The power of the analogue

A few days ago, whilst having a morning coffee, I shared a TED Talk by Carissa Véliz on the power of the analogue with some friends, and, as if it were a game, we started listing all those everyday moments where the digital has no place…

The power of the analogue, Carissa Veliz

I must say that this list just kept growing, and the flood of simple, everyday, analogue wonders that we wouldn’t swap for anything was unstoppable.

Because we are analogue beings. Our bodies come alive when we walk, touch, and feel temperature, weight and texture; when we breathe fresh air – not when we sit motionless in front of a blue light.

There is a radical beauty in daily life…

Turning the pages of a paper book, seeing how the edges become worn over time, hearing the sound of old paper rustling, finding a worn (and illegible) note in the sidelines.

In knowing that there’s coffee ready or that someone’s baking something just from the smell. In the taste and texture of a homemade potato omelette. In realising, when you touch someone’s skin, that they’re cold. In hearing your name being called from another room and going to see who it is because you know where the sound is coming from. In feeling the warmth and pressure of another body through a hug. In noticing the changes in the light throughout the day and everything that happens when you’re fully present…

None of this is digital, nor requieres battery, nor stocks data...

Before constant connection, there was silent connection: with oneself, with one’s surroundings, with the passing of time without having to fill it with anything.

A return to analogue isn’t about nostalgia; it’s about rediscovering the value of simplicity. It’s about reconnecting with the world that’s still there when we switch off the screen.

Decide what, how and when to connect digitally. Your five senses are still there – you just need to let them do their job.

By Rommy Artigas