Latest news with #Walkmans
Int'l Business Times
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
iPhones Out, BlackBerrys In: Gen-Z Turns to Dumbphones in Bid to Break Free From Tech Addiction
In a surprising shift, a new trend is emerging among Gen Z: ditching their feature-rich smartphones for simpler, less distracting 'dumbphones.' This move isn't about nostalgia; it's a deliberate step by young people to reclaim their focus and break free from the constant pull of digital life. Many young people are trying to reconnect with the world around them. Their chosen method for this shift? 'Dumbphones' are reminiscent of the BlackBerrys that were popular during the millennial era. The Retro Revival It's quite ironic, however, that Gen Z is using social media—a platform that these simpler phones don't even support—to spread awareness of their move. A clear trend has been surfacing for months now: Young individuals, from their late teens to their mid-twenties, are showing a renewed interest in 'retro' technology, including Walkmans, iPods, and digital cameras. Notably, this latest Y2K craze is utterly baffling to older generations. On TikTok, a quick search for 'Blackberry' brings up countless videos of Gen Z users. These clips show them either buying old BlackBerry handsets from sites like eBay or unearthing them from their parents' closets. They then adorn them with rhinestones and keychains, proudly displaying the satisfyingly clicky, ASMR-worthy keyboards. For many, this BlackBerry trend simply extends the core of the ongoing 2000s nostalgia. This era was defined by popular aesthetics such as Britney Spears-inspired McBling, cyberfuturism, and Frutiger Aero. 'We've come full circle,' is a sentiment echoed in dozens of comments found on posts by TikTok content creators, such as @notchonnie, who uses her platform to showcase her extensive retro tech collection. A post shared by instagram 'I'm so sick of Apple, I would give up just about everything for a BlackBerry,' one user declared. Commenters also shared how they'd searched platforms like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Back Market, hoping to find BlackBerry phones to replace their current smartphones. Breaking the Digital Chains For just a few hundred pounds, these Gen Z's, tired of constant digital demands, find a sense of calm. This choice, however, often puzzles older generations. They certainly remember the unreliable service, tiny keypads, and complicated ways of using these old devices. Compared to the cost of a new iPhone, which can now easily exceed up to $70 (£51.99) a month, and unlimited data plans that often reach seventy pounds a month, the BlackBerry is seen as an obvious choice for younger generations. This burgeoning anti-smartphone movement also offers many genuine opportunities to reconnect with the offline world and to become more mindful of what they consume digitally. Pascal Forget, a tech columnist in Montreal, conveyed this perspective to CBC News, observing: 'The smartphone is not a source of enjoyment anymore.' 'It used to be fun, but now [people are] addicted to it, so they want to go back to simpler times using a simpler device,' Forget noted. 'These are supposed to be the best moments of our life, but you look around, and people are scrolling,' Sammy Palazzolo, a TikTok content creator who uses a flip phone part-time, told USA Today. Reclaiming Real Life Despite being raised in the digital era, Generation Z and older members of Generation Alpha are starting to notice a pervasive reality: almost everyone, everywhere, seems perpetually engrossed by their phones. A 2024 study from the Pew Research Centre highlights a notable change: almost fifty per cent of teenagers today describe themselves as being online 'almost constantly'. This is a considerable jump from ten years earlier when only twenty-four per cent of adolescents reported the same. Some individuals have even reported experiencing the phantom sensation of a smartphone notification, while others admit that pressing the 'on' button has become nothing short of an automatic reflex. 'It just basically created this pattern where I was anxious, and so I'd open my smartphone, and then I would hate myself for opening my smartphone, which made me more anxious,' Charlie Fisher, a 20-year-old college student, told USA Today. Is Simpler the New Smart? To help with his digital detox, Fisher swapped his iPhone for a flip phone, and he has not regretted the change. 'I've been seeing things more like when I was a kid,' Fisher explained, shedding light on his recently discovered phone-free lifestyle. 'You really see things for how they are in the physical world, and your emotions are really attached to that,' he added. Beyond their lower cost, flip phones and 2000s-era tech, such as the BlackBerry, are believed by Gen Z to encourage more meaningful time with loved ones, foster new hobbies away from endless scrolling and binge-watching, and help achieve a better work-life balance. This naturally leads to a compelling question: could these young people truly be onto something significant? Originally published on IBTimes UK
