Analog is back…though it never really left for many of us. It is however back in the mainstream eye for better or worse. I’m trying to be optimistic about this and celebrate the interest in spending lest time scrolling and streaming and subscribing and more time enjoying physical media, writing, art, books, etc. However, there’s already been a few things about this movement that has me concerned.
Analog Interests
I am a huge fan of analog tech. I collect VHS tapes. I make mix tapes and cds for myself and loved ones. I am working on a vinyl collection and love putting on records for my cleaning days around the house. I make zines and distribute them. I keep a physical planner/journal. I cherish physical books when I can afford to add them to my library. I’m also that nerd who does genealogy for my family, prints photos, and loves shopping at thrift and antique stores.
When analog started becoming more and more a conversation online, I was excited. I wanted to geek out with other collectors and people who enjoy older media and tech especially. My hope was that this would make analog tech more accessible since more people would be dealing in it. That current musicians and movie makers would start releasing cds, records, cassettes, DVDs and VHS tapes after years of digital only.
For many, this is the case! At least in the synth and horror world – special edition physical media is becoming more and more available. I’m sure it is elsewhere but as its not the pool I swim in, I’m less aware of it.
I’m also seeing videos on how to use “dumb phones” in a world where smart phones are becoming mandatory to work and get around. This has been very helpful for many like me who want an older style phone but fear that it will make functioning in in the modern world difficult if not impossible.
So while there is a lot of grumbling about the analog trend, there are some great perks to something that was a subculture becoming mainstream for the moment.
Yes, the moment. I’ve lived long enough to see subcultures I’m part of become mainstream for a year or two then fizzle out. Anyone remember when Steampunk was all the rage? You could get steampunk clothes and accessories at retail stores and movies were leaning towards the era of brass and steam for a hot minute. It caused a lot of grumbling from those who had been part of the subculture before it got popular for legitimate reasons (cheap accessories, people who had no interest in the punk side of the movement flooding the scene, and folks looking to make a quick buck without respecting the fandom flooding the market). Many left the scene but if they’d hung on and stuck around for a year or two, they would have seen the mainstream market move on to the next best thing and leave their brass world a little tarnished but easily polished up and ready to enjoy again.
I say this because its likely what is going to happen with the analog trend. We will see a year or two of the mainstream putting out junk and aesthetic nonsense, people who have no idea what they are talking about swarming in to make a quick buck and get attention, then it won’t be cool anymore and those same people will move on. So if you’re worried, just hang on. Maybe go offline for a minute and enjoy your analog life for the time being. The community will return to normal in the near future.
What is Analog Punk?
Before I discuss the worries the analog trend is creating, I want to share what analog punk is so that you can more easily see what it isn’t.
Analog Punk isn’t a term I’m seeing much of but the tenets of it are still being discussed by those pushing the movement towards analog lifestyle.
Analog Punk is about using tech that already exists. It’s about ownership in a world and system built around subscription, rentals, and taking media out of the hands of the customer and making them consumers only. Its about a solid foundation in an ever changing digitized landscape. Its about reminding us that there is a world outside of a digital screen that we once enjoyed and can still enjoy.
For some its about nostalgia.
A RETVRN to what they knew or had or wished they had growing up (this is mostly for Millennials but Gen X and some Gen Z are also in this group). However, the nostalgic love for analog doesn’t necessarily go hand in hand with the punk intentions. Analog Punk doesn’t wear rose colored glasses and pretend things used to be better back in the old days of physical media and offline living. It acknowledges that technological growth has connected people with information and each other in ways that are important and necessary. The past wasn’t better because it was the past. The past has its own sins that must always be remembered.
Waste, Aesthetics, and Performative Resistance: The Downside to the Analog Trend
Saved the Planet Society made an amazing post on Instagram about what I’m discussing here that I highly HIGHLY recommend checking out and liking. They said everything I wanted to say but in a much better way than I ever could.
