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On the side of the internet that I’m on, there’s a trend called the “Analog Bag.” This so-called Analog Bag is a bag full of things you can do or tools you can use offline. It can range from crochet hooks and yarn, coloring books, to digital cameras, MP3 players, and your Game Boy Advance. People are realizing that they own nothing. We don’t own our music, our favorite TV series or movies. Not even the games we pay $80+ for. Streaming services keep increasing their prices while barely paying their artists and producers. So people are going back to old technologies. They’re trying to get away from ads at every corner, expensive subscriptions, and AI.
People are buying CDs again, ripping them, and ditching streaming services that allow AI music (Spotify, ew). They’re trying to decentralize their phones. And yeah, it is convenient to have my camera, phone, music, movies, emails, social media, and Office suite all in one small device with me at all times. It became an extension of the human body and mind… And that’s scary. Most people feel anxious without their phones because we’re completely dependent on them. And because of that dependency, it feels impossible to get rid of the addiction. It’s like trying to quit fast food while having a McDonald’s drive-thru window in your bedroom.
So people are buying MP3 players, CDs for the music on them, handheld gaming devices, notebooks instead of Notes apps, digital cameras, video cameras, pens, maybe even flip phones, to erase distractions completely. Then you realize you have no movies to watch, so you start looking for DVDs… and then a DVD player. HOW MUCH MONEY ARE WE GONNA SPEND??? Maybe in the long run you save money by cancelling streaming services. And at least you own something. Something that proves you were alive. That you existed. Something people can find and learn about you when you die. “Oh, she liked listening to the Beatles. That’s interesting,” they say while emptying out your rented apartment.
But I also like minimalism. I like that I don’t have to carry ten things in my bag. I like that I can just grab my wallet, keys, and phone and head out. If I’m going to uni, I’ll take my laptop. I like that if I have to move, I don’t have much to pack. That matters to someone like me who’s moved from country to country, apartment to apartment, way too much. Maybe I don’t want to own that much. I don’t like clutter, and I’d hate for people to be annoyed by my stuff when they’re forced to clean it out after I die. I’m a bit of an existentialist that way.
I like things being in one place, organized. I forget easily, so having things scattered everywhere is a bad idea. It just makes it harder to remember where anything is. My ADHD brain also struggles with object permanence. If something isn’t right in front of me, I forget about it. That’s why I still use pen and paper, physical calendars, and to-do lists. I still take my notes by hand.
But I think I’m completely done with streaming services. I’m done with my phone. I’m done with social media as a whole. I don’t want ads every time I’m on the internet, and I don’t want to pay extra for “ad-free.” I don’t want a subscription to an online media rental service. I want to build my own collection of favorite movies and TV series. I want a physical music collection. It’ll take time, and I’ll have to give up the convenience of having everything at the touch of a button. But too much convenience is bad.
I think about Wall-E. Even food was made convenient to digest; it was blended into smoothies. They didn’t have to chew, let alone walk. That’s a perfect example of how too much convenience is detrimental. I want to go back to physical experiences. I don’t need everything to be difficult, but I don’t need my fridge to have a touchscreen either. I don’t want a smart home. Maybe I’d rather get up to turn off the lights, or flip through DVDs and pick a movie that way.
There’s something about putting a CD into a player, hearing it spin, and waiting for the song to start. Making sure the CD stays clean and scratch-free. Caring for your media means it stays in good shape for as long as possible. And you don’t have to worry about a company editing things out or removing it from your library altogether. It’s reliable. It’s always there when you need it. And you can trust that it’s exactly as the artist intended.
Digital minimalism has a new meaning now. It doesn’t mean you carry less or own less. It means less streaming services, and more owning your personal media library. It means more time spent offline. Going back to simpler technologies that didn’t have any ulterior motives or hidden agendas. Your music player just played music. Your DVD player just played movies. And that is it.
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Evo
if you don't want too much stuff but still want to partake in digital minimalism, I'd say an mp3 player and a flash drive is a good way to go.
You can put thousands of songs on an mp3 player. It's still very intentional with you having to download the songs and put them on the mp3 player, but it doesn't take up space like CDs or records or cassettes.
You can store anything on a flash drive. I have one that's a terabyte (which doesn't cost much nowadays) and I store all my movies, shows, books, more songs, home videos, etc. on it. If i wanna watch anything, i can plug it into my computer and watch.
if you wanna go a step further, you can set up a Plex server and upload all your movies and media to it. Then, you can create ur own streaming service. As long as you're connected to the wifi, you can access all your media from any device as if it's a regular streaming service. (i haven't done this myself yet, but once I get wifi and can afford to buy a server, i'm def going to!)
