LOW-TECH IN A HIGH-TECH WORLD
I often see raised eyebrows on my friends faces when I show them my low-tech cell phone. It is one of the cheapest models you can buy and can only be used to send text messages with an occasional phone call of course, nothing more. My friends wonder why I don’t have the latest generation with iTunes, TV and movies etc. ”But Leif, you travel so much, being away from home with no computer or TV around. Why don’t you get a 3G phone?” I always answer, ”I just buy a book and today’s newspaper and I’m set. Or maybe I actually spend some time with people.”
How did people do it before when there were no cell phones? Well I can tell you that we phoned each other from home and we were still able to make an appointment somewhere in the city. You would just say where you are gonna be at a certain hour and I’d be there. Not very complicated is it? I don’t think I have ever missed so many meetings as now, when people rely 1000% on their cell phone.”I’m so sorry, my battery went flat so I couldn’t call you and say that I’ll be one hour late” We were also able to write letters too. Not very effective, I’m the first to admit, but it is quite nice actually to send an hand written letter. Try it sometime! I do it a lotJ We also read books before. You should try that as well.
I think today’s shrinking media world has made a lot of people lazy and very unsocial. Computer games, phones and TVs occupy the world of our teens and even my generation too. When I complained to my parents about having nothing to do at home they always sent me out with the words, ”find some kids to play with.” Today my mates that have kids put them in front of the telly. I don’t hear it but their invisible words hang there in the air seemingly saying to them ”shut up!”
I would love to see some statistics too. The learning curves of couch potato kids versus active ones. But as usual the case would be that I’m totally wrong. I’ll bet you anything because whenever I stick my neck out I have to bite the sour apple. I can see it now: ”World of Warcraft improves children’s synaptic reactions and computer games often enhances their cognitive abilities etc.” Shut the f--k up!
On tour I am away from home from four to six weeks at the time. I don’t use a computer, I don’t use my phone and I don’t watch TV. I feel so good about it too! Finally I can relax from this ever present media stream that you’re fed with 24/7. No 100 e-mails a day, and no pain in the ass phone calls from promoters, people that want you to DJ at their club, or frustrated band members etc. Those you already have around you in a very crammed bus. I go on long walks, I see the cities I’m in. I try to get my brain as much oxygen as possible because when you’re home again it is back to the stress race. I tell you, I have never once missed the fact that I can’t watch ”Swedish Idol” on tour or any of the other hundred stupid TV shows.
It’s wonderful not to read any tabloid papers or to be forced to see all the idiotic headlines: ”TV star marries blonde twins,” or ”Member of Government in Shoplifting Scandal.” Jeez! The evening garbage papers don’t care much if the Pope dies or if it is an earthquake in China. They prefer ”Why I Want to Get New Boobs” before ”Pirates in Somalia.” Ignore Paris and Britney and your world will look so much better!
I also watch TV as little as possible as I think it makes you dumber. Well, I guess a good film is ok and a few other exceptions i.e. ”The West Wing”, ”Band of Brothers”, The Discovery Channel but all the other crap?! To the sitcoms and programs like ”Sex and the City”, ”Weeds”, ”Ghost Whisperer”, ”Bones”, ”The Mentalist” I say ’no thank you’ to them all, I have a life! If it wasn’t for Spanish soccer on the weekends and the fact that you can watch a DVD or two when you need a break from the Candlemass insanity, I would throw the idiot box out of the window!
In an age where libraries close down because of a fast media generation that can’t be bothered to read (or hear) something that takes more than three minutes, I’m one of the few that still have my library card intact and I’m proud of it! I had forgotten all about it before one of my mates pointed out to me that we didn’t have computers when we grew up. We turned out quite OK anyway I must say.
Don’t get me wrong here, I’m not against progression. Even though I still record my songs with an acoustic guitar, on my old Sharp cassette recorder (laughs)! I have a computer and use it 14 to 16 hours a day unfortunately. I love to send e-mails because they are quicker than phone calls and I pay my bills via the Internet bank. I thought I was very hi-tech for a while when I received a card with codes for that. Now I learn that it is yesterdays news. You need a wireless card-reader now. Oops, sorry! I’ll be sure to run out and get one tomorrow!
I also hear that people twitter, write blogs, use Facebook, Myspace, and watch silly clips on their work time on something called YouTube? Apparently there are some really cool Candlemass clips there so I guess I have to check that out! And what’s that you say? Is this a blog that I’m writing right now? Holy crap, I AM TRENDY!
Why not have a day every year (or every week or month) when you don’t use your cell phone for anything else than what a phone was originally designed for by its inventor Alexander Graham Bell? A day when you refuse to open your computer. A day when you call a friend you haven’t seen for some time! I promise it will be a good day. Buy that book you have been thinking about getting. I bet you can get it on sale somewhere! Go out to the park and watch the children play or have a barbeque. Socialize and GET A LIFE! People will love the new you! And play some vinyl for gods sake while you’re at it!
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