echo Retro Tech: A nostalgic journey through obsolete technology
For a generation immersed in a world of smartphones, social media and constant notifications, Generation Z’s growing fascination with retro technology might seem unexpected. Yet, they are at the forefront of a revival, embracing analog technologies like vinyl recorders, polaroid cameras and cassette players. So why is a generation born in the digital era finding comfort and creativity in relics of the past?
Who, What, Why?
Interestingly, much of the appeal of retro-tech comes from Gen Z, a group that never lived through the era these devices hail from. Popular movies, TV shows, games, and other pieces of content likely invoked this intrigue towards devices of an imagined past. Media such as “Stranger Things”, “Freaks and Geeks”, “Loki”, “Mouthwashing”, “Arctic Eggs”, and other retro-stylised media that is set in retro periods romanticise the aesthetics of these past eras. By putting items like the Walkman, CRT televisions and old Nintendo game consoles under the spotlight, the media has successfully drawn attention away from the internet whilst creating a burning curiosity about the gadgets of those times.Retro tech also aligns with Gen Z’s love for individuality and aesthetic self-expression. Devices like brightly coloured Game Boys, clunky disposable cameras and retro keyboards, are as much about functionality as about statement. These gadgets serve as unique accessories, helping individuals stand out in a sea of iPhones and Macbooks.
Additionally, retro tech adds physicality to its charm. Flipping through a stack of vinyl records or the simple click and whir of loading film into a camera provides a tactile satisfaction that could not be replicated on a smartphone screen.
Another major draw for Gen Z to retro tech is the vessel of escape from the distractions of modern technology. The constant ping of notifications, the never-ending scrolling of social media, and the multi-tasking capabilities of devices today often make it overwhelming as compared to retro tech, which offers a focused and distraction-free experience. Take the Walkman as an example; there are no interruptions in music by constant notifications or advertisements, offering a distraction-free experience of listening to music. Similarly, using a typewriter and a Polaroid camera forces the users to be fully present at the moment, an experience that can feel almost meditative compared to the chaos of multitasking on a smartphone.
Retro tech has also become a silent form of rebellion against the constant push for faster, smarter and sleeker devices. By choosing analog tech, Gen Z is rejecting the narrative that progress always means replacing the old with the new. Instead, they’re proving that there’s value in simplicity and that some experiences—like the crackle of vinyl or the satisfying hum of a typewriter—are timeless.
Other Layers
Social Media And The Stress of Surveillance
The turn of the century marked the golden age of retro technology, and not even a few decades later, showed us its swift downfall. The growing development of smartphone technology was one with the goal of making a device that would accomplish all, a multipurpose tool that could do anything and everything; it was the thing people of the past could only dream of. What we did not envision in our dreams, however, was the disruption it would bring.
Academics such as Mark Poster and David Lyon began using terms such as superpanopticon, and electronic panopticon, to describe social media. The term that they borrowed, “panopticon”, had been coined by social theorist Jeremy Bantham in the 18th century. The Panopticon was a prison design featuring a central observation tower surrounded by prison cells, which aimed to minimise labour in the form of guards to manage as many prisoners simultaneously as possible. Guards stationed in the tower had a 360-degree view of the prisoners, but the prisoners could not see into the tower, allowing the guards to observe them at any time. The idea was that the prisoners would begin self-mediating, in fear that any slip-up could be caught by the guards. What academic researchers like Mark Poster and David Lyon were implying was that the surveillant nature of social media mimicked the design of the panopticon, and creates a constant state of self-monitoring, driven by the anxiety of perpetual observation and judgment by an unseen audience.Though it may seem a stretch, is it not true that the overbearing presence of the entire world and its artificial facade in our pocket has taken a toll on our mental health?
It was not always this way. There was a time where the internet was a place. You would sit down at your desk or at the school library where there was a PC. Once you were done, you could power the device off and leave the internet. Now, the internet is also the device you use to listen to music, pay bills, and take photos.
Unipurpose, Nostalgia, The Fight For Attention, And Spatial Presence
The technology we use today came in like the perfect storm. Technology with the capability to occupy as much of our attention as possible persisted, and the rest died out. The smartphone was portable, intuitive, and armed with social media and messaging apps, shortening the distance of socialising. Anyone could carry their entire social world in their pocket. This not only meant the loss of the internet as a location – like at the desk where the pc was, but it meant the loss of the spatial presence of certain technologies. You no longer needed a place to set your vinyl recorder and the vinyls themselves, the bulky Walkman cassette player, no need to bring around a notebook to note things down, no need for a separate camera.
One thing that brings people back to the bulk of retro music players is that unlike streaming services like Spotify, on an Ipod and a Walkman, the music was strictly yours. You had to download the music onto your player, or buy a cassette, and you were limited to your selection. This made music more personal, the music you had was more carefully selected, songs you knew you’d be happy putting on repeat. With cassettes, there was the added aspect of feeling the medium itself; you had to load the cassette in, hear it rewind, and there was the unique sparkle and crackle, an authentic grit. Sometimes, people enjoy the real space retro tech occupies as opposed to the intangible space of the internet.
At the end of the day, it’s in some part a growing trend, in some part nostalgia, and perhaps both subconsciously and consciously an attempt to break free from the hold smartphones have on our attention spans. Authors and software developers, among others, have been particularly vocal about the necessity to regain control over our attention. In his book ‘‘Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World’’, full time professor of computer science, Cal Newport underlines the importance of a healthier relationship with technology. Youtuber and aspiring computer engineering junior, James Scholz, has several Youtube channels dedicated to talking about mindful tech usage through retro technology, as well as multiple live-streams where he studies for extended periods of time, a project he began doing to help those stuck in a rut during the COVID-19 outbreak. The fallout of X (Previously known as Twitter) also lead to many people moving over to social networking services like Spacehey and Neocities, both blog sites, where users use HTML and CSS to post personalised blogs, a throwback to the mostly dead services of the early internet like Myspace and Geocities.
It is safe to say, pervasive technology has overstayed its welcome, and rebellion is starting to show. Retro tech, in this context, represents more than nostalgia; it symbolizes a deliberate rejection of overstimulating digital environments in favor of tools from a time when technology felt more secure and grounded.
Digital Minimalism v Overconsumption
Like many industries driven by profit, there will always be efforts to disguise a money grab as something genuine. Companies have become very quick to jump onto trends and profit from struggle. For the many who’s shift to retro tech isn’t just an aesthetic choice, but a struggle to decentralise smartphones, a problem occurs when companies try to push mindless purchasing of retro or minimalistic stylised devices. To mitigate overconsumption, people should focus on intention and the roots of digital minimalism. Modern devices, with their constant updates and planned obsolescence, often push users into an endless loop of buying more and more. On the other hand, retro devices are sturdy and functional, they stand as a symbol of a slower and more deliberate era of technology.
By choosing retro tech, users are not only resisting overconsumption but also implementing a sustainable mindset of repairing and reusing, rather than replacing. It’s a way of saying no to the noise of endless updates and yes to a more meaningful interaction with technology.
Conclusion
The question regarding how much technology should be allowed to occupy a life is a subjective one, and as the trends ebb and flow, and the atmosphere of conflict and comfort shifts, different interpretations have and will emerge. Perhaps the way may be to set goals and use technology to achieve them ethically and progressively, according to one’s needs and capabilities. With the advancement in the AI sector and other forms of technology, the future is still foggy for the human lifestyle. Many can only take things as they come; adapting accordingly.
Written By: Reeya
Edited By: Ashley
