Why I like physical media

I was on amazon today ordering an album I absolutely love and when looking at the prices of the physical disc compared to the itunes download, the disc cost a lot more than the digital download. Ignoring the higher price, I bought the cd. This brought me to a memory where I refused the idea of the kindle which is a digital book which you use to read books, replacing the traditional physical books. Going further into this thought, I just realised that I have 3 free book download vouchers lying around my room which I just refuse to use. Why do I refuse or ignore to buy physical versions of media? Movies, Video Games, Music, Books.. I think I know why.

I love having physical media, when I see my books or video games in my shelf perfectly organised alphabetically, it gives me a sense of ownership. Every item I have had since my childhood bears the scars of the times I dropped it, the red stains of the ketchup I might have spilled, the bends on the pages where I might have been out of bookmarks, the little bite marks on my playstation 2 controllers reminiscent of the games which might have caused that little anger in me. Every item I have feels as if it has travelled a journey with me, and in some cases they have, I love my copy of 'five people you meet in heaven' just holding it reminds me of my time back in Pakistan where I read it. My little gameboy has travelled over 3 continents with me, supplying hours of fun and gathering memories at the same time. When I download games or music, it feels like I don't really own them. Even though they are easily accessible in the menu's of my computer, it just feels as if a companies providing me a service or product which I cant do anything to rather than enjoy in the way they please. I like the idea of being free to take my horror films to my friends house, or carrying my harry potter book in my bag for the bus ride. Replacing those items with a kindle or an iPad just does not 'feel right' to me. The physical presence of the items almost has an aura to them which is absent in their digital counterparts.


Personally, I will always try to find the physical versions of all the books, movies, music and games I buy, even when the items are in my storage gathering dust next to the sega genesis and backstreet boys albums (lol those were the days), I will someday be able to look back at them again and just physically holding them will trigger memories with them which my digital copy of 'final fantasy' on the iPhone can never reproduce.

No one knows of the future, companies might stop making physical versions of music or video games, heck even books might become a tradition of the past, when that happens I will sadly have to adapt to those 'modern' ways, but for now.. I love my media just the way it is.