Fascinating work Louis, but you appear to underestimate how much of the "pessimism" or criticism that you document on this substack has actually been largely correct. The Walkman is a case in point, it certainly contributed to (or expressed) all the negative developments critics alleged or feared. Btw the Walkman was also used in Terminator I to express this pessimism (one of the girls used a Walkman and so didn't hear the Terminator approaching).
I really must disagree about pagers. Mobile phones are clearly superior technology for buying drugs, illegal firearms and other necessities. If only today's poor white trash could afford $5 ear phones. Instead they play their idiotic or pornagraphic videos over and over again.
Looking around at the ubiquitous earbuds and societal disconnect today, it sure seems like the critics were right.
Fascinating work Louis, but you appear to underestimate how much of the "pessimism" or criticism that you document on this substack has actually been largely correct. The Walkman is a case in point, it certainly contributed to (or expressed) all the negative developments critics alleged or feared. Btw the Walkman was also used in Terminator I to express this pessimism (one of the girls used a Walkman and so didn't hear the Terminator approaching).
I really must disagree about pagers. Mobile phones are clearly superior technology for buying drugs, illegal firearms and other necessities. If only today's poor white trash could afford $5 ear phones. Instead they play their idiotic or pornagraphic videos over and over again.