more useful in digital form and what should remain in analogue form.
Books have held their place throughout human history. They have been written and read regardless of time, technology and resources. We do not know what will happen in the future, but it is inevitable that this will continue for some time. As we have said, people cannot leave their attitudes in an instant. The feeling of both actions will always remain valid. Books that we can physically touch, feel the weight of, psychologically grasp the presence of, and enjoy the smell of will still exist in the digital age.
Although increasingly printed, they have long been available digitally. Their space-saving structure, quick access, editing, online sharing and easy storage in the desired order are the features that set them apart. Today, as we find ourselves in the arms of technology, all these features are indispensable.
So how exactly does this act of reading take place? I would like to explain it by looking at the previous and current generations, because even though we have moved into this era, for the new generation this is their new normal. This can actually give us a very different and valuable perspective.
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Children are always active, energetic and easily bored. This shows that their attention span can be shorter than that of an adult. Technology, on the other hand, is almost perfect for them because it is fast and rich, allowing them to focus on other things or consume what is available immediately. So much so that, according to my research, they are starting to skim rather than read. In other words, they only look at what they think is important or useful and ignore the rest. It’s like focusing on the words that are underlined, highlighted or bolded.
Although we can provide this in books, the flexibility offered by the layout of the text on the screen can be more convenient. At this point, it is not enough to think of it as a generational difference; everyone can read in a similar way.
Writing, on the other hand, I think is a more interesting question. Does pressing the keys as if you were playing a game give you a sense of competence? Is it slow to perform the action in an analogue way? Does it really save time to type by pressing several letters in the time it takes to type one? Do you ever feel that you are late in getting your thoughts down on paper? Is it important to transfer all these things quickly or to do it by feeling and perceiving what you are writing?
In conclusion, I would like to say the following. There may be things that vary according to need. That is, you may feel that you have to make choices for different purposes if you are a student, a writer, or someone working on some other task.
A young student who can’t keep his head up because of the subject matter will choose a method that tries to make the lesson as enjoyable as possible, according to age and time period. Is analogue or digital the best choice? Which would be preferred by someone who uses coloured pencils to highlight notes?
You are a writer and are in the habit of writing every day, or you have started a really long story and have been at it for days. Do you prefer to use a pencil sharpener all the time and struggle to order your paper? What is the best structure for organising your writing?
What would be the quickest way to get your work done in your office before the deadline? What would be your preferred way of transferring and sharing your work?
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Let’s face it, even if artificial intelligence isn’t enough to take over our jobs, technology is slowly leaving the analogue structure behind. It leaves the physical style to the activities we enjoy, and allows the real work to take place within itself. As an aspiring writer, I can’t remember how many pens I’ve worn out, how many sheets of paper I’ve used, and when I felt I had to give up, I started writing on a laptop.
On the other hand, my headaches and eye problems increased. I became more distracted because I had easy access to other things. It’s a multipurpose structure, so I’m more likely to lose focus.
I said it would be right to find a balance in the end. So far I think I have read one or two novels on screen, whereas I can only access articles online. When I go out and write, I never use a laptop. But when I am at home, or when I want to publish, it is inevitably digital.
Depending on the frequency of use, the necessity of the moment and the pleasure to be gained, I think it is healthier to alternate between the two forms. The dance of the different letters coming out of the pen is priceless; using the keyboard is just as convenient for me to fully convey my thoughts and quickly correct my mistakes. In other words, rather than preferring one over the other (which I do not think is possible), the most correct approach, whatever our work, purpose or age, is to use one according to the place and not be completely caught up in the other.
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