Irish Examiner
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Wish List: Eight fun and fab buys to liven up our homes inside and out
Inner pieces Analogue activities are making a major comeback, from mindful colouring to crafting with clay. Research shows that puzzles allow you to slow down, disconnect, and strengthen the short-term memory. Shop Vibes & Scribes' handpicked selection of art and travel-inspired jigsaws with pieces catering for jigsaw juniors to power puzzlers. Pieces & Peace Souk Marrakech, €24.99, transports me right back to a wonderful week I spent in Morocco, captivated by the colours, textures, and flavours of the beautiful Berber country. Pop into the store to browse the full range or shop online at Al-fresco furniture Interiors lovers, here's a tip: carve out some time in your schedule to visit family-run business Bracken's, situated in the Gorey Business Park. I've fallen head over heels for the Nardi Maximo outdoor five-piece modular sofa. Made from regenerated resin and textiles infused with recycled content, it isn't afraid of a bit of bad weather. Imagine you and your doggos, cats, or humans stretching out on this bad boy with a book/treat/toy mouse. For smaller spaces, Bracken's has plenty of quality alternatives for different spaces and budgets. Run, don't walk to this department store of dreams, visit the website, at your own risk. Blooming bargains If you think ditching the plastic-wrapped fresh fruit and veg is but a smug move, think again. Anyone who has tasted the flavours and aromas of fresh, seasonal, local produce will admit the contrast is undeniable. One of my favourite stalls in the English Market in Cork is The Roughty Foodie, offering the Holy Trinity of farmers' produce, fruit, veg, and the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. From wild sweet peas grown in Howe Hill to Bushby's chemical-free strawberries and pink peonies, their bouquets are incredibly well-priced. Houseplants range from €4 and bunches from €7. Check out @theroughtyfoodie on Instagram and the website at Carbonated comeback There was so much to love about the 80s; hair metal, yellow Walkmans, mix tapes and Tom Selleck's moustache. Along with chained-up payphones (what was that about?), the most coveted item in any 80s household was the SodaStream. Transforming your water and drinks into sparkling sodas, the technology behind it was fantastical. As a diehard San Pellegrino sparkling water fan, a carbonator would save me money and waste. Highly reviewed is the Aarke Carbonator 3 Sparkling Water Maker, €210, a sleek stainless-steel device with a matte burgundy finish. Created by those harbingers of taste, the Swedes, the aesthetic will not just blend into your kitchen but elevate its surroundings. The reviews are unanimously good, plus it's BPA, cordless and electricity-free. Get yours at Faerly ( an Irish online shop with sustainability at its heart and plastic-free shopping to boot. Mapping our history Long before we relied on Google Maps, paper maps were as commonplace as the white sliced pan. From the treasure maps made by older sisters to Easter egg hunts and roadside consultations, maps formed part of the fabric of daily life. As a post-colonial nation, it feels especially poignant to reclaim the landscape, original boundaries and Irish place names of the past. I haven't seen anything on the market that resembles these charming 3D wooden maps from Sligo business Outcrop. From €99, this West Cork map showing Kenmare, Sheep's Head, Bantry Bay, and Mizen Head is crafted from formaldehyde-free bamboo plywood and comes with a custom-made engraving. Purchase online at Eternal flames No screensaver can ever imitate the truly mesmerising look of fire burning from a wood-fired stove. Studies indicate the hypnotic flames of a real fire reduce blood pressure and calm the nervous system. Regardless of inclement weather, the RB73 Quaruba XL mobile outdoor fireplace, €2,095 from Croghan in Wexford, will stand the test of time. Made with Corten steel, the stove rusts over time, forming a protective patina to combat erosion. Chilly nights become cosy gatherings with this fire in your outdoor furniture arsenal. You may want to consider implementing a ban on acoustic guitars — just saying. This is available in-store or online at Sleep on it Sometimes we just want an item to do exactly what it says on the tin — no gimmicks, no fads. That's why I love this classic Monocle alarm clock from Unbound in Cork. At just €16.99, you can set your alarm for the morning and actually leave your phone outside the bedroom. I'll try anything for a good night's sleep: misting lavender, counting sheep, writing to worry dolls and shoving the poor craythurs under the pillow. But what if it was as simple as ditching the phone? Time to test the theory. Available at or at the Bridge Street store in Cork. Negative space Storage containers are my absolute weakness. Some people like hiking, others (ahem) like transporting items from one storage box to another one. Fruitless, maybe? Fun, oh, yes! So, when I spotted this mini-stool with extra storage, I was already thinking of ways to fit it into my tiny house. The geometric striped stool in yellow ochre just screams summer. It's available for €200 at Next or
