How long has it been since you last used a paper diary? When was the last time you jotted down an idea in a notebook? What happened to the post-it notes that used to decorate desks and computer screens?
La realidad es que, de forma casi imperceptible, pero a una velocidad increíble, hemos ido dejando atrás el mundo analógico. Y quienes más rápido lo han hecho, hemos sido los de mi generación: la generación Z.
The hybrid generation: between two worlds
Those of us born between the late 1990s and early 2000s experienced a transition from analogue to digital. In a way, we are the first generation of digital natives (or at least their immediate predecessors), because we grew up alongside the development of today’s technology. Our childhood was marked by pencils, notebooks and filing cabinets, but our adolescence and adult life unfolded in a completely digital environment.
We learned to write with pencil and paper, to use school diaries, notebooks for each subject, filing cabinets full of folders… However, we soon discovered that these tools were only temporary. What seemed to be the norm was replaced by reminder apps. Google Drive became the new universal filing cabinet, and collaborative documents have gradually replaced the physical exchange of notes or writings.
Generation Z lives in a hybrid world, with one foot in each. We know what it was like to look up information in encyclopaedias or libraries, but we also know how to use ChatGPT to get any answer in seconds. We experience the excitement of developing photos from film rolls and at the same time manage our galleries on our mobile phones, including editing. These references not only marked our adolescence, they also map out the transition between one world and another. Each of them reflects how our routines, our consumption habits and, ultimately, our way of communicating have changed.
This duality makes us aware of what has been lost, but also of what we have gained. Perhaps that is why many young people are experiencing a partial return to analogue: they are going back to Kodak cameras, paper diaries and vinyl records. In my opinion, I don’t think this is empty nostalgia or a passing fad, but rather a search for balance between the digital and the ‘traditional’.
Communication in the age of immediacy
In this context, journalism and communication have also changed completely. Today, digital technology gives us immediate access to thousands of platforms, content and ways to connect with other people. All information is literally just a click away.
The problem is that this immediacy has become a constant bombardment that overwhelms us every day, especially on social media. Virality and the speed with which we consume content have left behind the printed newspaper and any tool that requires more than thirty seconds of our attention. They call it efficiency.
But that same speed brings with it risks: superficiality, misinformation, and the loss of messages in an endless ocean of stimuli. And we know it. My generation knows that it is very easy to be deceived, that social media is fertile ground for lies. At the same time, we also know that today people consume information in fifteen-second reels . That is why many creators have had to adapt to the consumption style of Gen Z and Alpha.
Paper, on the other hand, had something that digital still lacks: permanence and credibility. By leaving paper behind, we gained speed, but we sacrificed the pause for reflection that communication also needs.
Education in the age of AI
We must be aware that technological advances and the possible definitive replacement of paper are inevitable. That does not mean it is a negative thing, but it does mean accepting that we are most likely heading towards a 100% digital future.
In this scenario, the key is to adapt. As a society, we cannot allow part of the population to be left behind in this process. The digital divide is a real obstacle and poses a risk of exclusion for those who do not have sufficient access or training to function in the digital environment.
At the same time, we must not forget that new generations need to learn how to use technology responsibly. Artificial intelligence, for example, opens up a world of possibilities: it can help us to be more creative, more efficient and solve problems in unprecedented ways, but it can also pose risks if not used wisely. That is why it is essential to teach and educate in technology, encouraging critical thinking that allows us to take advantage of all the positive aspects without falling into the harmful ones.
Balance is difficult, but possible.
From my point of view, living with both analogue and digital technology has made my generation the best prepared to navigate any environment and adapt to any work situation.
In the end, growing up between analogue and digital has not been a disadvantage, but a gift. It gave us the opportunity to experience the best of both worlds: the calm of writing by hand and the adrenaline rush of endless scrolling scroll ; the wait for a developed film roll and the immediacy of an Instagram story. Perhaps that is why we value nuances so much, because we know what it means to lose them.
It’s not about choosing one or the other, but about finding the right balance. Knowing when speed is needed and when it’s worth taking a break. And, above all, remembering that behind all the screens, diaries and notebooks, there are always people, with our desire to communicate, to understand each other and to leave our mark.
