Reviewing Analog & the Analog

When I was exploring the library for my next read, I saw Analog (2022) by Robert Hassan – a small novel with a simplistic cover shelved under Staff Picks. The back reads: 

“Why, surrounded by screens and smart devices, we feel a deep connection to the analog – vinyl records, fountain pens, Kodak Film, and other nondigital tools.” 

As someone who grew up with and continues to use both analog and digital technologies, I decided to see what Hassan had to say about it all. Early on, Hassan calls upon my favourite social philosopher, Marshall McLuhan (“any technology is a physical extension of our bodies” & “the medium is the message”), to begin the discussion about our relationship with analog technologies and how the digital changes this.   

Hassan believes that “the transition to digital is marked by the downgrading of human participation in the human-technology relationship” and illustrates this with a condensed history of communication technologies like the Antikythera mechanism, Gutenberg's Printing Press, and the Telstar Satellite. In essence, Hassan argues that we understand digital technology thanks to the preceding analog technology, yet the digital disconnects us from the natural world because it continues to remove the human participation required in analog technologies.  

Furthermore, we revitalize analog technologies like the turntable or wristwatch because they anchor us to our natural world. We know putting pen to paper (journaling) can be therapeutic; music fans buy overpriced tickets for the live performance experience; paying with cash helps some keep better track of their spending. In analog technologies, there are arguably more points of contact for the user to connect with the product.  

I envy those who use e-readers; I’ve tried a few times (although not recently) to read on a tablet, and I couldn’t settle into my story. Yet I would like to stop weighing my luggage down with copious amounts of reading material when I travel, having it all stored on one lightweight, sleek Kindle. I love the feel of paper, hearing the page turn, the text in deep contrast to its pages, and the satisfaction (or dissatisfaction, depending on the story) of reading the last word and closing the back cover.  

Feeling the strings and bowing the motions of a violin connects us to the music we hear, and as a result, the mind-body connection strengthens the human-technology relationship. Today, however, we are overwhelmed with technology. Even now, I’m typing up this blog on my computer, listening to lo-fi beats through my headphones, apps opened on my smartphone, and using an agenda to jot notes down. A lot is happening, and it shows that when we use multiple technologies at once, our connection to them as individual technologies is weakened.   

If I haven’t said it before, I’m very much an advocate for digital moderation. While technological determinism has proven to develop society (I.e., the standard of living, access to knowledge, globalization, etc.), structuring society to fit technology (versus structuring technology to fit society) can cause alienation. 

Most universities have made it mandatory for students to have a personal computer and internet access to research, write, and electronically submit their assignments. The library is still available for research, computer, and printer access, yet cannot accommodate every student’s required needs. Some students take on additional debt to pay for course materials and tech that can significantly increase their ability to partake in the course and be successful. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was virtually impossible for students and professors to complete their courses without a computer and reliable internet.  

Thankfully, we had the technological infrastructure to create an online learning environment when we could not interact in person. Yet our reliance on digital technology continues to overlook the necessity and use of analog technologies like the map, the clock, the written word, and more.  

I challenge my readers to reconnect with analog technology – a book, a film camera, an acoustic instrument, or something else. Even if you already interact with analog technologies on a regular basis, take the time to understand how analog differs from digital, its pros and cons, and the significance of the analog and digital in your life.