Saturday, March 7, 2009

Just an Old-Fashioned Girl Living in High-Tech World

I'll start this by saying I have not had cable television since 2002 and still do not own an ipod (or any other brand of mp3 player). It took me years beyond the norm to get a DVD player, and I still listen to CDs.

I don't know if I really have an objection to all the new technology so much as I'm just not motivated enough to acquire it for myself.

However, there is a piece of new technology that I will never have an interest in owning. I'm not sure if there are other models of this device, but the one I'm familiar with is called the Kindle (or now Kindle 2) on amazon. Essentially, it's a device where you download books and read them on the screen. Apparently it's about the size of a paperback book and the thickness of a magazine. There are over 240,000 books you can download. Now the Kindle 2 even has the ability to read the book aloud to you.

I don't know about any other voracious reader out there, but I'm a very tactile person. I'm all about sensory overload, and I LOVE the feel and smell of books. This is what leads to my not-so-economical habit of wanting to actually own books as opposed to checking them out at the library (that and the fact that I have a disorder that prevents me from returning library books on time it seems). And as a sidebar, I think libraries are one of the greatest institutions ever created and believe in the system wholeheartedly. I just personally love to own books.

I love to smell the print on the page. I love the feel of the cover. I have actually bought books just because of the look and feel of the cover. (Don't judge a book by its cover. Um, I'm guilty as charged. However, I read some good books by this method, including "She's Come Undone" by Wally Lamb as an example.)

I just think all of this modern technology is making the world a little colder and robotic. Take a look at your bookcase. Look at he different colors and sizes and textures of the books that are there. Distinctive. Eclectic. Memorable. Irreplacable.

So I guess I'll remain among those who stay old school. I'll be folding the corner of a particularly good page of my Sue Miller novel while listening to my mix CD on my personal CD player. Then I'll go adjust my ancient antenna so I can get a better view of whatever is on the four channels that come into focus on my analogue TV set.

And I'll be grateful that so much advancement has been made, but I still have the choice to stick to what works for me.

4 comments:

LoveLladro said...

Adam and I were just talking about that thing. I had the same feelings as you... who wants to forgo holding a fresh book in their hands... and don't we stare at enough screens nowadays? I hope I never fall victim to that thing. Of course I made fun of Adam wanting an ipod touch and now I can't get enough of mine... yeah, I am one of them ;~)

KaraB said...

Well, I'm not really opposed to the ipod stuff...it's just that the tech stuff was never something I really longed for. I was (past tense) more of a clothes and shoe whore. Now I'm more of a pay the electric bill whore. HA!

Anonymous said...

I see Kindle2 and can't really picture anyone who could enjoy "books" through that. Well, I like most of hi-tech stuff but it wouldn't work for books... Maybe I am old fashioned too?

And I'll Raise You 5 said...

I'm with you -- and I have the same "can't return library books on time" disorder.

I cannot imagine devouring a book on a screen. Need it in my hands. Great post!