Will technology replace everything else in the future?

Photo via, text by me

There are things in life that have been there for a long time. Art. Music. Philosophy. Mathematics. Books. Nice handwritten fonts. Libraries.

And we have technology: eBooks, Kindles, Computers, Laptops, different applications and softwares, and even robots.


We humans learn many many things from everyday activities, like art, music, mathematics, books, etc, right? However now that technology is slowly (okay not so slowly) and surely 'taking over the world', are some of them giving us concepts and conclusions that are not entirely correct and real?

Let's start with handwritten fonts. Handwritten fonts-are they less special and valued nowadays because they aren't perfect unlike the ones where you can just type and print letters out in less than 5 minutes compared to the 20 minutes? Yes, the handwritten alphabets may have fonts, they may have a small smudge in some places (oops) but their imperfection makes them perfect. Every stroke is made with great care, even though it may not come out as intended. But it's the process that matters, and that is why I'd rather them than to print out fonts which are supposedly 'perfect' and also 'convenient', made out of some ink that's arranged by the printer.

The same thing goes for art- there are various softwares which enable you to create an art work by using your mouse (or trackpad), choosing your colour and 'brush', and spend time at the screen to create art. Yes, it is still art. But isn't art about making mistakes? Your final piece is the result of the whole process, the effort and time you spend on it. Yet when you do art on a digital software, can't you 'reverse' or 'undo' your previous stroke? Why is that? Are you striving for perfection, that's why you undo that stroke that you unintentionally made? It may have turned out to be something special, something that would have made your piece stunning and unique. Like handwritten fonts, imperfection makes the artwork perfect. You may see this stroke as a mistake, but viewers may think it's amazing.

However unlike digital art softwares, life doesn't have an undo button. You can't look for it when you think you made a wrong decision, because it is not there. You and I have to face the consequences of  every stroke we decide to make, and who knows, sometimes the assumed 'wrong' choices we chose earlier lead to the best results. You can afford to choose the options yourself in life, like in art. Every. Single. Stroke. Counts.

What about books, you say, they are same, doesn't matter if it's on a screen or on paper, they're still books, right? I say no. Well I still consider eBooks books. Oxford Learner's Dictionary's initial definition of book  is:

However there is a second new definition, which is:

Let's look at Merriam-Webster's definition:

 Now the definition of books is less clear, but I still think that the essential definition of 'books' will still and always be the first definition of book in any dictionary, which is (more or less) a set of printed sheets that are fastened inside a cover. 

And the ones that are published in electronic form should be, and always will be for me, an eBook. There are things an eBook can do that a book can, however there are more things that a book can offer you that an eBook cannot. You can hold a thick paperback filled with yellowed, dog-eared, pre-loved pages. Can you do that with an eBook? No. You can feel the texture of paper under your fingers as you run your fingers under sentences you're reading. Can you do that with an eBook? No. You must admit, one flipping through a thick paperback looks much more intelligent that someone holding a Kindle or iPad and constantly tapping on the right side of the screen. A parent would much rather their child to be in a room full of books rather than an iPad or other tablet that are stocked with eBooks, because you know why? You can focus much better with a single-focus object, not something that's 'everything-in-one' (e.g. tablet/iPad). 

Now when we have to do a project, the place we go for information and resources, is Google. Model United Nations preparation, research on Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, or different kinds on fonts, we go to Google (or Yahoo, Bing or any other search engine that you prefer). I must admit that I am guilty of that-I go to Google too. It is so much more convenient! But what I'm saying is that there's much more resources and information out there, in the world. Like the library. They are a much more conducive resource and information area, compared to Google, and they're more reliable compared to any other link you find from Google. 

Taking notes: 

If your phone or computer dies or don't have electricity, isn't your student life practically over? It's easier (for me) to absorb information when you pen down information and doodle (if you wish) on them (it's a proven fact, go look it up). 

Which is why, people, always have a notebook and a pencil at your side. So even if your phone suddenly crashes or mysteriously deletes your notes, you'll still survive. 

And what about WhatsApp, Facebook and other forms of social media? They are convenient, but in the end, if you want friendship to be strong and last long, you have to meet up and see their faces. Do you want to have a friendship solely based on typed words? How do you know what the other person actually feels during the conversation, or at least the facial expression, besides the emoticons that they added with their texts? What if their seemingly 'LOL' is just a nose exhale or even a blank face?

You can't depend too much on technology, because what is needed to power them? Electricity. If you don't charge a Kindle, Tablet, Phone, Computer, or any other form of technology, it is practically useless. If you don't have wifi, you might not be able to download the eBooks, Google for resources for your project, or do any other thing. If the world is without electricity, people who actually read books with paper, make art that is touchable or on canvas or paper, those who go to the library for research will survive. 

What I'm saying is, don't let technology take over your life. You can let it help you, but not take over your life.