Many people mistakenly think that a new technology cancels out an old one. — Judith Martin
Bigger, better, faster, more. The latest upgrade. The most high tech materials. These are the modern era’s siren songs.
Every leap in technology births announcements of an old technology’s decline, but did the advent of word processors or personal computers do away with pads of paper? Do people still crack open old-fashioned books now that e-readers are well-entrenched? Is there still a mailbox assigned to your house despite the worldwide use of email? I thought so.
A fountain pen–yes, a fountain pen–still waits for me on my desk. This is not because it’s trendy, but because it just feels so good in my hand. I’m a solid proponent for handwritten letters and cards versus email and text messages. Some old tech doesn’t make the transition, for sure–almost no one is taking the carriage to the grocery store these days, for example–but many low tech items do share space in our personal and professional lives long after a newer version enters the market. Dinner somehow just tastes better on a waxed canvas table cloth in the middle of the woods, don’t you think?
Which older tech do you still prefer? Single speed bicycle? Vinyl records? Stovetop water kettle? Cast iron pans? Film cameras?Is there a bit of old tech in your current WIP? Is there a way to give your high-tech world more depth through the inclusion of old tech? What would the inclusion of some old tech mean for the breadth of a character?
Is your character someone who seizes the newest tech the day it’s made available?
What do they still like to do the old school way?
Are your characters afraid of technology? Or are they on the cutting edge?