By Carol Pender
It’s that time of year again – back-to-school for millions of kids, with parents frantically making last minute purchases for the new academic year. But as an article in the Daily Telegraph points out, while this used to mean making sure you had enough pencils, Tipex and smelly rubbers, today’s must-have school tools include the latest laptops, printers and software.
It’s not as if the transition has happened overnight, but it got me thinking about all the ways that technology and particularly the internet, has changed our lives – and wondering whether it’s all really been for the best. Maybe there’s no right or wrong answer, but I can’t help getting a little nostalgic about “the good old days”.
For example, I came across a story in the French daily paper Le Monde about an initiative to record classical concerts and make them available exclusively for purchase on the internet. With the music industry in general in the doldrums, this could revive interest in orchestral music and maybe even help discover new talent, as the internet does for other musical genres.
But it’ll never replace the experience of actually going to a concert and getting goosebumps when you listen to that Mozart symphony – or even that Radiohead classic – live. And what about the simple pleasures of going to Fnac, browsing through the different sections, and going home with a carefully selected CD?
Having the latest news at home and abroad available at the click of a mouse is great and pretty amazing when you think about it. But in terms of enjoyment factor, can it really compete with sitting down for a couple of hours with the Sunday papers and a pot of coffee?
The same applies to downloading a film versus watching it on the big screen, buying your groceries online versus going to the market, sending an email versus making a call etc etc. Don’t get me wrong, as an expat, I love email and am the first to admit that it has helped me stay in touch with many a person I could have lost contact with. But it’s really not the same as hearing a friend’s voice.
Of course, the internet is expedient, practical and cheap, and there are some things for which it has become irreplaceable – I don’t know anyone who doesn’t buy their airline tickets and reserve their hotels online. And I’m sure everyone has gotten a few laughs out of the latest YouTube or Mozinor video.
But there needs to be a balance between our lives online and the real world, otherwise we could forget why certain things were important or exciting in the first place.
OK, I'll stop ranting now. Maybe I'm just having a mid-life crisis at the tender age of 34?!
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