Another thing you can do is simply check out movies or music from your local library. If you feel this goes against the desire to "leave a record" or "own" the media, you could always create some sort of "watched" list. Make a list or board of all the movies you watched to keep track of them. I'm doing something similar with my books on my profile here, where I've made a digital visualization of all the books i've read in recent time.
These are some great ideas!! Thank you so much. I've been planning on downloading my movies onto an EHD and also doing the same for my music with with an mp3 player. But forgot about the lists idea
by Fawn; ; Report
happy to help! :D
by Evo; ; Report
Dana Scully
Highly recommend r/Dumbphones on Reddit if you aren't already in it. It's a whole subreddit of people who are going back to analog.
Flan
Something I don't really see a whole lot in conversations is really the regression of products. Yes, quality is plummeting but I mean feature wise.
For example, laptops now have an ungodly number of programs available but they're all through some kind of subscription or online service. We went from having disc drives to being directed to the Netflix app in the Microsoft store. Rather than being able to connect to a plethora of devices, we have brand specific cords and "Airplay" that's limited to a select few devices.
An even better example would actually be the Playstation. Despite offering higher resolution, it's browser functionality has been completely removed in the PS5. Rather than being able to simply use a disc port, you need to pay for an extension, getting the verison with it for an additional $100, or be directed to download whichever subscription based streaming service because you can't use discs AND you can't use. browser to access any other sources. That's only with the PS5 as well, it doesn't take into account how the PS4 has licenses for it's bluray function requiring your device to be online in order to renew them, essentially penalizing anyone that's modded their own devices.
Hell, even just phones now. Instead of being able to pop in an SD card, now we need to do a monthly subscription for cloud storage?
Every step we take towards frugality/things like limiting consumerism simultaneously restrict us in so many weird ways.
Kindles and ebooks? Fantastic in theory until we have to go through a very specific process to add content while also being able to strip away anything removed from their service and even wipe our devices.
New cellphones with features to limit carrying loads? It's made obsolete within a year due to forced updates with bloatware while also removing loads of storage for seemingly nothing.
It's all just so frustrating. Going back gives you more freedom but costs a shit ton due to trends and takes up a shit ton of room, but then on the flip side using current tech basically bleeds you dry with the number of subscriptions forced on you. There's a really good sweet spot right in the middle but it's the #1 target for all the grifters and price gougers
Pointing out a lot of valid problems with the way things are being pushed out on so many people right now.
Planned obsolescence is the term. Which is another shady practice from these corporations that I'm insanely tired of dealing with. Also you could use the term enshittification as well.
Yeah, that's another annoying thing. You have to find older laptops to try to upgrade or you have to order a fairly more modern build from Japan. I know as of last year that they were still selling new laptops that had disc drives as physical media is more commonly used there in comparison to other countries. As far as the software and operating system. Well, there's much better choices one can make instead of dealing with Windows and all of it's awful problems.
Not only is there all of those problems with the PlayStation 5. You could go into a deep dive into the entire gaming industry as a whole now. Ripping people off through DLC, Season Passes, Microtransactions, and so much more. It's another reason why I'm glad that I always had an interest in older games. I also don't find myself buying or playing anything that's going to "milk" money from me. I'm not one that's interested in buying a digital product to begin with. I'd much rather sail the high seas! ~ (˵•̀ᴗ - ˵ )
Phones are such garbage technology. I'd be more interested in something like a palm computer that may be able to make the occasional phone call. Of course being able to hold some sort of physical removable storage. Such as a SD or microSD card. I've also been keeping my eye on any independent projects that may serve my purposes in what I'd actually want in a phone that's at an affordable price. In the meanwhile because I get enraged and smash most phones I end up with. I'll just hang on to my flip phone. I'm not a fan of mobile internet and it's many restrictions anyways. Also I will NEVER take part in cloud storage for my personal files. I wouldn't even do so if it were free.
That's my biggest thing with all of this right now. As I support using older tech and physical media there's always going to be scalpers and those to take advantage of others in doing so. Scumbag resellers are literally salivating at things like this becoming trends. Honestly, just like with retro gaming channels on YouTube a lot of this is just a way for them to offload doubles or sell off parts of their collections that they just don't care about in order to maximize a profit as what a lot of people are still doing to this day on many platforms. That's why I agree with @forestmoth on mentioning using the stuff that they have right now. As well as my added point in only really seeking out to buy what you really want, need, and/or actually interested in instead of letting someone else convince you that you need that because it's something trendy right now.
by Kuta; ; Report
Kuta
I'm just glad to see more people waking up to the scams they've been constantly dealing with. I've never been someone who has accepted any of that. I've never even once paid for any type of streaming service or used any of them. I just always simply downloaded what I wanted. I guess a lot of it had to do with the way that I was brought up and my experiences from a young age. I've also always preferred sitting on a computer instead of using a phone. I never have been a fan of either iOS or Android as they're awful operating systems that doesn't allow the user any control or freedoms.
