As I looked over the list of upcoming video game releases in our local GameStop with some fellow enthusiasts, I heard what is quite possibly one of the most profound things I have ever heard. One man turned to his comrade and said, “[Star Wars] The Force Unleashed, that’s gonna be tight,” to which his friend replied, “Hell yeah. Bitch be trippin’ with The Force.”

Go back and re-read that one more time because, like it was for me, it may have been too much for your mind to handle initially. Now, let’s think about that statement for a minute.

To many of you, it probably seems a bit on the idiotic side. But I think it showcases a nigh perfect example of what we, as young adults, must come to terms with as we age.

Star Wars isn’t seen in the same way it used to be. There are no adorable warrior teddy bears or lovable Chewbacca in this upcoming game, The Force Unleashed. There is the man known as Starkiller, a badass who can throw spaceships around with his mind. I can’t help but wonder if our generation — nursed on the milk of awesome, provided courtesy of entertainment such as The Matrix trilogy — is the reason for this drastically new take on the Star Wars universe.

Of course, I realize not everyone knows Star Wars as we nerds do, so allow me to demonstrate with another example.

Remember our generation’s entertainment? Clueless, Wayne’s World, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and the like danced across our television screens and compelled us to sit for hours on end. How many catchphrases like “totally tubular,” “radical” and “duuuuude” do you remember hearing? How often do you hear things like that now?

I’m guessing little to never.

I absolutely approve of a medium evolving to meet its audience, but there has to be some kind of limit here. This trend of content meeting culture is leading us to a dangerous place. We stand idly by as our memories are being fed to the computer by the handful. There are no more new hand-drawn cartoons on television or in theaters. It’s possible to catch an oldie, but anything new is done via digital studios. Digital libraries of music consistently replace stores like Sam Goody, which in turn causes store closings and job loss. There seems to be hardly a film anymore that doesn’t use green screens for less than 80 percent of its scenes, and it doesn’t stop at entertainment, either.

According to year-end Publishers Information Bureau figures, newspapers — one of the most basic and historically essential inventions — saw the greatest ad revenue decline in 50 years.

As reported by Editor & Publisher Journal, “An Associated Press account summarizes the recent trend: ‘Last week, half a dozen newspapers said they would slash payrolls, including deep staff cuts.’” At the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, this equated to 10 percent of staff being let go. As recently as last week, The Des Moines Register cut 26 positions.

Although everyone seems to have their own idea of what’s causing this downward spiral, and there is no general consensus, I have to agree with those who propose that we have the Internet to thank. With thousands upon thousands of sites available for searching, a person can find just about anything for free. Why pay for your Playboy or Better Homes & Gardens subscriptions when you can hop on the web and find content of equal quality for free? Heck, you’ll probably even be able to find some bizarre mix of the two.

On the other hand, local businesses have an immeasurable area now available to them for growth. With the proper outlets, one man’s blog could compete with the likes of CNN. Maybe, when it works out, the Internet can act as a balance, bringing power and opportunity to the small and downsizing the great. An absolutely revolutionary idea, much like many other philosophies that have come from the digital age.

It was once thought that CDs would never replace vinyl. It was then thought that MP3s would never replace CDs, but the trend to digitize our world has been steady and unstoppable. When the next wave of this trend comes, I just hope we don’t lose too much more of our history and childhood memories to the computer age or in the name of being “cool.”

And to those who see no problem with this? I have a very poignant quote for you: 

“Adventure. Heh! Excitement. Heh! A Jedi craves not these things. You are reckless!” — Master Yoda

— Sophie Prell is a junior in pre-journalism and mass communication from Alta.