Old vs. New, The Final Showdown Pt. 1

In our increasingly technology based society, it’s easy for some to state that it is the new innovations that will solely lead us into the future. This means that things such as the old media of books, or even magazines or printed photographs will be replaced by the powerhouse that is the internet. I’ve decided to champion the side of the old, and in this two part series I’ll discuss exactly why new media just does not have the ability to replace old media in our lives (and yes I understand the hypocrisy in doing this on a blog). The first issue one must raise is the mere feeling one gains from reading a book or the printed word as opposed to reading off of a screen. It has always been my opinion that when it comes to learning nothing is as good as a amplifier then the actual tactile sense of feeling a page. When you read of the internet, there is no sense of that information, it is merely there and then gone as soon as you travel to a new page. With a book, you see the pages as well as sense the pages. You can highlight, go back to, tear up, rewrite and most importantly appreciate this information. The internet, while one of the most beautiful inventions of our time as well as a source for great amounts of information can never replace a book for the sheer sake that, as humans, we will never accept that transition. With CGI graphics and robotics it is called the uncanny valley, a state where as the technological doppelganger approaches more and more to human likeness, those viewing it begin to become uneasy and experience revulsion. I believe the same occurs with books and the internet; while people may turn to the internet for convenience, I believe that they will inherently turn back towards the printed medium, not only because of the comfort, but because of the sheer unease that new media will provide.