Why Gigabytes May Leave You Wanting More Out Of Life Without Restrictions.

Your tech devices are an extension of you. Will you ever be happy with a glass ceiling now you’ve been exposed to a parallel universe?

Recently, the subject of photo albums crossed my mind. Who doesn’t love a sentimental moment away from digital media? I know I do! But I was reminded how little we dust out the old hardcover book of curated memories due to everything being digitalised. What need is there when you’ve uploaded everything and more recent memories onto a hard drive; whether that be your computer, mobile etc. It’s a practical way of storing your photos and data without having to select only the specially chosen few to resize and laminate. We find ourselves with the ability to store hundreds of thousands of images and videos. But has this precedent expanded into different areas of our life? Making the impossible, possible? Yes.

I remember back in the day when mobiles were in their infancy, you’d have to pay an extortionate fee to access google for starters. Pounds I tell you! Additionally, due to limited storage, lack of camera or dire megapixels, we’d only use our mobile when absolutely necessary… or to play snake when boredom was upon you. Your home phone was most frequently used due to budget-friendly bills and the freedom to have a long chinwag without signal issues or fretting to recharge your battery.  What happened to the jumbo-sized phone book? Or remembering your loved one’s phone numbers off by heart? That’s no longer an issue as it’s no longer needed. It’s become obsolete. Now, mobiles are now just as efficient as your average laptop. 1TB storage at your fingertips, the world’s your oyster. 

Greed and lack of restriction is a toxic combination, which is all too common in the modern world. The freedom to download and store anything beyond your wildest imagination can feed into endless possibilities, leading to unhealthy habits and an attachment forming; a dependency to an inanimate object. You may not be able to replicate this in real-life.

The human mind is built to store only a certain amount of data, separating us from an AI computerised robot and rightly so.

Australia has recently banned mobile devices from the majority of schools. I don’t think mobile’s are the issue, it’s the advancement of what they are today. The development breeds unknown territory and with that comes high risk. If you had an old Nokia with minuscule storage and the inability to surf the web and social media apps, would the ban be necessary? I think not.

Sometimes I miss the simplicity of how life was like. Turning to recipe books instead of turning to YouTube or search engines. Single-use Kodak cameras with limited film of 27 shots or so, instead of 100 of each angle which are identical to a third party. Never mind the features to photoshop people in and out! The inability to talk to 8 billion people round the world you don’t know from Adam, was sheer bliss. Using google as a dictionary and encyclopaedia just because it’s “easier” is precisely what’s wrong with society. There’s an app for everything! People are unable to do simple calculations without a mobile. You’d always have a map in your glove box in case of emergencies – that’s been replaced with a charging wire for your phone. Built in sat-nav? Even better. When was the last time you saw someone using a compass? We lack the desire to problem solve, as there’s an answer to everything, within a millisecond. We’ve lost our innocence and passion to learn. Looking back, the naivety was peaceful, gratitude for small gestures and moments made us harmonious.

The internet is a wonderful thing. Without limitations, it can consume our life. I miss the 5GB life. We always want what we can’t have. We’ve been exposed to more than ever, has mankind evolved or regressed? What happened to family night board games without prizing their phone out their hands? Hiking, enjoying the mesmerising sights without reaching for the nearest camera is a distant memory, due to the capacity we’re able to store and backup to the cloud.

Maybe it’s progressive, maybe it’s made us more hungry and entitled. Is being resourceful much to our detriment? Is limiting ourselves ever advantageous? Should we be more welcoming in regard to futuristic tech ambitions?

What do you think? Were you happier with limited gigabytes? Did you find more time in your day? Were there less people to please? Was your life more private? Dod you find more enjoyment in simple things? What would you encourage future generations in regard to the digital world and the mania that may follow? Comment below!