ANALOG VS. DIGITAL

Learning: Analog vs. Digital

Analog and digital are simply two different ways of obtaining information. In layperson’s terms, an example of an analog symbol is a clock with a face and hands, while a digital clock with numbers is, obviously, a way of receiving the same information, only in a digital format. The landline telephone is an example of an analog invention, while the smartphone is digital. “Analog values are shown within a range while digital signals are shown on specific levels. Sound waves can be digitized for more reliable storage and processing.”

Examples (old school ones to try):

• Listen to records and collect them; there is no better sound than listening to your favorite song on vinyl. Certain algorithms (that can be found on streaming apps) sometimes alter the sound of a song, making it more uniform with louder, clearer vocals that can sound generic. This can alter a song you remember listening to on a record player, the radio, or even on a CD, so it seems different and just doesn’t feel quite the same. The disparities may seem nil to many but music enthusiasts will be able to tell the difference. There’s also something about turning a radio dial and cranking up the volume with a flick of the wrist that can’t be replicated.
• Use a film camera. Getting photographs developed and having them framed around your home or office is not only welcoming and homey, it’s a tangible way of displaying cherished memories. This is very comforting. Polaroid cameras are also making a comeback. Not only are they fun, but the photographic result is instant and can be held in your hand.
• Create a mood board using paste and cardboard with images torn from glossy magazines or make a scrapbook. The act of cutting a piece of paper is much more fun than moving it around with a mouse on a computer screen using an app such as Photoshop. Accomplishing tasks with your hands—especially crafts—is incredibly relaxing and requires one to slow down a bit and use precision. Recognizing spatial patterns and colors that aren’t on a screen but in natural light is exciting for a visually artistic individual. Great ideas are born this way!
• Stationary: Write and send letters in the post. There’s nothing more personal or intimate than someone’s handwriting. Typing or texting just isn’t the same when you want to send a loveletter. Postcards from travels abroad sent to loved ones are such a treat and can make anyone’s day better. Cards and notes written on paper can be saved and treasured forever while a well-meaning text message or email gets lost in the ether.

Books are Better

“More than any other time, when I hold a beloved book in my hand my limitations fall from me, my spirit is free.” –Helen Keller

Jean-Honoré Fragonard (French, 1732 – 1806 ), Young Girl Reading, c. 1770, oil on canvas, Gift of Mrs. Mellon Bruce in memory of her father, Andrew W. Mellon

Getting lost in the stacks, wiling away the hours, thumbing through pages, underlining important information, and writing in the margins are all tangible parts of studying in a library and learning with books. Books are wonderful because they last forever unlike words on a screen which may get deleted or lost in the Internet cloud. Because they are tangible objects that we can hold, books are more than just words on a page: they’re keepsakes in which we’ve dog-eared pages and can proudly boast that the paper bookmark is nearly at the end.

When it comes to research, obtaining information from books is, for many, much more effective than reading from a screen. Taking notes by hand on sheets of paper is also a greater way of obtaining and retaining information. There’s something about the movement of the hand and putting pen to paper that triggers muscle memory: if we write out a word or sentence we’re more likely to remember it. This is also essential for young people in school who are just learning to write, especially in cursive. Typing is no substitute for good penmanship.

Marvelous Magazines

Dive into a world of Mad Men ad executives filled with intrigue and creative genius when you flip through an old issue of Life or Look magazine. Young people used to have to sneak peeks at girlie magazines high on a shelf when they were curious; now, all kids have to do is click a button, and a screen filled with everything imaginable pops up (hence the importance of implementing parental controls).

Many Gen Z and Millennials actually prefer reading magazines, going to rare and used bookshops, and collecting VHS tapes. It evokes a sense of nostalgia and a quieter, more laid-back lifestyle. The art of collecting is also an art and something that people either miss or continue to relish with a niche aesthetic. Eagerly awaiting new issues of magazines to appear on newsstands every week or month was so exciting! Receiving your monthly issue of Vogue in the post was always a thrill and longing for that simplicity conjures sentimental longing. Reading an actual newspaper and getting ink on your fingertips has become a relic of the past.

For more information like what you’ve seen above, check out Full Cycle Publications, and their books and read what’s on the blog.

For a more thorough explanation of analog versus digital data, what it means, and concrete examples (along with fun lifestyle ideas), consult the following links:

https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ms-physics/x1baed5db7c1bb50b:waves/x1baed5db7c1bb50b:digital-signals/v/digital-and-analog-information#:~:text=Analog%20signals%2C%20like%20the%20hands,more%20reliable%20storage%20and%20processing.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/06/15/analog-trends-vinyl-magazines-cameras/

https://learn.sparkfun.com/tutorials/analog-vs-digital/all

(Painting depicted above is “A Young Girl Reading by Jean-Honoré Fragonard, 1769)