It’s strange to think how much things have changed since I was smaller. I can still remember when all our computer was really for was gruelling minesweeper marathons. If you wanted to play anything more sophisticated than solitaire, there was the Super Nintendo (SNES, I think. But I’ve never been entirely certain) which we had three games for; LoZ: Link to the Past, Mario Kart, and some Starfox game. Just three! And we never got bored, or at least I don’t think we did.
Today I am significantly taller, in possession of three games consoles and I-don’t-even-know –how-many games. I think I could survive without those things though. After all, I have my books. What more do I need? What else is there? All I need is my Kindle (and yes, the real paperback books on my bookshelf/in piles on my floor) and internet connection –
Ah. Yes. That.
The ever present internet.
When did it become so vital? Did I just blink and miss the part where computers took over the entire world? (Apart, obviously, from the places where they don’t have computers. Not to worry, trusty Western civilisation is on hand to spread the laptops all over the planet! No, don’t thank us. We’re glad to do it.) If computers were missiles, I would have a missile on my lap right now.
Anyway. My point was that everyone is on the internet. I’m pretty sure everyone I know has their own computer (of some kind. For the purposes of this conversation if they have a laptop they basically have a computer. Although, how does one categorise the people who have a computer and a laptop? Oh, and the PC/Apple thing is as stupid as it gets. It’s like saying, I wear coats and he wears jackets so we’re wearing different clothes. No. Bad. Blimey, this is a long parenthesis), and they all have internet connection, although even if they didn’t they could get on the internet using the power of smart phones. Am I the only one who’s slightly weirded out by a phone that’s basically a computer? No? Just me then…
It’s like in that short story by Neil Gaiman, where the whole world gets completely engrossed in this computer game and the entire human race dies out because everyone’s forgetting to eat food and go to the toilet. Maybe one day we’ll all just be husks, sitting at our desks and typing away madly until we run out of electricity.
Speaking of which, I’d better go and have some breakfast.
Memoirs of a Music Student 