So, yesterday, I took my brother Matt to see Twilight. He’s just finished the book (and so have I), and so I decided to take him to celebrate his 19th birthday (which is Sunday). So, we’re watching the movie, and Bella, the little detective-in-training, was looking for information about vampires. And she had an interesting approach, which I think I should share.

So, first, she knows the name of the native tribe she wants to find information on. So, she sticks it into Google:
Bella's Research: Step One

Oh, look Bells! 6 760 results for Quileute Legends! Surely, you will be able to find some information on one of those sites?

Nope.

Bella scrolls down the page, and finds the name of a book, about the legends. Then, given the choice between Amazon, and a book store in a city she’s hasn’t been to, recently, she picks the book store.

Next, Bella waits for someone in her class to decide they need to visit said city. Who knows exactly how long she waited. But the second she heard someone mention “Port Angeles,” she latched on. Nevermind that Amazon could have delievered the book to her in two business days.

So, Bella gets the book, and flips through it for about two seconds, before she finds the words “cold ones.” Which, she then puts into Google, in order to find information about them.

Um. WHAT, Bella? Do you realize that you could have done this in a much shorter time span? Like, for example: googling Quileute Legends, clicking on one of the many results, finding the phrase “cold ones,” and then… googling it (like you did, anyway)? I realize that technically books are more accurate than the Internet, but, you ended back on the Internet anyway. And, what about the library? Does Forks not have one? Because most libraries would have books detailing the nearby native tribes that so clearly are a substantial part of the town.

I guess we can all learn a lot from Bella, and that lesson is that just because we’re trying to be all rebel-different and loner-original, doesn’t mean we should neglect technology. Someone paid for your fancy Macbook, Bells– use it!