'Number' is not always better.
Outdated analog technology gives us a tactile experience of physical interaction that we are forced to abandon by the all-digital world.
'Number' is not always better. Of course, there are tremendous benefits from working with media, files and devices on the digital plane, but at the end of the day, we live in the analog world. In the manner typical of people, we touch things with our hands, hear sounds with our ears and see objects with our eyes, that is, we use beautiful, undoubtedly, analog devices for transmitting information.
In fact, despite the growing number of daily activities that are generated or exist in the digital dimension, none of these activities take place specifically on the digital plane. It's easy to forget, but each of these scenarios takes place in an amazing high-definition analog space, also known as the real world.
Many people are rediscovering and reviving old analog technologies (printed books, vinyl records, musical instruments) that provide some kind of tactile experience of physical interaction, which we are forced to abandon the completely digital world. This may seem strange and a little silly, because our world is becoming more and more digitalized, but in order to realize this, it is useful to take a step back. It is also useful to understand that not all pendulums of technological progress indicate a movement towards digital superiority. With the logical development of technology, the latter should acquire more explicit analogous outlines.
If you look at the history of many innovations in everything from computing and media and so on, you can see that evolution began with attempts to recreate certain types of content or information in an analog format. Many of these early analog attempts were severely limited, so for everything about PC files and audio, technologies were developed to create and modify such information in digital form.
Over the past few decades, we have seen the evolution of digital files and the incredible organizational, analytical and creative benefits of going digital. However, recently we have started to see a ceiling even for digital technologies, which they reach in areas such as entertainment content and certain types of information. It is difficult to assess how adding beats to audio, photos and videos can actually bring something meaningful to the real world.
Following the development of technology, many have felt the lack of a certain type of physical interaction, which by nature is necessary for people as part of their existence. The end result is the rediscovery or reinvention of older analog technologies that provide at least some tactile interaction.
The best example is the case of vinyl records and 'turntables', which have recently become more popular among Gen Z youth and millennials. As someone of age and with a collection of original vinyls, I can remember and appreciate the potential of analog listening to music. Decades of digital propaganda are 'helping' forget how good sound quality can be on a decent turntable and audio system.
First of all, there has been a paradigm shift in the printed book industry. After many years of predictions of the death of print, literally last week, there was news of a decrease in sales of e-readers and content for them and an increase in book sales for the first time in a long time. Positions are, of course, greatly lost, but it is fascinating to see more and more people strive to enjoy the experience of reading this book.
Even omitting the examples mentioned, it should be noted that people place quite a lot of importance on touch, feeling and experience when using digital devices. All aspects are important: how the device lies in the hand, how it feels to press the keyboard keys when typing. In the future, breakthrough advances in virtual and augmented reality will rely on a kind of tactile response tied to pressure to improve the realism of the proposed user experience. Plus, in the case of musical instruments, one of the biggest trends in recent years has been the increased popularity of synthesizers with 'knobs', physical controls.
There is a heated debate about the gradual return of more and more personal interactions to analog form. Fed up with purely digital interactions, people of all ages are showing more interest and enthusiasm towards reducing the time spent in the digital world in favor of more frequent face-to-face communication. Nobody says that we will return to the era of analog technology again, no matter how cool this nostalgic idea sounds. But as digital technology advances, it makes sense to incorporate technology products and associated user experiences into an attempt to re-capture the unique tactile, feel, and value that is unique to the analog world.
Original material by Bob O'Donnell
It seems to me that the flexibility described by the author of the transition from digital to analog devices and vice versa is not typical for all categories of users. Perhaps it is millennials who are more inclined towards this: they have caught the beginning of the digital age, while retaining the memory of analog devices and an understanding of their features. And it is nostalgia that is the key reason for the return to paper books. What can not be said about vinyl, here the aesthetic component is not tangible.
The idea that the development of digital technology should bring analogue features seemed curious. However, this is what modern manufacturers are doing, giving their devices the most comfortable and pleasant appearance and associating them with something 'warm and lamp-like' (for example, cameras from Kodak and Leica). The main thing is not to overdo it.