tech
The Guardian view on the analogue resurgence: the shock of the old
Long-abandoned formats such as cassettes and VHS tapes are finding new life as consumers seek a digital detox
TL;DR
- Cassettes and VHS tapes are experiencing a revival as consumers seek a digital detox.
- Vinyl sales are at their highest in over 30 years, with buyers appreciating sound quality and album art.
- New movies are being released on VHS, not for quality, but for the novelty and buzz of the format's rarity.
- Younger consumers are drawn to retro formats as something new and as an allure of an offline world.
- The trend is linked to a broader desire for the tangible, imperfect, and human in response to AI and big tech.
- Businesses are capitalizing on the backlash to new technology with products like new Super 8 cameras.
- While analogue formats offer a break from the online world, they are not inherently more authentic than digital ones.