In with the Old, Out with the New
May 10, 2023
Once again, we are reliving the old days in new amalgamations of retro technology and modern society. Kids are abandoning their iPhone cameras for digital ones, their fast fashion for handmade clothes, their music streaming for Walkmans and iPods, and even their smartphones altogether for flip phones. Our obsession with old technology is not new. There is something about reliving the days of our parents that makes the world feel smaller.
Of course, there is no reason to live in the disillusionment that being a child of the past was better. However, there is a small pleasure to be had in the ability to pick and choose from our favorite parts of those times and blend them into the present.
It’s funny to think that with smartphones at our fingertips, we would willingly make our lives harder by adopting more antiquated technology, but I tried it out. I found an old iPod Nano in our junk drawer and every morning clipped it to my belt loop and plugged in my old standard jack ladybug headphones. It turned out to be incredibly worth it.
Using an iPod is not without its flaws, but it is incredibly freeing to have music detached from the rest of the function of my cell phone. Only being able to enjoy the music I had on iTunes ignited a new-found, nostalgic love for my old taste and an end to the fear of missing out on new music that Spotify gives me.
With that said, here is a collection of some of the retro tech I’ve spotted MHS kids walking around with. It’s worth trying out, old things have something worth teaching us.
