Digital-Analog together make a powerful team.

“ It’s a small world after all

It's a world of laughter, a world or tears
It’s a world of hopes, it’s a world of fear….

……………It’s a small world after all ”

It’s a small world after all, the famous song by Disney is forming it’s true sense with the rapid development of digital technology. Machines and technology have brought humans closer, made life easier, our output, our progress is far much more than before but at the cost of what ?

If we have achieved so much, than we have also lost some things.  Today, when I log in to Facebook I get all the updates about what my friends and relatives are up to. But at the same time I don’t feel the same love from them. For example: On my last birthday I got so many birthday wishes on Facebook. Some years ago when there was no Facebook…..perhaps the joy I felt was more.  My friends, relatives would call me on phone or personally take out time to come and meet me on my birthday. The compassion, the feelings I felt then was much more joyful.

While I was reading the article, I was lost in the flashback of my life some 10-15 years ago. Life was simple then not with the aid of technology. Today I cannot even think a day without technology.  Further going back in time-machine, I remember my grandmother telling about her life…..when she was of my age. Every morning she had to walk and go to the water well to fetch drinking water and water for other purposes. Every afternoon she would go to the river side to wash clothes and the utensils. There was nothing like refrigerator so food was cooked every morning and evening. In the evening time she would sit with her friends in open air (balcony) and they would talk about their day and at the same time cut vegetables for dinner time food. Her day went as a daily routine and lot of physical activities. She never went to gym…..but even today at the age of 90 she is physically fit. My grandfather did hard mathematical calculations on the tip of his fingers. Before I could open my calculator he would tell answer which was always correct.  He had most people’s phone number in his memory.  And for me today….I cannot even remember my best friend’s cell number.  

 Human beings are evolutionary creatures. We are meant to grow, adapt to changing environments. We have emotions, feelings, intellect, natural instincts, motivational drives……and that is what makes us superior to machines.  We laugh, cry, feel sorrow, enthusiasm and at the same time we can make errorrs which machines cannot. Not given the food for some time we can still work, but if a machine, for example a phone is not recharged it is sure to stop working. We have a purpose for life, some living force which keeps us moving. On the other hand digital technology always works with logic. Many a times we depend on our inner instincts. It is for this reason that many impossible things, inventions and discoveries have been brought into existence.

But at the same time what a machine can do is far beyond the reach of human beings. There cannot be a question which one is better. Digital and analog go together to make a powerful team.

There are so many things said in the article and each of it so true. It has covered almost all the topics….from the basic human nature to the comparison between the humans and machines .I even liked the point “Each generation grows upon the heritage left behind by previous generations”. But for the new generation though life becomes easy the expectation and amount of study materials increases. There is no doubt that today everyone complains about shortage of time.

 Don Norman is indeed a man with keen knowledge of human psychology, philosophy as well as digital technology.