You’ve probably heard it a thousand times before: fashion is cyclical. It’s the mating call of those with outdated taste and an inability to move on. Unfortunately, they aren’t wrong. And while there is a good chance bell bottom jeans, tie-die shirts and grotesque mullets are going to make a comeback, technology does not follow this trend.
Technology is linear. It is the way of the world. According to data taken from the lines outside of Apple stores when a new iPhone drops, people love new tech and hate old tech. After all, no one gets nostalgic for horse-drawn carriages until it’s snowing in Central Park and their car won’t start. While there are those that prefer older models to their modern counterparts, these outsiders are often dubbed “nostalgic” rather than “trendsetter.”
So why then has a recent study revealed that outdated technology is still very much alive? The US Government Accountability Office conducted research into the presence of out-dated tech and how much it is used in this country. And, I can say, without a doubt, that these results are more shocking than the Golden State Warriors probable early exit from the NBA Playoffs.
Don’t believe me? Check out the stats below and find out which of your favorite old devices is still being used by The Pentagon.
- Dial-Up Internet: According to the Pew Internet and American Life Project, there are 10 million people in the United States of America that still endure the most annoying sound in the world when they want to get online.
- Pagers: In 2012, Americans bought more than 100,000 pagers. That is way too many drug dealers for one country to have.
- Pay Phones: According to the American Public Communications Council, 50 million calls were placed on pay phones last year. All of them were placed in order to find lost smartphones.
- VHS Tapes: Approximately 13 million VHS tapes were sold in the US in 2012. Apparently a lot of husbands taped over wedding videos when Game of Thrones kicked off.
- Fax Machines: Americans purchased 350,000 fax machines in 2012. While that number was significantly down from the previous year, email and scanners have existed for multiple decades.
- Floppy Disks: This week, it was revealed that one of the computer systems in charge of America’s nuclear arsenal used floppy disks. While they plan to full modernize by 2020, feel free to join me in hoping no one accidently presses “eject” in the next 4 years.
