My latest comfort show is “That ‘70s Show,” a retro show filmed in the 90s, nostalgic of past decades. Before I hyperfixated on this series, I was captivated by “How I Met Your Mother,” another unforgettable classic. My taste in films and music seems to follow similar trends. “Clueless?” “10 Things I Hate About You?” My favorites. ABBA? Elton John? Cannot get enough!
A common theme throughout my favorite media is that they take place in a time that I missed out on. Whether I missed out because I was too young or not alive yet, I find myself enjoying the experiences of these earlier times second-hand through television or music on a streaming platform.
So why is it that I find myself “stuck” in a past that I did not experience myself?
We live in a world surrounded by screens. Digital billboards compete for our attention while we commute, and 60-inch televisions light up living rooms as the standard in the average household. The screens have even wrapped their way around our wrists as smartwatches, and seldom leave our sides, with roughly 91% of adults owning smartphones globally. The first thing you probably did this morning was check your phone. What’s more, have you ever gone on your phone around other people to avoid talking to them? I know I have!
The digital age is fascinating, yet there is something so charming about a time when a phone was attached to the wall with a wire. The earlier era seemed to lack the short attention spans and wide array of mental health issues stemming from the small screen that fits in our palms.
In a digital age, with everything moving at a mile a minute, the slower, one-way communication system found in most classic entertainment is an appealing break from our fast-paced reality. The modern models of digital streaming content have been almost entirely replaced by a revival of the alternative analog format through the media we consume. Vinyl records, cassette tapes, VHS tapes and physical film reels replace streaming services and DVDs. Printed paper shares scheduled news to generalized audiences; no 24/7 updates that we have become accustomed to on what the hottest new look is or which celebrity couple called it quits.
In “classic” entertainment, socialization is hardly ever in the hands of technology. The characters make use of their analog situation by living in the moment rather than being consumed by the mass media present in our lives today. These characters do not feel they need short-form media because they have never had it, so their priority is enjoying each other’s presence. In the alternative retro realities, characters create unbreakable and irreplaceable bonds with the most important people in their lives.
The strength of the bond between characters is evident through their ability to navigate strange scenarios through spending time together. The reinforcement of their friendship allows them to gain a sense of normalcy in unconventional circumstances. The multiple wild goose chases that Ted Mosby goes on to find the woman of his dreams in “How I Met Your Mother” (aka, the whole premise of the show) would not have been possible if the information were in the palm of his hand via a search on a social media platform. No current media could outdo the playful banter we witness through the television, which simply cannot be replicated with a cell phone present in each hand.
It is no shock that I, among many others, find more entertainment through a less modern world. Witnessing the strength of a connection beyond the palm of our hands reminds us that we do not need the tiny, cell-phone-sized escape as a social safety net.