I miss whimsy media
Words by
Triston
"Found myself revisiting my fav hobbies & yapping about why we're all missing nostalgic devices"
Happy New Year ya filthy animals
I’m now a recent college grad, which we may or may not talk about another time, but for now… you’re here to hear me yap about one thing:
The 5th-generation iPod Touch:
The iPod Touch was basically the last iPod Apple ever made after they killed the Nano and Shuffle in 2017. They tweaked storage and pricing a bit, but in 2022, Apple finally laid it to rest (may she rest in peace). iOS 15 is the last version it supports, which basically means its a fossil.
Problems
Bluetooth Compatibility: I tried connecting my AirPods, but they disconnected every other millisecond.
Getting Quality Music: Do you want good-quality music? Good luck. ytmp3 converters, drag & drop into iTunes…
Battery Life: The battery life on the iPod was comparable to that of an insanely overcharged 2016 MacBook.
Stuff i already had on the iPod from middle school (if you were curious):
Distraction by Kehlani
Stranger by Jhene Aiko
LOOK AT ME by XXXTentacion
NEVER by XXXTentacion
KING by XXXTentacion
T-Shirt by Migos
Sorry by Beyoncé
So, why is everyone moving to analog?
In a world full of AI, automation, and algorithms, I think we not only want control over our lives, but also generally crave more autonomy. Dare I say we’re starting to recognize how much the internet has shaped who we are as a whole - especially for generations like ours (gen z/millenials+) whose entire lives are basically documented online. We yearn for the kind of environment older generations once had: a genuine sense of community. Not just loyal story-likers or passive observers, but actual experiences where we get to connect with others authentically.
So I don’t continue on my social media rant, on top of that, companies track us 24/7, we see a million ads a day across streaming services and social feeds, & digital spaces feel exhausting. We’re simply just burnt out. As one Fortune article put it:
“The current digital age of music is fantastic, […] but there’s nothing like the personal aspect of going into the record store and thumbing through a bunch of albums while making small talk with some of the other patrons to find out what they’re listening to.”
I’ve been personally diving back into things I loved as a preteen and in high school (which honestly doesn’t feel that long ago, but it was). Mangas, old Batman comics (Court of Owls is still so good), & listening to vinyl - stuff that doesn’t require constant scrolling. Hell, I’ve even considered getting a dumb phone at this point.
Even though mindless, scroll-free music experiences can be easier and brain-rotting in a comforting way, it kinda feels better to deliberately choose what you consume, manually interact with it, and actually feel it. And that’s kind of why I decided to dust off my 5th-generation iPod Touch for a week.
[Also for kicks & giggles, here’s a rough of a beat I made sampling the vinyl Radio Retaliation by Thievery Corporation. ]
My Overall Experience/Final Thoughts
Using the iPod for a week was a wild experience. Did i feel cooler not participating in algorithmic chaos and actually choosing what i listen to? Short answer: Yes 😁
Queueing songs manually eventually became somewhat enjoyable, if you believe it (I'm not sure if this is me feeding my control issues, but whatever).
I had to untangle old JBL earbuds after every use, which was tedious but somehow charming. It all just reminded me of my youth, which I now feel I didn’t appreciate enough, and that is fleeting with time. Ahh, to be an early 20-something. Joy.
Will I be doing this again, but not on a consistent basis? Most likely. Was it annoying sometimes? Yes. Did it make me feel weirdly nostalgic and a little happier? also yes.
There’s something about manually curating music, physically interacting with it instead of just relying on a repeated playlist - untangling wires, waiting for songs to load… It’s human.
3 Song Recs:
Complete side note, as I mentioned earlier, I’m a recent grad and still jobless, so if you know of anyone who’s ironically hiring in the social media/content space, let a girl know (please).
Watch the video for more on this topic here :D
Originally published on Substack