a looking-glass book

memory vs. media

kurt and i had a talk on the way home about the difference between memories and media. i feel like my thesis (once again) opens up all kinds of issues about how memory functions. how does one change the other?

i have long held the belief that photos have changed and shaped the way i remember my youth. this is true for video tapes as well, though only footage (for me) exists from my high school years. but i worry that these types of recording media allow us to forget things we might otherwise remember. i can remember boss patterns for nes games but not the sound of my grandparents voices? would i have been able to remember it if i didnt have other useless stuff in my brain?

how do we use media as a crutch? its not something that is easy to answer, but i think its really important, esp when we start talking about recording everything we see in during a day in our life. will i come home and want to rewatch my day - both for the nostalgia factor as well as a memory tool? will it make us less observant during the day, focusing more on what is to come rather than what is presently occuring?

big questions. i have a feeling some of these will become apparant once filming begins (and i welcome any of you volunteering to wear the camera for my thesis if you want), but i welcome your opinions now as well.