I love me some P2P, but part of me yearns for the old days. Things meant more back when everything wasn't readily available with a couple of mouse clicks. My decade-old Playboy was a prized possession. Every movie I rented, I watched (and enjoyed), no matter how shitty it was. Going to the video store was an exciting event. Picking up the cases, looking at the box art, devouring every bit of it with my eyes, then picking the movie that most likely had some titties in it...
I can't imagine what it's like to grow up in this day and age. There's so much stuff coming at you, is there any fascination anymore? I wonder what kind of person I would be if I had grown up with the internet. I only missed it by a few years, but I have a feeling I would be a completely different person.
I couldn't agree more. I often wonder if kids growing up today with the internet and instant gratification will become as fascinated or engrossed in things as we were. I remember watching movies and listening to records OVER and OVER again, memorizing and analyzing every little detail, which is why I'm such a fanatic about this stuff today. I doubt if I would have done that if I could move on to another album or movie with just a few clicks of the mouse.
Ultimately though, I think kids will be fine. I think there's a natural tendency to decry the technology of the day as not as "pure" as the methods of your childhood, but I think when all is said and done, nerds will still be nerds. I'm sure 20 years ago there were guys talking about how kids of the time, with their VCRs and cable television, could never fully appreciate the simple thrills of yesteryear.
Yeah, that's true. I'm much more concerned by the way technology has affected my personality and the way I approach things. Coming on to sites like this, where nostalgia and the fascination of your youth is a big part of the appeal, I see how I've started to turn into a media-devouring machine that just watches, listens, and moves on to the next with very little of it making an impact. I'll give a band a couple of seconds worth of a listen before deciding whether or not they're worth my time. I've got 500 more albums to check out, so if they don't hook me immediately it's adios. Far cry from just a decade ago where I was saving my money to buy 1 or 2 CDs a month, and listening to every damn second of them over and over. Of course, those albums that you spent money on, and took the time to appreciate, are still your favorites. At the same time, even if I don't like it, it's hard to change because the instant gratification is fucking addicting.
Maybe it's all just a function of getting older. Maybe kids today are just as fascinated by things as we were, regardless of access, because that's the way kids are.
I love me some P2P, but part of me yearns for the old days. Things meant more back when everything wasn't readily available with a couple of mouse clicks. My decade-old Playboy was a prized possession. Every movie I rented, I watched (and enjoyed), no matter how shitty it was. Going to the video store was an exciting event. Picking up the cases, looking at the box art, devouring every bit of it with my eyes, then picking the movie that most likely had some titties in it...
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine what it's like to grow up in this day and age. There's so much stuff coming at you, is there any fascination anymore? I wonder what kind of person I would be if I had grown up with the internet. I only missed it by a few years, but I have a feeling I would be a completely different person.
Well I went off on a bit of a tangent.
I couldn't agree more. I often wonder if kids growing up today with the internet and instant gratification will become as fascinated or engrossed in things as we were. I remember watching movies and listening to records OVER and OVER again, memorizing and analyzing every little detail, which is why I'm such a fanatic about this stuff today. I doubt if I would have done that if I could move on to another album or movie with just a few clicks of the mouse.
ReplyDeleteUltimately though, I think kids will be fine. I think there's a natural tendency to decry the technology of the day as not as "pure" as the methods of your childhood, but I think when all is said and done, nerds will still be nerds. I'm sure 20 years ago there were guys talking about how kids of the time, with their VCRs and cable television, could never fully appreciate the simple thrills of yesteryear.
Yeah, that's true. I'm much more concerned by the way technology has affected my personality and the way I approach things. Coming on to sites like this, where nostalgia and the fascination of your youth is a big part of the appeal, I see how I've started to turn into a media-devouring machine that just watches, listens, and moves on to the next with very little of it making an impact. I'll give a band a couple of seconds worth of a listen before deciding whether or not they're worth my time. I've got 500 more albums to check out, so if they don't hook me immediately it's adios. Far cry from just a decade ago where I was saving my money to buy 1 or 2 CDs a month, and listening to every damn second of them over and over. Of course, those albums that you spent money on, and took the time to appreciate, are still your favorites. At the same time, even if I don't like it, it's hard to change because the instant gratification is fucking addicting.
ReplyDeleteMaybe it's all just a function of getting older. Maybe kids today are just as fascinated by things as we were, regardless of access, because that's the way kids are.