Cassette tapes next to a boombox. A Gen Z-er is frustrated.
There seems to be no shortage of generational videos where kids try to grasp the technology their parents grew up with. It's impressive that they even want to learn, and it's always fun to watch.
In one delightful clip, a Gen X dad (@dakydd07) dares his Gen Z son to put a cassette into a boombox. That's it. That's the entire assignment. With the chyron reading "When Gen Z user meets Gen X device, part 1" we see a young man sitting on his bed holding the box like he was an alien discovering a puppy. We hear the voice of his dad say, "I had him plug in the cord, which that took about a minute to find out where it goes."
The young man continues picking at the boombox. The dad leans over and says, "Now the main objective is to take this cassette…" He then shows an old cassette tape that he explains is an "old mixtape" he made years back. "Put it in. Rewind it to the beginning and press play."
One problem though. The Gen Z-er can't get the door of the boombox open. "You're supposed to press down. I know it's supposed to go in there," he complains. The dad tries to help. "You're sure there's not a button? On top?" This is helpful because lo and behold, he finds it.
The father isn't all that impressed. "Yes. The one that says eject." The kid tries a number of ways to put the tape in, with the dad jokingly saying "Nope" on repeat. "Now he's really in a pickle." He keeps trying… and trying… and his efforts can't be dismissed. The dad finally offers this bit of advice: "Listen to the force."
In part two—and, yes, there is a part two though it's mistakenly also labeled part one in the clip—we have liftoff. Well, kind of. He gets the tape in, but unfortunately we don't get to hear the mixtape because it doesn't play. (This may or may not have been user error.)
Same premise: now a mom tries to get her 15-year-old daughter to get a cassette tape (of course, it's the pop singer Tiffany) into a boombox of her own. She, at first, adorably tries to stick the whole tape, while still in the cassette box, into the contraption. She finally gets it open, but gets frustrated that once she puts it in, it won't close. She eventually turns it upside down and after a little back-and-forth with her parents' help—voila!
@momma_t_75 She just doesnt know how cool it was to have your cassette tapes and boombox!! The 80’s Rocked!!!! #80smusic #80sbaby #80saesthetic #80sthrowback #boomboxclassic #cassettetape #throwback #nostalgia #debbiegibson #tiffany #rockstar #millennial #teensbelike #tiktok #fyp
She is unimpressed with the results, and when asked, "So, would you want to live in the 80s?" she gives a resounding "No" and says she prefers Spotify.
The truth is some Gen Z-ers, especially on the younger side, are drawn to what they call "dumb tech." In a piece for Ad Age, via Hello Superheroes, it's described as "simpler devices that lack the 'smart' features we’re used to today. But calling it dumb isn’t quite right—it’s the tech of the past, the foundations of today’s advancements. These are the gadgets we grew up with, and that’s where the nostalgic appeal comes in."
An old boombox sits on a table. Photo by Dave Weatherall on Unsplash
Quoting one of the Gen Z-ers they spoke with: "We want to go back to simpler times. Flip phones, devices without Instagram or constant notifications. It’s a countertrend. We've been told we’re being brainwashed by social media, that we’re addicted. So, getting a flip phone is a way to prove we’re not. It’s about showing we can live without it, that we’re still functional members of society.”
The Frenchman's monologue was absolutely spot on
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