️✧ദ്ദി( ˶^ᗜ^˶ ) Also this! Lazy Town | You Are A Pirate Music Video There's always sailing the high seas.
I support physical media 100% and it shouldn't have ever stopped. An alternative direction for those without the money or less money to gather up a collection would be focusing on digitally archiving anything they really care about. Which should be encouraged anyways as a nice balance as physical media doesn't last forever either. Everything should be backed up.
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FUCK SUBSCRIPTION MODELS AND THESE CORPOS!
If paying isn't owning, then piracy isn't theft!
yes i value user control so i've never understood how people can prefer a phone over a computer for everything. and don't even get me started on chrome books!
i've never paid for a streaming service in my life. i've used some here and there when my friends gave me their account login to share, but i often just pirate things anyway so i can avoid ads. Also, sometimes the pirated versions have better subtitles/translations.
by Evo; ; Report
I try to avoid anything that is Google related in the first place. YouTube is unfortunately the exception to this. However, I never interact with the actual YouTube website. I always end up downloading the content or grabbing the link/embedded link to use for sharing with others through an alternative source. As far as books, I do read mostly digital copies as I just have no means to physically acquire what I'm wanting as if I did I'd obviously prefer physically reading them. I used to frequently visit a bookstore that I could go in and just hang out reading as much as I wanted to until it closed down. Sure there's the library but my local library doesn't have a great selection and have been getting rid of a lot of their books. I do download PDF format or another e-Book format that's compatible with my programs that I use. I've never even used them on my own. I've only experienced anything from streaming services through being at someone else's home who was snared in by believing it was convenient for them for whatever fucked up reason. Yeah, especially as far as anime is concerned. I've had the displeasure of witnessing some of them from Crunchyroll and their subtitles are absolute trash!
by Kuta; ; Report
yea i've also tried my best to de-Google my online life. This means using Firefox and libre office instead of Google Docs and such, but also not using Google Fonts or services during web development. Unfortunately, this can be very hard to do since Google is such a powerhouse and offers a lot of great services for free, but I use an alternative where one is available.
YouTube is also the hardest thing for me to work around, tho i don't have the youtube app on my phone. I watch videos through the firefox browser with no account.
ik a lot of local libraries are limited. still try to see if they have what you want to read before going else where. you can also request the library to get a book they don't currently have. unfortunately, libraries are only as good as their community makes them. if only a few people use the library, then the library has less services, books, media and funding. it creates a cycle that leads to the library getting worse and worse. i really wish libraries were better funded and supported as they are often the only true third space a person will ever know outside of parks.
and yea the number one reason ppl use streaming services is convenience. it's frustrating watching my peers spend money on streaming services even when i offer to show them how to pirate safely. they are literally too poor to afford groceries at the end of the month yet still spend money on streaming services. the frustration i feel when they do this is unreal. like lemme help youuuuuuu!
Crunchyroll is trash and i will not pay for crappy subtitles.
by Evo; ; Report
Mozilla has it's own problems as well, way better than Google Chrome and at the very least you have options with it. Especially with hardening your user.js to your liking and tinkering around with it's userchrome.css customization. I haven't even used Firefox for a while now myself. Although, I do use forks of it. If I had to be forced into using a chromium based browser I'd use Brave.
You should look into opting for another program or front-end website to interact with YouTube instead of visiting it directly if that's something you're interested in.
I've been told that about requesting books before which is something I honestly should do. The next time I end up out and over that way. I'll see about it. Oddly enough most of the people that visit the local library are tourists in the area or the random few people there to print or make scans of some documents.
Convenience... psshhh! It's not more convenient for me. Even if they didn't want to technically download something. Using a website to watch it on would be still infinitely better than subjecting themselves to piss poor services at premium prices. I just simply don't get it, not one bit.
Crunchyroll is AIDS.
This song but applying it to everything online! I WILL NOT PAY This song needs a modern take on things.
by Kuta; ; Report
i use basic FireFox most of the time but i also use LibreWolf but haven't explored other FireFox forks much other than that.
oooo yes what do u use to not interact with YouTube directly?
I find piracy much more convenient than watching things legally but i've also been doing this since i was in elementary school lol
also that song was strangely groovy and catchy lol i'm surprised it's not more popular
by Evo; ; Report
LibreWolf is pretty nice.
I'll message you a list.
