Admittedly I did not take in much from this week’s reading, but what I do remember is a phrase that went something like this; “once technology reaches it’s used by date, it is replaced”. I have been thinking, how do we know when technology has reached its used-by-date? Is it when we think our fifth generation iPhones could be improved with a personal assistant? Is it when we curse Snapchat for still not adding a “send to all” button in their repeated releases of software updates? Did it occur when everyone suddenly went from loving Myspace and hating on Facebook (because it was “for old people”) to suddenly hating on Myspace and loving Facebook (and yes, I was involved in this 2009 evolution of social media, I was going to include a link to my old Myspace profile but for the sake of the small scraps of dignity I have left, I think I will leave it out…). In a modern age where everything is instant (instant coffee, instant messaging, instant results at the tips of our fingers), is technology dating faster? I know I get weird reactions when I pull out my first generation iPod touch. People can say whatever they want about my iPod, but I bought that thing from my brother when I was younger and it was my first big purchase, and it has never let me down since. Sure, it doesn’t have a camera or a torch, but it stores my music and it still works and that is all I need it to do. “Just get a new one already, Liv!” my friends moan. Why? This one works perfectly fine. It does exactly what I need it to do. Why should I fork out a few hundred dollars when this sturdy-as-heck 16GB best friend is still in mint condition? Sure, they don’t sell the chargers for it anymore, and I haven’t seen one like this on the shelves for years, but I love it. I can’t get the new IOS software or a lot of apps that require it, but I have other devices for that.

Earlier this year, I bought an iPhone 5C (unfortunately it is only 8GB thus why I use my iPod for all my music….yes it gets confusing having to charge two devices with different chargers). Already I am greeted with groans from people who see me pull it out because there have been so many updates since this phone that even though it is only a few months old, it is considered “old”. We live in a society where it is easier to buy something new than fix it, and we always want the new version of anything, whether the one we have still works or not. In this way, I agree with the article, but I still think there’s a place for old technology with nostalgics like me. I still play my 1998 Super Nintendo, and up until this year I had had a Nokia phone for four years. One day perhaps these items will be in antiques store, but for now, they are staying in my cupboard!