Course: Media Theory and History
The Learning Outcome illuminated by the “Growing Up in the Analog Age” subtitle is part of the lead that union the ideas about experiencing, exploring and connecting.
This venture involved my study of the contexts that history created, the running of media, and the computer technology that had effects on the lives of different generations. Interacting with colleagues of various ages and understanding how the mass media affects people was an opportunity to examine social dynamics and see how the media affected people’s beliefs and behaviours. Also, this inquiry forced me to perform intense emotional thinking when I interacted with instead intricate historical accounts and multi-faceted media trends. The participation in directing myself to the role that makes the performances ‘in the shoes’ of different people, as well as by holding empathetic talks, has helped me to have a greater comprehension of the unique nature and complexities of media in contemporary society, has been made apparent.
This event not only taught me to tell diverse perspectives and, therefore, have compassion for the faces of different cultures, but it also stressed the principle of understanding the approach to any complex issue in this way.
Interview Assignment:”Growing Up in the Analog Age”
I chose to interview my landlord, Judy Michelle, born in 1950 and came of age during the 1960s. This period falls within the “Analog Age” of media history that we have been studying in class. Judy grew up in a middle-class family in suburban Toronto and was in her late teens and early 20s during the mid-1960s. Her previous employment was with the ministry.
While being on a cultural excursion, I learned what media and technologies have been in the past and how they affect people’s lives and societies. I still remember visiting my grandmother’s house as a kid and seeing her big Television which was used by her parents. She would tell me stories about seeing famous classic rock bands live in concert back in the 1960s. So, when it came time for this assignment, I knew Judy would be the perfect interview subject to provide a window into media and culture in the pre-digital era. Speaking with her revealed how pivotal the 1960s were as both the peak of analog media like print, radio and TV yet also the beginnings of a digital revolution. My essay will explore Judy’s perspectives on media during her coming of age in the 1960s compared to today’s digital world.
To provide context before the interview, I did research on media trends and major events in Canada in the 1960s. In 1950 and 1960s. Canada witnessed significant development in technology, and people were capable of using television for advertisement, as Judy narrated to me. People interested in advertising their commodities and channels valued television a lot since it was believed to pass messages across large areas in Canada (Canadian Museum of History, n.d.). Print news was still widely read but declining as TV news expanded. Popular culture was splintered as the younger population rejected traditional values. The 1960s and 1970s saw major events like the FLQ Crisis, the election of Pierre Trudeau, and rising inflation and unemployment.
During our interview, I asked Judy about her recollections of major events in the mid-60s and how she got her information about them. “I definitely remember the Montreal Olympics in 1976, which was a huge national event, and we were proud Canada was hosting the games. The only way to experience it was on TV – we didn’t have a VCR yet, so you had to watch events live. Our family would gather around the TV to watch.” Judy got most of her news from television and newspapers; she read the Toronto Star regularly and watched the CBC national news, as well as local Toronto news. Her parents also subscribed to Maclean’s magazine. Television was increasingly influential but print still held an important place. She added that the CRTC (Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission) played a crucial role in licensing specialty channels and setting content requirements.
Communication with friends happened face-to-face, by home phone, through letters, and via landline telephones. “We didn’t talk on the phone a lot more back then!” my landlord Judy said. “Long, chatty conversations and we wrote actual letters to each other that you mailed. No texting, email or social media obviously.” She kept in touch with friends from high school mostly by telephone when they were at different universities. She stated that when she was 10 years old, they used the push-button telephone which had been introduced in Canada. Landline phones were the main form of remote interaction. Unlike with today’s telephones, she stated that “The telephones which my parents used when I was young was home based and was not portable since it was not portable and was known as Contempra”.
Television and radio were dominant for entertainment and popular culture (Vipond, 2005). Judy recalls rushing home from school to watch Happy Days, The Brady Bunch, and other staples of 1960s and 70s TV. Cassette tapes were taking over from vinyl records for music, making it more portable. She had a transistor radio she would listen to Top 40 hits on. FM radio was the domain of album-oriented rock. She also regularly went to movies at the theatre – blockbusters like Jaws and Star Wars came out during her youth. Live concerts were also a major form of entertainment. “Seeing Elton John and The Who in concert were huge highlights,” my Judy said.
Media helped define her generation by providing common cultural touchstones. “Even though we were a fragmented generation compared to our parents, we still shared moments like watching the moon landing or Olympics together on TV.” Media fueled boomer youth’s counterculture and anti-establishment sentiments (Foisy, 2018). “Radio opened us up to new music our parents disapproved of, and TV shows reflected our values more than the old shows they watched.”
Comparing her 60s youth to today’s media, Judy remarked on how disconnected people seem now, always staring at their phones. “We interacted face-to-face so much more back then. Phones were for making plans to meet up. Now social media has made friendship virtual.” She also misses the feeling of anticipation waiting for a favorite show to come on once a week rather than binging episodes. The news comes too fast today, often exaggerated and alarmist in her view.
On the positive side, Judy enjoys how easy it is to stay in touch with extended family internationally through platforms like FaceTime and social media. Media connects her to her grandchildren’s lives far more than her parents experienced. She also loves the convenience of having so much information and entertainment available on demand. “I don’t miss spending hours in the library digging through card catalogs like when I was in university!” Overall, my landlord recognizes the benefits and drawbacks of both analog and digital media eras.
However, conducting this interview shed light on how radically media has changed in just a few decades. Judy came of age at a pivotal transitional period between old media like print and analog broadcasting and our current digital age. While she benefited from increased choice and mobility of media like cassettes and cable TV during the 1960s and 70s, it was still an “analog world” dependent on live broadcasts and physical formats. Phones tethered you to a location instead of offering constant connection, and waiting was still part of the media experience.
Nevertheless, personal identity was already being molded by the media, and this created a wedge between generations. The 1960s youth counterculture relied on radio and television to disseminate new ideas and culture. Chatting with Judy made me think about how fast the media moves nowadays, with constant streams of information that can be overwhelming. It also made me realize the importance of mediated experiences, such as when families converge around their TV sets or have living rooms filled with friends, listening to music together. However, remembering there was a richly mediated world before digital does open up a useful perspective for me, although I would never want to lose out on this amazing access my generation has had. Talking to someone from another era about their media use always provides insight.
In essence, this interview demonstrated the significant impact that media and technology have on people and generations. The experiences of the landlord emphasize the important role that analog media, such as newspapers, radio, and TV, had in shaping the context of life throughout the 1960s. The user’s longing for that age before digital technology highlights the compromises between the past and the present. Although modern media provides convenience and a wide range of options, it also results in a decrease in communal experiences and direct interpersonal communication. Amidst the fast evolution of media, it is crucial to consider the viewpoints of individuals who grew up in earlier periods. This offers a significant human background that moderates the relentless progress of technology.