From Libraries to iPhones

The Digital Age is upon us.

While this may be good news for some, for others it is a sign of the end times. More and more as you walk down the street it is easy to spot people with iPods and smart phones. Walk into any coffee shop and you can find a substantial number of people with laptops rather than books. Standin line to make any sort of purcahse, you can see more debit and credit cards and less cash. Furthermore, unless you are purchasing something needed immediately, there is online shopping. For some it is a sign of progress. Others see it as unnecessary luxury. It is hard for some to imagine what a man like Ben Franklin would say as our world becomes more digital by the second. I won't lie. I still like the feel of a good book in my hands, and find genuine joy in writing something on a piece of paper with pen or even pencil. Sure, having articles and slideshows online is so much more convenient, but my personal preference still leans toward good old-fashioned pen and paper. However, I will not let my preference get in the way of what I belive Ben Franklin would think now.

For Franklin, this age would have been a joy. As an enlightenment thinker, Franklin called for progress, particularly when it came down to knowledge and the sharing of knowledge. Ben Franklin believed that every man had common sense, or reason that was common to all no matter what their social background (Kelleter 78). In addition to this, Franklin founded libraries as a way to make knowledge accessible not just to a small group of highly educated people, but to all (Kelleter 80). How, then, is it possible to argue that Franklin would hate the internet, a place where knowledge roams freely for all? In fact it seems that just the opposite would be true, that Franklin would love the internet. It is a tool which has been used to store and share information, to share jokes, and even to spread revolution, a place that is accessible in libraries, at home, at school, in cafes, and even on the go now. Perhaps the saddest aspect of the internet is that Ben Franklin himself is not alive to see it.

The Digital Age is upon us. And I think Ben Franklin would have loved to be a part of it.