Goodbye Video Mania; Hello Class of 2011

I arrived at Video Mania on Route 106 in Mansfield yesterday to return some videos only to discover they will be closing by the end of the month. Video Mania is the last video store in the area, and the closing had been in the works for more than a year as the store shrank to half its original space. It's a sad passing. Like a good independent book store (Paperback Junction), the manager got to know your likes and dislikes and could make recommendations. They also sent out a weekly e-mail highlighting new additions.

Market forces did them in. Since most people rent recent releases, the nearly ubiquitous red boxes cut into that aspect of the business. Netflix with its excellent system of recommendations and increasing number of streaming offerings cut into the cinephile end of the business as did free offerings at public libraries. Various systems that allow you to own the digital download of a film are even making sale of physical DVDs obsolete, something that kept Video Mania going for several years. The slow switch from tape to DVD strained the resources of many video stores, and the increasingly rapid switch to Bluray was even more difficult.

Once again we've traded a human social experience for convenience and computerization. I can't say that isn't a good thing; I love watching videos on my computer  and searching Netflix and the Internet Movie Database for recommendations. Still what is going to happen to us if we keep cutting back on social interaction?

Congratulations to the Class of 2011 which graduates at Frothingham Park today at 2. Even though I officially retired in 2008 and don't have much contact with students in my one little class, it's been a real joy working with this year's seniors who are bright, talented, and ambitious. Hopefully, they can get busy and save the world! No stress! Best Wishes!