Irish Examiner
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Examiner
Wish List: Eight fun and fab ideas for summer living
Puzzling pieces Analogue activities are making a major comeback, from mindful colouring to crafting with clay. Research shows that puzzles allow you to slow down, disconnect, and strengthen the short-term memory. Shop Vibes & Scribes' handpicked selection of art and travel-inspired jigsaws with pieces catering for jigsaw juniors to power puzzlers. Pieces & Peace Souk Marrakech, €24.99, transports me right back to a wonderful week I spent in Morocco, captivated by the colours, textures, and flavours of the beautiful Berber country. Pop into the store to browse the full range or shop online at Regenerated resin Interiors lovers, here's a tip: carve out time in your schedule to visit family-run business Bracken's, situated in Gorey Business Park. I've fallen head over heels for the Nardi Maximo outdoor five-piece modular sofa. Made from regenerated resin and textiles infused with recycled content, it isn't afraid of a bit of bad weather. Imagine you and your doggos or cats stretching out on this bad boy with a book and treat/toy mouse. Bracken's has plenty of quality alternatives for different spaces and budgets. Run, don't walk, to this department store of dreams. Visit the website, at your own risk. Local produce If you think ditching the plastic-wrapped fresh fruit and veg is but a smug move, think again. Anyone who has tasted the flavours and aromas of fresh, seasonal, local produce will admit the contrast is undeniable. One of my favourite stalls in the English Market in Cork is The Roughty Foodie, offering the Holy Trinity of farmers' produce, fruit & veg, and the most beautiful flowers I have ever seen. From wild sweet peas grown in Howe Hill to Bushby's chemical-free strawberries and pink peonies, their bouquets are incredibly well priced. Houseplants range from €4 and bunches from €7. Check out @theroughtyfoodie on Instagram and the website at Carbonated comeback There was so much to love about the 1980s — hair metal, yellow Walkmans, mix tapes, and Tom Selleck's moustache. Along with chained-up payphones (what was that about?), the most coveted item in any household was the SodaStream. Transforming your water and drinks into sparkling sodas, the technology behind it was fantastical. As a diehard San Pellegrino sparkling water fan, a carbonator would save me money and waste. Highly reviewed is the Aarke Carbonator 3 Sparkling Water Maker, €210, a sleek stainless-steel device with a matte burgundy finish. Created by those harbingers of taste, the Swedes, the aesthetic will not just blend into your kitchen but elevate its surroundings. The reviews are unanimously good, plus it's BPA, cordless, and electricity-free. Get yours at Faerly ( an Irish online shop with sustainability at its heart and plastic-free shopping. Bamboo maps Long before we relied on Google Maps, paper maps were as commonplace as the white sliced pan. From the treasure maps made by older sisters to Easter egg hunts and roadside consultations, maps formed part of the fabric of daily life. As a post-colonial nation, it feels especially poignant to reclaim the landscape, original boundaries, and Irish place names of the past. I haven't seen anything on the market that resembles these charming 3D wooden maps from Sligo business Outcrop. From €99, this west Cork map showing Kenmare, Sheep's Head, Bantry Bay, and Mizen Head is crafted from formaldehyde-free bamboo plywood and comes with a custom-made engraving. Purchase online at Wake up Sometimes we just want an item to do exactly what it says on the tin — no gimmicks, no fads. That's why I love this classic Monocle alarm clock from Unbound in Cork. At just €16.99, you can set your alarm for the morning and actually leave your phone outside the bedroom. I'll try anything for a good night's sleep: misting lavender, counting sheep, or writing to worry dolls. But what if it was as simple as ditching the phone? Time to test the theory. Available at or at the Bridge St store in Cork. Cosy gatherings No screensaver can ever imitate the truly mesmerising look of fire burning from a wood-fired stove. Studies indicate the hypnotic flames of a real fire reduce blood pressure and calm the nervous system. Regardless of inclement weather, the RB73 Quaruba XL mobile outdoor fireplace, €2,095 from Croghan in Wexford, will stand the test of time. Made with Corten steel, the stove rusts over time, forming a protective patina to combat erosion. Chilly nights become cosy gatherings with this fire in your outdoor furniture arsenal. You may want to consider implementing a ban on acoustic guitars — just saying. This is available in store or online at Super storage Storage containers are my absolute weakness. Some people like hiking, others (ahem) like transporting items from one storage box to another. Fruitless, maybe? Fun, oh yes! So when I spotted this mini-stool with extra storage, I was already thinking of ways to fit it into my tiny house. The geometric striped stool in yellow ochre just screams summer. It's available for €200 at Next or
