While no one would begrudge the young their future choice of memories, it does seem that something has been lost in the process. For the rest of us, remembering and re-telling the moments when our shared environment changed – grew sharper, turned colourful, or involved less hassle – becomes a crucial collective experience, one that binds quite disparate existences together.
Modern technolgical advance is bad, M\’Kay, because it\’s a personal rather than collective experience.
Lord save us from the collectivists, please!
“…a crucial collective experience, one that binds quite disparate existences together.”
My adolescent son plays WOW while simultaneously chatting with mates from school here in London and friends in Holland and the U.S., discusses ideas, theories, cultural phenomena and politics with people as far away as Australia, and gets music from mates in Japan. Talk about disparate existences! And what could be more wonderful and miraculous?
The fact is, our childrens’ experience of the world is so very different from ours, that we haven’t a clue what they’ll remember when it’s their turn to witter on drearily and reminisce about ‘the good old days’.
“…remembering and re-telling the moments when our shared…”
Doesn’t “embellishing” belong in there?
The clue is of course in the article:
“a reporter from the local paper was dispatched to my grandmother’s house to report on what was the first colour television in the area.”
All this new technology stuff was so much better when it bound the disparate existences of the Hughes family together. But now the plebs have got their grubby paws on it…….