to keep my family in the 2000s?

[nokia2660]

NOT A TROLL, LONG TIME LURKER BUT THS IS MY 3RD POST ONLY AFTER I GOT MYSELF AN EMAIL ACCOUNT!

Am I being unreasonable for staunchly holding onto our cherished Nokia 2660s, the nostalgic DSi, and a TV that, against all odds, still proudly boasts teletext after two glorious decades?

In an age where the tech landscape is dominated by sleek smartphones, cutting-edge gaming consoles, and ultra-modern TVs, our family has made a conscious decision to dance to the beat of a different, more retro drum.

Let's start with the phones—our Nokia 2660s. Yes, they are the newest 4G models, but their heart lies in the early 2000s, evoking the essence of a bygone era when T9 texting was an art form and the satisfying flip of a phone marked the end of a conversation.

Then there's the DSi, a handheld relic that still captivates our kids' attention in a world saturated with high-end gaming experiences. The pixelated joy of Mario Kart and the whimsical adventures of Pokemon are timeless, transcending the allure of the latest gaming gadgets.

Last but certainly not least, our TV—a stalwart companion for two decades, steadfastly resisting the allure of flashy, modern counterparts. It may lack the bells and whistles of its contemporary counterparts, but it still proudly displays teletext, a feature long forgotten in the age of smart TVs.

While our friends and family may marvel at the sleekness of their smartphones and the brilliance of their high-tech home theaters, we find solace in the simplicity of our tech time capsule. The kids are content, the Nokia 2660s chime harmoniously, and the TV's teletext serves as a delightful nod to the past.

So, am I being unreasonable to resist the ever-tempting allure of modern tech? Is there an inherent beauty in preserving the relics of the 2000s for our family's enjoyment? I'm eager to hear your thoughts on our journey through time and technology!

oh i dont mind the negative responses =].

In Ireland (on RTE) we still get teletext.

OP I still have my 42-inch Sony TV from 2000. I saw 9/11 (witnessed the second plane hit live on Sky News as it happened) on that TV. Hate flat screen TVs so I wont be parting with mine anytime soon!

They have phones, a games console and a smart TV, and the kids have spent enough time in front of screens to learn to code in Python...I think they might get more screen time than my.own kids 😂

This sounded wholesome at first but wow what a strange bubble you make your kids live in. And homeschooled too. How bizarre.

Yes it’s all rather confusing, it seems they use all tech apart from a smartphone. Doesn’t sound quite so exciting does it

And given you presumably used ChatGPT to write your OP, not so tech-averse really.

The phones are old fashioned phones, and they [DS14 AND DD8] go to a code club. The Games console is 15 years old, the tv 19.

??? i dont even know how to use it, just that my son used his chat gpt account to write the poem to have a little laugh.

Nope. The phones are pictured, the games console is 15, the tv is 19 and the laptop a mere 8 years. Hell, the tv and games console outlive my kids!

Growing up we were always behind the latest technology.
We had b/w TV until late 80s.
We got a video player in around 93.
My parents got a DVD player in 2002.
We didn't have things like a freezer until mid 90s.
We never had any video games etc.
We did get a computer (ZX81 in 1987) and a spectrum (given by my uncle who had a computer shop) a couple of years later. These plugged into our b/w TV. I think my parents got a PC in around 2005, and they've just got their first smart phone.
Never paid for sky or anything etc.
My parents would have said how unbothered and innocent we were and how we embraced their "don't need to get it" culture and how it was so much better.

Didn't bother me at all. I had friends who accepted I had never seen the latest thing on TV; that they've have to teach me anything new with technology etc. I still don't tend to get things because they're new unless there really is a need. We have smart phones, but dh only changed in about 2007 when his featured in a programme about vintage gadgets. However we do generally have the technology that makes it easier for us to live, like smart phones, laptops etc. Still don't have a TV.

However It bothered my siblings massively. They were far less sociable and things like what was on TV, I had a nice little niche in that people could come and rave to me and I could be the impressed friend listening. They just found it embarrassing, and felt they were always trying to play catch up. They both felt it effected them socially because they couldn't join in talking about things.
One of my siblings now will buy the latest edition of anything even if they have the previous one which is all but the same. The other will have everything a little later, but still get them fairly quickly.

I'm also noticing that with my parents they find it much harder to make the move eg to a smart phone, because everyone assumes they know how to do it. The chap on customer support told them to "swipe"; they hadn't got a clue what that meant and not having that on a script, he struggled to explain it.

I don't think, having been there, it's actually anything to be proud of. Some modern things are useful, and being able to use it without feeling embarrassed that you need to ask (because everyone else knows) is a good thing.

Using :), :( and occasionally even :’( in text messages is as retro as I want to be.

Bring on the technology, I say!

But all these devices have screens, is that right? I think you're working from a false premise that older tech is inherently morally superior to current tech, and I don't know why! The only thing I can think is that on a Nokia you can't get social media, is that the crux of this?

haha =]. Even my emojis are outdated!

It's interesting to hear about your unusual approach, OP, and I admire you for it especially the investment in teaching your children how to be creative.

It's a hard path to take - the easy option is going with the masses and letting kids get addicted to smart-tech. I think it's refreshing to hear honest descriptions of different approaches on Mumsnet. Sorry you're getting snarky comments - people get defensive even when it's not about them.

Internet on the nokia is unusable, the kids spend little time on the devices as they are all not as sucking in as the touchyscreens. I know, because my brother's kid is 13, and averages 12 hours daily on screens. I am not even joking or shit-stirring.

Its alright =] this is mn after all, not femvox, mumsnet or that one that always spams aibu, net femi or femi net.

YABU - get them back to the 1990s - it was much better! Ditch the mobile and install a modem at home to get on the internet.

Not trying to be a knob here but what is it that you thinking OP is safeguarding her kids from - is it social media? As far as I can see that's the only thing they don't have access to. (I mean, mine don't either, but they're only 7 and 10.)

Is it games? Because they're playing them on a console. Is it because you think it's better to watch live TV rather than TV apps?

And what on earth is it that makes you think the rest of us aren't teaching our kids to be creative?! Mine draw, paint, write stories, design their own comics, play schools, make unbelievably Lego creations...and none of this is negated by the fact that they also play a bit of Minecraft!

Might do that someday!

we play minecraft too, just on a computer. Hell, even I like to pillage a village every so often!

You could even get this excellent Nokia flip phone from 1997

To be honest that tv doesn’t look that old, has it got freeview or freesat built in ? Or do you have a seperate box. You must struggle with scart socket connectors, which probably don’t even exist anymore for your freeview.

And what on earth is it that makes you think the rest of us aren't teaching our kids to be creative?! Mine draw, paint, write stories, design their own comics, play schools, make unbelievably Lego creations...and none of this is negated by the fact that they also play a bit of Minecraft!

agreed @DiamandaTheGreat but also to add it’s not a matter of tech vs creativity. My daughter creates amazing videos, she makes films which she plans and executes, she makes music videos all on her iPad. Tech is extremely creative. I mean just look at video games.

I find the idea that tech from 20 years ago is morally superior to now an odd one. Throughout history though there have been luddites that do so.

We got notification today that my 4 year old will have his maths homework on an app from next week. I'm not sure what he's going to do it on, our work laptops are very heavily restricted for security reasons, we don't own tablets and I really don't want to give my 4 year old my phone having not done so thus far.
I think your stance is a good balance OP tech available for communication and fun but not the kind you can lose a day on

We have a box sitting next to the satellite, on the roof. We asked for it to be installed there as to prevent any messing around on the kids part