Paperless

I’m a late adopter. In fact I am even a late adopter of the phrase ‘late adopter’. For ages I called it ‘late adapter’ (a better phrase IMHO). Before that I called it ‘takes me ages to get on to something and by the time I do it’s on the way out’.

I remember when computers took off in the 90’s, I decided to ignore them. Consciously decided. Made a choice that I would not partake. In much the same way, according to family lore, that my grandmother declared after first tasting McDonald’s “That will never take off”.

At my first office-style workplace when I got email messages I assumed they were optional, and ignored them.

I only got a mobile phone sometime late in the 90’s, compelled by a single horror day running between job interviews and unable to find a non-vandalised pay-phone.

I only opened a Facebook account when forced to by a couple of friends who said they no longer used email, only Facebook, so if I wanted to keep in touch with them…

As for Twitter… until only this year, I scoffed.
Now I love it. LOVE it. Twitter has gone from being a joke in my eyes, to something I am addicted to, in the space of a couple of months. It is the best way I have found to get and manage information from everywhere, and enjoy a quick laugh as well (make sure you follow a few comedians in with your news and tech sources).

About the only thing I was not a complete late adopter on was my iPhone. On that I was a medium-to-late adopter. But I suspect the iPhone computer-in-the-hand phenomenon has triggered what came next.

Which is that now, it would seem, I am finally, and fairly suddenly, going paperless.

Last year I stopped sending Christmas cards. Just like that. Up to the year before, I had been a staunch and vocal Christmas card devotee. Last year, suddenly, it all seemed too hard. Too expensive. Too… pointless?

(Still, I haven’t totally come round to the e-card just yet. I don’t like them much, so for now I am sending nothing! Not impressive I know. Perhaps I will vacillate with paper cards for my non-wired network and the obligatory “merry christmas to you all!!!” text message for everyone else… )

This year I have stopped using my paper diary. It started slowly – for some reason I just stopped carrying it around.
Then I started loading in appointments to my iPhone. Including ones I’d already completed, for my personal “archives”, just as I used to do on paper.
Now I never use my diary. Ever.

As a result I miss birthdays – so I’m no longer sending birthday cards. I’ll load birthdays into my phone and send texts instead. (Again, I’m not a fan of the e-card for some reason. I think because it pretends to be fancy and personal but is really just a text!)

Increasingly, I read news online and only buy a newspaper when I want to do a cross-word (and yes, I know I can do that online too …)

Now that I have a Kindle, I have resolved to buy ebooks as my default option in future. It’s cheaper, and creates no clutter. Yes, I love the feel of a lovely paper book in my hand, but the Kindle is a very impressive reading experience and looks and feels a lot like a book in many ways.

And the Big One: a couple of months ago I signed up for e-statements from my bank.


So here’s my thought. If I am doing all this, then most people must already be doing it.
Is that right?
What about you?