Journal #7

Digital and print texts both occupy space in our world. Digital texts occupy themselves in much smaller (and becoming infinitely more so), spaces while print texts take up much more space on our desks, nightstands, work environment, or even our cars.  One of the principle questions asked in this text: If paper is seen as becoming increasingly outdated and wasteful, why are we using more paper now than ten years ago?  I think the author does a nice job of analyzing the mystery of print, by discussing more than just its inefficiency compared to the digital stratosphere. As humans who (most of us) contain emotions, we are more likely to become attached to something that is tangible, like a stack of papers we have arranged in a certain order. We like having piles of papers and such on our desks because it makes sense in our brains, each of those papers contains a specific reason for its position. While there exists many theories on why we maintain a strong relationship with paper, in my mind it is simply relevant that we have. There has been technology available for decades that would allow us to completely, or near completely diminish our demand for paper. However, we stubborn humans like to stick to our old habits. I personally believe the reverence for paper in the workplace is not unlike family traditions passed down from generation to generation. These traditions, or habits, span such a great timeline that the youngest members have no connection to why they do what they do. I imagine in the workplace the answer is a resounding, "It's always been done this way."

I don't foresee the use of paper declining significantly in the near or moderately near future. Some of the journal entries pointed to technology as the distinct reason for why a decline in paper is all but upon us. However, they are missing the observations of this text. In a process called creative destruction, the new and relevant technology will always replace the obsolete, as long as demand exists for this to happen. As I previously argued the technology to send the practice of writing items down on paper has existed for a long time now, but there is no demand for it to take over the practice of writing on paper. While some point to digital instead of print billboards, and devices that type what you speak as evidence for a 'digital revolution', I see them as legitimate alternatives, but alternatives nonetheless. For whatever reasons, reasons I believe are open for debate, the fact remains paper is here to stay.