In this blog post, we will think about the convenience we have gained and the analog sensibility we have lost amid the changes brought about by digital technology.
At 4:00 a.m. on December 31, 2012, the Korean government ended analog broadcasting services nationwide. Without a digital TV receiver or digital converter, it became impossible to watch TV, so the Digital Conversion Special Act was amended to provide converters or digital TVs to economically vulnerable people. The transition from analog to digital broadcasting was intended to not only improve the picture quality, but also to revitalize the TV program-related content industry and encourage the growth of the manufacturing industry for HDTV and 3DTV. This transition has enabled the Republic of Korea to enter a full-fledged digital society, which has brought about major changes not only in broadcasting but also in society as a whole. This is because the transition to digital has led to increased efficiency and progress in various public service areas, including education, healthcare, and transportation.
Since the beginning of the 21st century, we have been converting most of our lives to digital. As we constantly seek faster and more convenient technology and the advancement of science and technology, we need to consider whether these changes are moving in the right direction. Behind the convenience brought by digitalization are complex social, environmental, and emotional impacts, and there is still a nostalgia for analog technology’s unique sensibility and physical media.
Analog or analog signals are continuously changing according to external factors, just like the scale on a car speedometer. Most information in nature, such as the weather, sound, and light intensity, can be expressed in an analog way, and we have been recording changes in nature using this method for a long time. However, the biggest disadvantage of the analog method is that noise, or unnecessary noise, occurs in the process of recording and transmitting information. If you’ve ever listened to music on an LP record, which was a favorite of older people, you know that there is a slight crackling noise that occurs throughout the playback of the music. This is because noise is inevitably added during the process of generating, duplicating, and transmitting signals, and it is impossible to completely eliminate it. This limitation of analog has led us to seek a clearer way of recording information.
On the other hand, the digital method of storing information as a combination of 0s and 1s does not generate noise. The digital method expresses all information as binary numbers of 0s and 1s, so there is almost no loss or distortion of information when copying and transmitting. For example, in the case of analog broadcasting in the past, video information was transmitted in the form of continuous signals, which sometimes mixed in unnecessary noise. However, the transition to digital broadcasting has eliminated this noise and allowed viewers to enjoy clearer pictures. This is not only about improving the picture quality, but also has great significance in terms of stable information delivery.
Another advantage of digital methods is that storage, duplication, and transmission are much simpler and more efficient than with analog methods. Photos or LP records recorded using analog methods tend to lose their information over time, and distortion occurs during the duplication process. On the other hand, information recorded on digital media such as CDs and USBs can be easily copied, and the quality of the original is maintained even after multiple copies. Thanks to these characteristics, digital information can be delivered to many people simultaneously and quickly today, and the spread of computers and smartphones has made digital information the center of our lives.
However, as digital methods are becoming the mainstream, there has recently been a movement to rediscover the unique charm of analog technology. Due to digitalization, people have begun to miss the unique sensibility and deep experience that analog gives. A few years ago, the Russian government purchased 20 old-fashioned typewriters to prevent hacking, and sales of LP records have also increased as more people look for “real music” with no loss of sound quality. In fact, according to Rolling Stone, LP sales in the United States increased by 52% in 2014 compared to the previous year.
The essence of analog technology lies in the accumulated experience and sensory know-how. Since equipment such as speakers and camera lenses operate analogically, technical proficiency that has been honed over a long period of time is essential. This delicacy of analog technology is a sensory element that digital technology cannot easily imitate. Just as the sandwiches sold at popular fast food restaurants and the sandwiches made at home feel different, technology should move in a direction that can provide emotional satisfaction to users rather than simply pursuing efficiency and speed.
Technology is giving us many benefits as it advances, but digitalization is not a magic bullet that solves all problems. We will have to continue to think about how science and technology can be friendly to humans and how important analog sensibilities are.