New York Post
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Gen Z is swapping their smartphones for this retro alternative: ‘Need a social media detox'
Young folks are desperately trying to reconnect with the world around them. The method many have chosen? 'Dumbphones' — otherwise known as the millennial-era Blackberry. Ironically, Gen-Z is taking to social media — which isn't even supported on a dumbphones — to spread the word. For months now, users ranging in age from mid-20s to late teens have been demonstrating interest in 'retro' technology like Walkmans, iPods and digital cameras. 3 This content creator simply admires the retro aesthetic, rather than the clunky tech. TikTok/@vicvicvicvicvicc But the latest Y2K craze has older generations positively baffled. A quick TikTok search under the keyword 'Blackberry' will display thousands upon thousands of videos of Gen-Zers purchasing shelved Blackberry phones off of eBay or digging them out of their parents' closets, decorating them with rhinestones and keychains, and flaunting clicky ASMR-worthy keyboards. For many, the Blackberry craze is a continuation of 2000s nostalgia-core, a time when aesthetics like Britney Spears-esque McBling, cyberfuturism and Frutiger Aero ruled the trends. 'We've come full circle,' declare dozens of comments under posts by TikTok content creators like @notchonnie, who uses her platform to show off her massive retro tech collection 'I'm so sick of Apple, I would give up just about everything for a BlackBerry!' one user wrote. Commenters also shared how they scoured sites like Facebook Marketplace, eBay, and Back Market in search of Blackberry phones to supplant their modern smartphones. For just a few hundred dollars, these tech-tired Gen-Zers purchase peace of mind — and plenty of questions from older generations who no doubt remember the spotty service, super-small keyboards, and less-than-intuitive user interfaces. 3 Pew Research Center reports that as of 2024, up to 95% of Gen-Z have daily access to smartphones. Carlo – Compared to the price of a new iPhone, which these days can cost upwards of a thousand dollars, and unlimited data plans that run users up to $70 a month, younger generations see the Blackberry as a no-brainer. For many, the growing anti-smartphone movement is also a way to genuinely embrace the offline world and be more mindful about content consumption. 'The smartphone is not a source of enjoyment anymore,' Pascal Forget, a tech columnist in Montreal, told CBC News. 'It used to be fun, but now [people are] addicted to it, so they want to go back to simpler times using a simpler device.' 'These are supposed to be the best moments of our life, but you look around and people are scrolling,' Sammy Palazzolo, a TikTok content creator who uses a flip phone part-time, told USA Today. Though they've grown up in the digital age, Gen Zers, and even older members of Gen Alpha, are starting to catch on — no matter where you look these days, everyone is glued to their phone. According to a 2024 Pew Research Center study on the subject, nearly half of teenagers today say they're online 'almost constantly,' compared to ten years ago, when 24% of teens answered the same. Some have even reported feeling the phantom buzz of a smartphone notification, and others have said that tapping the 'on' button is now nothing less than a reflex. 'It just basically created this pattern where I was anxious, and so I'd open my smartphone, and then I would hate myself for opening my smartphone, which made me more anxious,' Charlie Fisher, a 20-year-old college student, told USA Today. 3 This TikTok user was also fed up with her online life, so she bought a BlackBerry to try to jumpstart a change. TikTok/@ In facilitating his digital detox, Fisher ditched his iPhone for a flip phone, and according to him, he hasn't looked back since. 'I've been seeing things more like when I was a kid,' Fisher continued, elaborating on his newly-found phone-free lifestyle. 'You really see things for how they are in the physical world, and your emotions are really attached to that.' Flip-phones and 2000s-era tech like the BlackBerry aren't just cheaper. According to Gen-Z, they promote spending more quality time with family and friends, exploring other hobbies outside of doomscrolling and binge-watching, and finding a healthier work-life balance, which begs the question: are the kids actually onto something?
