Professional blog

Old vs New Technology

Youths’ lifestyles in different periods have largely remained the same despite significant technological advancements over the periods. While talking to my aunt, who we fondly refer to as Aunt T, aged 54 years, about her favorite technology during her youth, I learned that youth during her younger years, just like now, used to love listening to music. However, the technology available during her time was not as advanced as the one present today. Aunt T had a cassette recorder from Goldyip as her favorite technology for listening to music, I do the same on my phone, and while some of her experiences and mine might be similar, they also differ in some aspects that make me want to also use the technology of her younger years.

Talking to my aunt somewhat helped me travel back in time to see what life was like in the late 1980s when she was in her twenties, particularly as it relates to her favorite technology of the time, the cassette recorder. Due to their love for music, a lot of youths had cassette recorders that they used to listen to and dance to their favorite jams. Most of them blasted the recorders at full volume in their rooms something which my aunt tells me was a nuisance to their parents at the time. Also, at the time, listening to music was not only a personal affair, but it also spread to one’s friends and youths would meet to hang out and listen to music. My aunt and her friends would often hang out outside their school hostels listening and dancing to their favorite music. I would have loved to have such experiences with my friends to boost camaraderie and have fun. Nowadays, it is often hard to do that given that most of us listen to music from personalized devices.

In 2021, unlike in my aunt’s youth days, we are using our phones to listen to music and they are more convenient and offer a greater experience than that of my aunt’s time. With my phone, I can listen to music anytime and from anywhere. Due to widespread internet coverage and a plethora of platforms where one can stream music such as YouTube, Spotify, and iTunes. I can access music anytime and from wherever I am. With the cassette recorder, my aunt could only listen to music on her cassettes and she did not have access to a wide range of music selected by herself. Also, unlike the recorder, my phone offers greater portability; I can listen to music while on a jog or travelling on a train without being a nuisance to others when using my earphones. If I want loud music, I can connect my phone to our home theatre. Despite its convenience, however, I would love to experience what my aunt experienced in the later ‘80s. Today, hanging out with friends grooving to good music is slightly more difficult than during Aunt T’s youth days and her favorite technology earns an edge over mine in that aspect.

The Goldyip Cassette Recorder