ENG 105 / SPRING 2020 / FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Section 1: Incorporating Sources [10 points]

Integrate the information on nostalgia in tech given in the two passages below into your own
well-organized paragraph on the topic. Use both paraphrasing and quotations and document
your use of the sources by using the APA format for in-text citations. You must quote at least
twice from each source and use your own language when paraphrasing. Your paragraph should
be at least 200 words long.

Newer is better. That’s what we’re told by a tech industry that’s keen for us to buy its wares. But
it’s not a given, seeing how pieces of old tech are still held in huge affection by many people. Old
stereo hi-fi receivers may not have Bluetooth capabilities. Still, models from the 70s by
companies such as Marantz are praised for their sound. Film cameras may seem obsolete in a
digital age, and yet Fujifilm is selling millions of such cameras every year.

“Nowadays, people use their phones to record every moment in their lives,” notes a
representative from Fuji. “But we wanted to get back to the idea that we just shoot the
cherished moments.”

This fondness for retro technology can be traced to a part of our desire for greater simplicity.
Many argue that it leads people to feel more connected to the real world. Some companies are
striving to tap into that emotion. Sony celebrated the anniversary of its revolutionary Walkman
by releasing a modern audio player styled identically to its 1979 cousin. Motorola just
relaunched its Razr line of phones, including a hidden retro mode, where a few swipes can
activate a faithful recreation of its 2004 model. Microsoft has given its new Windows 10
Terminal app a retro-style video effect that emulates old CRT monitors.

Many designers are bridging the gap between old and new tech. Swedish designer Love Hulten
refashions old game consoles into beautifully crafted pieces that play with form and nostalgia.
Julien Rivoire, a French designer, imagines new forms - a foldable Winamp player, a curved
wooden retro calculator - provoking enthusiastic reactions. “[They may have] looked strange or
awful back then, but nostalgia makes us see it with a better angle,” he says.

These designs provoke a sad longing in the user, with nostalgia drawing us closer to the
technology. Old technology could never be described as sleek, minimalist, or unobtrusive. They
were bold, hefty, and, in some cases, completely unnecessary. But the human brain often finds
delight in the unexpected. And new things masquerading as old ones - or vice versa - will always
have a mysterious and enduring appeal.
______________________________________

Source:
Nostalgia tech: Why are we so obsessed with technology that is old and clunky? (2020, February
9). The National. Retrieved from https://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/nostalgia-
tech-why-are-we-so-obsessed-with-technology-that-is-old-and-clunky-1.975856
ENG 105 / SPRING 2020 / FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Why do we feel nostalgia for retro products? Answering the question is not difficult: the world
has undergone some remarkable changes since these came out, invoking in us a longing for
‘simpler’ times.

As Krystine Batcho, Professor of Psychology, points out, “change is the default, not the
exception.” When we were young, life was, generally, easier. You woke up, went to school,
played games with your friends, came home, probably played some more, and went to bed.

Now though, as adults, life can be stressful. Tech life, in particular, can be even more stressful,
considering how we’re constantly bombarded with notifications, updates, news cycles, and
more. Not that all these worries are new, of course, but to the people who were children when
the SNES, Nokia 3310, and PlayStation came out, they are.

This generation looks around and sees impermanence and instability. We can try to adapt, but
we also realize that the future is mostly out of our control.

These products, new tech with old skin, offer fixed positive memories, emotions, and feelings.
Even if the new Nokia 3310 bears almost no resemblance to its 90s predecessors, it’s comforting
to know that it exists and that it has cultural significance for everyone, not just yourself.

Personal nostalgia is an interesting beast. It’s centered around relationships, with people or
with objects. It is the type of nostalgia that can fortify us in the face of uncertainty - the kind we
experience when we think of Nokia phones, classic game consoles, and Walkmans. If connecting
with our past can help us feel connected to the world we currently live in, then it must be a good
thing. Right?

In the same way that nostalgia can make us feel good, novelty and newness stop us from
becoming bored. The incredible power of modern devices, from game consoles to mobile
phones, can leave older tech looking flat and unpolished. All that said, there will always be a
place for retro tech in our hearts, no matter how clunky or hefty it is, because it will spark that
bit of joy we all need so much.
_____________________________________

Source:
Fogden, T. (n.d.). The rise of nostalgia in consumer tech products. Tech.co. Retrieved from
https://tech.co/news/nostalgia-consumer-tech-products-2018-05
ENG 105 / SPRING 2020 / FINAL ASSIGNMENT

Section 2: Response Writing [20 points]

Write responses to BOTH of the following prompts in about 150-200 words (each) and in two to
four paragraphs each. Your responses will be judged based on coherence, relevance to the
prompt, development of ideas, and correctness.

PROMPT A

Respond to the following quote from Invisible Monsters by Chuck Palahniuk: “The one you love
and the one who loves you are never, ever the same person.”

PROMPT B

Respond to the following excerpt from a newspaper editorial on the coronavirus pandemic.

The pandemic has highlighted another kind of crisis that we have had for a while now: the lack
of reasonable men and responsible citizens we’ve been producing.

Just think of the hospitals that have turned patients away to their eventual deaths; how people
abandoned their loved ones at the slightest fear they may be infected; how aid was stolen and
handed out with ‘preferential’ treatment. Do these things sound like something reasonable
and responsible citizens would do?

It is not difficult to see that we have fallen behind in many ways as a nation, including when it
comes to investing in our people. Before the next crisis hits, there are many things we should
do, with priority going to producing reasonable and responsible citizens. Otherwise, our
“civilization,” too, may collapse with or without the help of an external crisis.