Talking point
Ding-dong, tap, tap, swipe… for Rachel Ogden, the festive season has definitely gone digital
Christmas isn’t like it used to be: it’s a common gripe from older relatives as they peer into elegant gift bags and lavish lump-free gravy over al dente sprouts. But in the last decade or so, they’ve been right – and it’s not gravy strainers that are the issue, but technology.
In some ways, tech has changed Christmas for the better – being able to check the defrost time for a 7lb turkey online has saved many the trip to A&E with food poisoning. LEDs on the tree are better for the planet and twinkle just as easily as the flickering, faulty Christmas lights of yesteryear.
Losing touch
But while innovations save us time and energy, we’ve lost something that made Christmas extra special – the personal touch. Perhaps it all started with not having to comb shops for the perfect Christmas cards. Would Auntie Mabel prefer pretty glittery poinsettias or frolicking deer? Cards may be making a comeback – up 73% in the UK last year*– but who isn’t tempted by online efficiencies? All you have to do is pop a photo of your loved one in a template and they’ll post it for you. Or you can send an e-card. No handwritten greeting, no festive doodle, not even a paw print from the dog.
Whereas once a round-robin letter would detail the highlights of the year, now our Aussie relatives have to make do with a video call that’s so prone to freezing it might as well be a festive ice cube. Closer to home, who hasn’t been tempted to reach for the laptop instead of piling in the car for a three-hour road trip? But to do so is to miss out on the joys as well as the chore of visiting relations. The hugs, smiles, well-earned cuppa and mince pies disappear along with the lengthy drive and traffic. Research bears this out – two in five of us say our favourite part of Christmas is spending time with family**.
Then there’s streaming. Deciding what to watch on TV together on Christmas Day was once an activity the whole family did – or at least have heated words about. Now headphones and personal devices have changed the landscape – everyone can watch what they want, but in their own little bubble. Perhaps the biggest way tech
