Question of the week: Are museums

still relevant with the digital age?

Olivia Weaver, Berlin

When I went to the Smithsonian Museum and saw the Hope

Diamond, the experience was drastically different than when I saw
a picture of it. There were almost a hundred people in the room crowded
around the display case; all of them were trying to gain a glimpse of the
infamous diamond. When I was swept past it in the crowd, its glittering color
shone in a light no picture could replicate.
I feel that museums are extremely relevant even though we live in an age of
technology. Virtual tours of museums or pictures of artifacts can’t replace the
real objects seen in person.
In the museum at the Flight 93 National Memorial, I encountered a poignant
atmosphere which brought me to tears as I viewed the pieces of wreckage. I
never have felt this the countless times I’ve seen pictures of the wreckage or
videos of the crash site.
When you walk into a museum, you are transported through the
years, set down in the middle of another time and world, and live in history.
To understand the full impact history had on the present, you have to see it in
person.
Museums are still relevant to today’s technologically advanced society.
Museums are able to make connections on what used to be, how things have
changed, and where we might end up. Art museums show us how other people
view society and its habits.
Everything in a museum puts our generation into perspective. We can learn a
lot from museums, anything from the massacre that was the Holocaust, to just
seeing the massive dinosaurs who used to roam our world.
Museums also can give people a chance to learn without being
plugged into an electronic device, and allow them to socialize with others
verbally and not through a LED screen.
Visiting the Smithsonian Museums in Washington, D.C., is one of my all time
favorite memories. The Air and Space and Natural History museums are full of
amazing artifacts and products from all across the world.
The Museum of American History contains many pieces of our nation’s
history, including my favorite-outfits worn by former first ladies. I believe that
there are some things that need to be seen in real life, and not just on a screen.
Yes, I can Google what dress Jackie Kennedy wore to the
Inauguration Ball, but seeing it firsthand gives a person a
completely different feeling. Museums are still very relevant because a
picture doesn’t always do an item justice.
Also, when in a museum, tour guides can uncover a new tidbit of information
that one may not be able to find on the internet. Life cannot be lived through a
screen. Getting out there, seeing, smelling, hearing and touching are what
gives life meaning. Museums were constructed for people to see. Visit them
because pictures are nowhere near as good as the real thing.
Museums still are very popular throughout the world. Even with the newest
technology pushing museums away, they are thriving yet. Seeing small
photographs of art, architecture, or history on a phone or computer is not
enough for some.
Though museums are not common in the area, I still enjoy making the journey
at times to see pieces of history come to life. Unspoken conversations are often
shared between strangers while looking at a sculpture or painting.
They connect on their love of the artist or the piece and it brings a sense of
peace. These emotions are difficult to find when looking at a digital copy of the
same piece, those connections no longer being made. Museums may not be for
everyone, but for the ones still yearning to see true art and history in person
keep the museum life alive.
I believe that museums are still relevant, even in the electronic age. Museums
offer a personal, engaging experience, where as viewing artifacts on the
internet seems distant and detached. Museums offer a full experience for
those who are truly interested in a subject.
They also display important physical artifacts, which otherwise would never be
viewed or appreciated by the masses. They also provide locations for school
trips which are more engaging than putting a child in front of a screen and
giving instructions.
Museums also provide streams of revenue for the towns and cities in which
they are located. A fine example of this is Washington, D.C., as the National
Mall with its monuments and the Smithsonian museums provide a great draw
for tourists.
To say museums are obsolete is akin to saying that vacations are
obsolete because one could just look at picture of the destinations
on the internet and have the same experience as being there.
As of now technology can only reach so far. It can stimulate our senses of sight
and sound but has yet to fill the other gaps. We have come to replace more and
more things in our everyday lives with new advances in technology: robotic
vacuums, watches, self starting cars, etc. Technology can only reach so far.
The purpose of a museum is to portray history in a physical way so we can
understand it better. Technology cannot replace those experiences. It is easy
to imagine and look at pictures of something but to physically see and touch it
creates a stronger connection to history.
We can look at images of the things in the Air and Space Museum but we can’t
truly grasp how large the planes and rockets are without seeing them for
ourselves. It is hard for technology to give us the same experience and
perspectives as reality.
Technology is not made to replace, it is made to improve. We use our
cell phones to communicate better not to hinder our communication. Likewise
technology should (and I believe is) help improve the experiences we have of
museums, not replace them.
I think museums are still relevant in the digital age. Museums are still thriving
for people who care about the museum’s contents and enjoy the experience of
going to a museum. I personally believe that you can’t get the same experience
out of viewing an artifact or a painting online or through pictures, as you
would actually taking the time to wander through a museum.
Furthermore, the experience of actually going to the museum itself is nothing
like taking a virtual tour online. I feel like our lives are made up of
experiences, whether good or bad, and it is a whole different experience when
standing in a museum rather than lying in bed taking a virtual tour instead.
Some call it a power move, some call it disgraceful and degrading. In the early
months of 2018 a music video published by Beyonce and Jay-Z raised certain
questions. The music video was set in the Louvre, the famous art museum in
Paris that houses some of the most iconic pieces of art.
The video opens on the distinguished couple standing in front of the Mona
Lisa, which immediately raised eyebrows. Was using the art that wasn’t theirs
to begin with as degrading as some people think?
Or is it possible that this concept is not really that revolutionary, considering
how many other works include famous museums.
For example, the movie National Treasure was filmed in the Smithsonian as
well as Independence Hall.
This movie caused little to no controversy even though it was filmed in
multiple historical sites. So why are people so wound up about this music
video in particular?
The Carters are known not only for their popular music but also their high-end
lifestyle and copious amounts of money.
So could we really expect anything less from them? Most people are pressed
because of the fact that it is Beyonce and Jay-Z, and not for any other apparent
reason. Given the fact that there has been a large increase of traffic through
the Louvre since the release of the music video, museums still hold a strong
relevance, even in the digital age.
Museums are likely the most reliable source of information on specific or
general topics.
They introduce information in user friendly formats making it easy for a wide-
range of people to obtain information.
But with technology growing, more and more reliable websites are being
developed.
As an information resource, museums are far behind Google search engines,
and even libraries, when it comes to easy accessibility. In the digital age,
museums do seem to be less relevant, but only for their original purpose of
providing information.
Museums exist to spark interest and teach. A person doesn’t go to a science
museum to find out what an ion is, because they can easy research that. They
go because they want to know more about the field and find other information
to provoke more questions.
Even though learning and finding answers has become so easy, it’s still needed
to find topics that spark a person’s interest and that is exactly what museums
are able to provide, but in a very different approach from websites and
schools.
They often have hands-on activities, videos, real artifacts, and documents that
are almost impossible to find anywhere else. Museums are changing from
what they used to be, but they are still very relevant.