The Guardian
13-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Clueless review – all back to the 90s for a musical of the movie? As if!
What do you get if you cross a high-school movie with Jane Austen's comedy of manners? Clueless, of course. The 1995 film was inspired by the plot of Emma, in which a frivolous young schemer falls for the serious-minded landed gent next door. This musical version again transposes the story of misguided friend-zoning to Beverly Hills High but where the film pulled off the outlandish melange of Austen and Americana, Rachel Kavanaugh's production is a more lumbering hybrid. Emma is reborn as Cher (Emma Flynn), a wealthy LA valley-girl with an ensemble of privileged high schoolers around her who may well be branded nepo babies today. She manipulates grungy new girl Tai (Romona Lewis-Malley), all for the greater good of transforming her into a paragon of high-school popularity. Josh (Keelan McAuley), meanwhile, is the serious-minded chap who is helping Cher's lawyer father with his cases and has a teasing relationship with her that builds into love. We are definitely in the 1990s because people are using Walkmans, talking lavishly about their pagers and brandishing brick-like mobile phones. Amy Heckerling adapts her own screenplay, sticking closely to the original, including the jibes about high-school cosmetic surgery, although mercifully Cher's obsessive calorie talk has been excised. The songs, composed by KT Tunstall, are disappointingly flat-footed except for two belters accompanied by comically energised choreography. Reasonable Doubts, sung by Josh and the ensemble, is a magnificent ode to teen jealousy, while I'm Keeping an Eye on You, performed when Josh turns up to a dance to watch over Cher, is as winning. If the score could fizz with more numbers like these then what a blast this show might be. But the lyrics by Glenn Slater too often serve as exposition rather than raising the emotional drama. The characters are peculiarly flat. Cher has flecks of Elle from Legally Blonde, Tai sounds like a cross between Bette Midler and Rizzo from Grease, Cher's love interest Christian (Isaac J Lewis) speaks like a 1950s cliche. Josh is obnoxiously judgmental of Cher with the song Human Barbies, in which he accuses her of treating others like dolls. Maybe if he had watched Greta Gerwig's Barbie, he might see things differently, although the script references nothing outside its 90s bubble – even when it is crying out for sly sideways glances, such as the moment in class when Cher debates the all too Trumpian question of whether immigrants should be admitted to the US. Still, the performances are strong, full of grinningly nasal high-school energy. Flynn nails the comedy in Cher's failed seduction of Christian, while Blake Jordan, as the stoner skateboarder Travis, is sweetly portrayed, too. There is also some consolation in Mikiko Suzuki MacAdams's clever set design, which sees sofas transforming into cars and a backdrop of the LA skyline changing colours to suit the mood. But this is a paler version of the film, laden with the retro 'naff' factor but having less creativity and soul. The theatrical deification of the 1990s evidently continues apace, for the worse. At Trafalgar theatre, London, until 27 September
