For: Me … basicallY

Which outdated technology do you miss the most, and why?

Aka my mini-TED Talk about how Steve Jobs ruined humanity…as I type from my iPhone and MacBook 🤧🙂‍↕️🙃✨

The landline is peek nostalgia. Rushing home from school to intercept the phone call from a cute boy, or to talk to my bestie for HOURS about our day at school like we weren’t just there all day together!

What a time!

Not being reachable 24/7 was peak living, unbeknownst to anyone of us at the time.

Telephones were once stationary devices and that allowed for conversations to easily flow. As a result, time passed both slowly and quickly, because there was a build up/a sort of tension. It’s hard to explain, but life and communication seemed more organic back then. In present day, I’ve experienced bouts of moments of silence in face-to-face interactions, because I knew so much about the other person, because they shared everything via social media! There is no mystery anymore. And that’s because capitalism kills the joy of everything! *cough cough* Steve Jobs* Fast forward to present day life, the modern telephone is mobile, widely available, and easily attainable thanks to the late Steve Jobs and our three foes–capitalism, globalization and consumerism. Cell phones are constant interruptions that gives us 24/7 access to everything we don’t need 24/7 access to! Nothing goes unknown for long. Our phones houses our thoughts and all aspects of our lives; they are our AOL instant messenger, address book, yearbook, photo album, camera, TV, calculator, gaming device, wallet, our window to the world, how we meet new people, maintain friendships and old connections, where we get our current events, where we learn untaught history, and for some people, is the archetype of their latest personality.

What was once a cool convenience is now overstimulating, rotting our brains, a source of pain for some, and is the focal point of our everyday life with lifelong monthly subscriptions attached to it. It’s inescapable.

I think the younger kid in me would be sad to know that older her doesn’t enjoy yapping on a mobile device, or to an audience because she was a grade A yapper! I infamously got detention on my second day of high school because I didn’t hear my science teacher say “the next person who talks, gets detention” because I was indeed talking! 😩

*Fast forward to adulthood/peak capitalism/2026* There was a period where my cell phone was on DND (do not disturb) for YEARS. My cell phone, unfortunately, now rings and I, unfortunately, now have to answer it. But it’s currently set to only ring and notify me of messages from certain contacts between 5pm-8am during the workweek, and not at all on the weekend from those restricted during the week. This is mainly to create a healthy boundary between my personal life and my professional life. My current employer pays me a bimonthly stipend for using my personal phone for work purposes. The leaders and the workers will call me regardless of the time! If they’re up, working or thinking about work, I must be up too, waiting, and wanting to discuss work matters after-hours with them, and that is the furthest thing from the truth!

Anywho, TED Talk/modern technology rant over. If you were old enough to have had a landline in your home growing up, what was your home telephone number? You can skip the area code because it maybe someone’s personal or business number in year 2026 or whatever year you’re reading this. My old childhood home phone number was 603-0964. Bonus points if you were a cool girl, like Jackie, with your own personal line in your bedroom! Can’t relate!

(It’s gotta be Kelso calling!)