CDs, instant cameras, Tamagotchi, DVDs, the Nintendo Wii, streaming services, social media, Chat GPT, perpetual and inescapable hyper-connectivity. What happened? Over the past 20 years, technology has seen perhaps the strongest push from society to evolve, to be “out with the old,” endlessly hungry for the next big thing. However, amidst this constant evolution, there has been a growing trend: Younger generations have been returning to older technologies. Through a resurgence in vinyl record sales, the growing use of “digicams,” and an appreciation for retro video game systems, today’s youth has displayed a remarkable shift amidst the culture of endless innovation. I, myself, am one of them. Since middle school I have grown out an extensive record collection, a suite of retro game systems, and a general adoption of more analog-form media. Through my own experiences, and from what I have learned from my peers, I argue that a return to earlier technologies is not some inexplicable trendy fad. On the contrary, it allows for a respite from the overly interconnected, addictive, and antisocial modern technological landscape.
Too often, the same exhausting loop repeats itself: You’re already on your phone after choosing some music, so you decide to open Instagram for a moment before beginning your homework. Soon enough, you’ve been doomscrolling for 30 minutes, and the time you planned on spending doing work has been completely depleted. Feeling mentally out of options, you decide to consult your favorite AI assistant to “help” with the assignment. In minutes you’ve regurgitated answers that are supposedly right, allowing your brain a break from any real critical thinking, only heightening your existing anxiety. Day after day, the dread rises, the friends you see online feel like flickers of a true self, and the tools that should have been increasing connection and productivity have left you lonelier and less skilled than ever. Herein lies the appeal of analog technology. Allow me to propose a different story: After writing out on a notepad exactly what you hope to get done with your afternoon, you prepare to get to work. First though, you carefully select a CD from your intentionally curated collection. Popping it in, you pick up your assignment out of your folder. And there it is, simply removing the addictive appeal of the world’s modern standards allows us to return to what is really important.
Intentionality is at the heart of the retro revival. While there are undoubtedly real benefits within the concepts of modern technological developments, one recurring theme is their way of removing intentionality. Spotify allows an AI DJ to endlessly select music for you, removing any semblance of agency, and social media is based on algorithms designed to keep you hooked on thoughtless content. The youth of society are displaying that intentionality is not an ideal for the few, but a deeply human characteristic. As technology’s culture at large continues to push out the old, I urge you to reflect and appreciate the past. Stay human.
(Image Credit: Fanbyte)