I've been pretty much doing the same. lol
It was, I'm not sure what kind of view count it originally had. It's a reupload from an old YouTuber named Mr. Safety.
by Kuta; ; Report
forestmoth
one thing that will never cease to amaze me about tiktok and similar platforms is how they will take the most normal things and make them a trend - just to end up cashing in on that too. like the underconsumption trend or the deinfluencing trend or especially the personal curriculum - isn't that just called 'normal life'? lol (and btw the entire 'punk' or 'alt' aesthetic too, that one annoys me the most)
at the end of the day, people can do what they want and they can obviously share that online too, but what's annoying is when influencers start trying to profit off trends that represent the complete opposite. no, you don't need to buy things to put in your analog bag, the whole point is to use the stuff you already have. right now, it's just influencers commercialising normal life and the only few aspects of it that haven't yet been made profitable. it's honestly more disturbing to me than fun :/
I 100% agree with your comment. Absolutely!
However, one thing to add is that for a lot of people "normal life" hasn't really ever been a construct before to them and it's all something new. Something that may be as simplicity to me or you. Just has been going over so many others heads for most of their lives. I'm someone who for the majority of my life hasn't ever really sat around on a phone as I've always had a computer since I was a young child. I thought of mobile internet as inferior thus never relying on it. Simply "taking a break" when I'd go out. I also preferred having dedicated technology for everything else that I did as well. I never got into IoT devices or anything like that either. As someone who was a little more self aware on that stuff. I just hated it or thought it was extremely unnecessary. I also I never liked the idea of cameras and microphones with internet connectivity constantly being around me either. I don't know, I just guess I never bought into the ideas that became normalized among so many others and did things more in an old fashioned manner if that's the right way to phrase it.
by Kuta; ; Report
true, i agree w/ ur point! sometimes it doesn't cross my mind how life offline has become a luxury/status symbol.
i'm glad people are 'discovering' real life now lol but i do wish that these trends weren't just ways of profiting off of people and just very short-lived fads but would instead inspire actual change that lasts longer than the next trend. let's hope that people manage to eventually reduce digital consumption to a minimum and that influencers stop having as much influence as they do :/
by forestmoth; ; Report
Yeah, I always hate the aspect of profiting off of people are pushing people into doing something that isn't organically their own decisions. As well as people deciding to choose not to think for themselves by having to come across these "trends" to come up with their own ideas. Also I really liked what you said here,"no, you don't need to buy things to put in your analog bag, the whole point is to use the stuff you already have" It's like not only do people start to go into doing these things paying money but most of the time they'll overpay and the prices of these goods start to get out of the reach of affordability for the people who may have a genuine interest in getting started with a hobby. It's like every hobby right now is slowly being priced out for anyone who isn't well-off financially. Absolutely, someone should only look to buy things they have a real interest in. Not what someone online tells them to buy because all of a sudden it's cool to do so.
by Kuta; ; Report
Wither
I honestly agree. The problem today isn't really that we have one device is that we don't own anything on it. It gets tiring to have to shell out money every month for just about every product.
Though I don't own a car, I know that they've started implementing subscription features in some of the smart ones? There is also a printer made by HP that also requires a subscription to use to print. I think that companies now realise they can make way more money in the long run once we just have to keep re-paying for the same service (I blame adobe for starting this trend).
It feels so good to know something is yours and yours only and that no one can take it away from you.
subscription services in a car and a printer is just ridiculous T-T
by Fawn; ; Report
Skylar
That's interesting. I never heard of an "analog bag" before. It sounds like a fun way to keep all your favorite things together.
I used to have a large CD collection before all my things got thrown away. Since it's been years since I lost the CDs, i've kind of lost the desire to collect physical music like that again. It just takes up a lot of space and I don't see a point in buying a CD when there's only like one or two songs I really like on it.
I think the push you're seeing to collect physical media is just another trend that will eventually die out. You should do what makes the most sense for your personal needs. You'll lose so much money copying what other people do online
Yeah of course its a trend that will die out eventually. But also it brings attention to a very big problem which is phone addiction and that people are actively trying to put physical distance between them and their phones by utilizing physical medias. But most people would rather stick to the "convience" of having everything on their phone and that illusion of freedom of having everything available to you through the touch of a button.
by Fawn; ; Report
Yeah you're right. I'm pretty much addicted to my phone. I'm honestly pretty amazed how they managed to fit so many features into such a small device.
by Skylar; ; Report
Bandruc Draal🇻🇪
Nothing can compare the feeling of holding a CD before installing a game on the PC.
Nowadays everything is just digitalized and, as you said, we dont own it. Its just souless.
These medias don't feel special anymore. The time and energy put into finding the media and buying it and caring for it makes it way more special
by Fawn; ; Report
cupcake
this was such a refreshing interesting read. 𖹭
I'm glad you enjoyed reading the blog :3
by Fawn; ; Report