Hey there,
Yesterday, on our way home, my wife and I had a bit of a disagreement—well, maybe more of a light exchange, since we don’t often argue.
She noticed I was quiet and asked why I wasn’t speaking. Truthfully, my face was still numb from some dental work, but I was also busy texting a friend.
“What are you texting about?”
I sensed she assumed it was something trivial.
“I’m talking about how people are starting to recognize the downsides of tech and are leaning back toward old-school, analog forms of media. You know, like printed books and magazines.”
She shot me this skeptical look like, “Really?”
“No, seriously. I’ve seen some trends develop lately.”
**THE GREAT TECH RETROGRADE**
Now, I’m not claiming ownership of this idea—I’m just calling it as I see it. For instance, did you know independent print magazine launches are up 15%? It’s true! The print magazine market is gaining momentum, along with advertising revenue. Advertisers have found that people are 70% more likely to remember a physical ad compared to digital ones.
That’s pretty amazing.
Also, book sales—albeit slightly—are starting to rise after years of decline. People are even getting back into film photography and buying vinyl records again. It’s not just the hipster crowd either.
Sales of physical media like DVDs have decreased consistently over the years, but last year, the decline was only 9%. Interestingly, sales of 4K UHD DVDs went up by 12%.
Still skeptical? HBO is releasing a $150 remastered box set of “The Sopranos” this December, a bold move that’s likely to pay off.
But that’s not all. While schools are increasingly banning devices in classrooms, we’re also seeing a rise in interest for… dumb phones.
Yes, there are several start-ups pushing phones that only allow you to text and call, and some have grown quite popular. People are returning to checking their email and social media from their computers instead of their phones.
It’s hard to believe this shift is happening after two decades of constant connectivity.
The big question is why? And honestly, it seems pretty straightforward. It’s simply better.
Analog experiences just feel richer. Do you remember a time when you could go to bed not worrying about checking your email? That was a better state of mind, wasn’t it?
People are purchasing HD Blu-rays because they offer a superior viewing experience. Streaming services typically push about 15-40 mb/s to your TV, while Blu-ray can display at 128 mb/s.
And let’s not forget—you actually own the Sopranos box set instead of subscribing to a service.
Owning media is a lot better than renting it, especially since almost everything seems to require a subscription now. I mean, I can own a book or a song outright, without any ongoing fees.
And when it comes to reading, the stats don’t lie. People retain information better from physical pages. There’s research indicating that understanding a story in print takes less cognitive effort than reading it digitally.
Where am I going with this? Honestly, I’m not entirely sure. I just know it’s happening.
Board game sales are also on the rise, giving people a good reason to spend time together in person.
More individuals are even attending Mass. That’s one thing you can’t experience online. It really makes you question if the concept of “online communities” is just a myth and perhaps we fundamentally need real connections. Maybe we’re at the start of a shift away from this tech-driven norm.
Isn’t the phrase “touch grass” more relevant now than ever?
Some speculate that the future of the internet will be entirely produced by robots for robots.
And that’s okay with me.
Tech is likely to resist this trend, but, in the end, we’re human beings—real, physical beings. Sorry, Zuck, but class isn’t going to happen in the metaverse.
Not now, not ever.
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