We live in a world full of digital and analog examples all around us without even realizing it. To determine if something is digital or analog, some limitations come to mind. When determining if something is considered digital, the item in question can only be interpreted in a certain way. While analog has an infinite number of interpretations, potentially even being ambiguous in its interpretation.
To provide some examples as digital references, a smoke signal, sign language, and emails are forms of digital communication. Smoke signals can only be interpreted a certain number of ways as there are only a certain amount of smoke patterns possible. Sign language like any other form of a language that uses an alphabet has a limited number of ways to sign words, and there is a limited amount of letters to sign. More easily understandable is an e-mail as it is sent via digital devices and uses limited letters and words to get a message across.
In contrast, analog forms of communication are infinite in the number of interpretations they can take as by the audience. Some examples of analog communication methods include facial expressions, a map, and fashion. These examples might be a bit more confusing, but let me explain. Facial expressions can be infinite in the amount a person can make, plus it is very unlikely they will ever make the same face twice as it is hard to duplicate, which leads to even more possibilities of making it analog. A map can be drawn in multiple different ways and never be entirely the same. The way someone interprets the map might also be different, as everyone has different thinking patterns which makes it analog. And lastly, fashion is analog as it is a form of art that can be interpreted in multiple ways. The designs differ in each piece, the way an item is created is different, and the way someone wears or styles the piece is unlimited making it analog.
Many items can be up to debate to determine if they are digital or analog as it can be both depending on how you analyze the item. A prime example of this is music and its duality in being considered both. It can be considered digital as there are only a certain number of music notes, chords, and pitches an artist can produce while recording the song. Once the song is recorded and placed on digital platforms, the song sounds the same all around and is heard in only a certain way. Yet for it to be considered analog, it comes down more to when artists have live performances. During these performances, artists take more artist liberties and change the way they perform the song, and will not be entirely the same every time as we humans are prone to make differences. Artists usually change the pitch they sing in and add note changes to their songs. The way they physically perform the song is different every time too as again they are human and their performance can be interpreted in different ways.
Those are a select few examples of digital and analog forms of communication we can see in our lives. Please share below if you have any other suggestions to add to this list. Thank you for reading! Until next time!
