The whole BluRay possibly overtaking conventional DVDs when those haven't even been around that long has got me thinking about this. You know how previous decades were usually defined by ever-changing fashions, TV shows and music, to the point where most anything over 3 years (and sometimes far less) was dated and cheesy?

I think this has started shifting over to happen with technology instead. It probably has it roots with the late '90s Internet and digital tech revolution, although it's even more noticeable now. Think about it, your cellphone, Ipod, MySpace profile, computer or home technology are kinda the standard symbols of "cool". You'll get ragged on way more for your cell phone being "so 2003" than your music or clothes. ;D

That's probably one reason 2001+ pop culture can get away with being more dated now! Has anyone else ever noticed/thought about this?

Good point Marty. I've never really considered this before, but when you think about it, it does make sense.

Even though for quite awhile now technology has played a smaller part in pop culture(for example, you may have been considered cool if you have a cell phone back in the '80s, when they were still cutting edge stuff), I think that now tech has started to play a much bigger role. Back in 1987 alot of stuff from 1981 was pretty outdated, the difference may not have been night and day, but there were still alot of holdovers from the later '70s still around in '81 that were long gone in '87. The differences between 2001 and 2007, just don't seem as dramatic to me. Other than boy bands, and probably Nu Metal, the only thing from 2001 that seems terribly outdated is the technology.

Cell Phones have advanced quite a bit since then, and the top 3 video game consoles were the PS1, PS2, and N64 :D

Good point Marty. I've never really considered this before, but when you think about it, it does make sense.

Even though for quite awhile now technology has played a smaller part in pop culture(for example, you may have been considered cool if you have a cell phone back in the '80s, when they were still cutting edge stuff), I think that now tech has started to play a much bigger role. Back in 1987 alot of stuff from 1981 was pretty outdated, the difference may not have been night and day, but there were still alot of holdovers from the later '70s still around in '81 that were long gone in '87. The differences between 2001 and 2007, just don't seem as dramatic to me. Other than boy bands, and probably Nu Metal, the only thing from 2001 that seems terribly outdated is the technology.

Cell Phones have advanced quite a bit since then, and the top 3 video game consoles were the PS1, PS2, and N64 :D


Yeah, technology actually was pretty pervasive in the '80s in terms of what was cool. For instance, computers and CDs both started becoming household around 1986. I guess the only difference is, alot of popular tech of the time had actually been around awhile. Modern VCRs are late '70s, and tapes were from the '60s. Even records were still used (albeit declining a bit), and that's like an early 20th Century thing, lol.

The tech of 1981 was dated and old in 1987, and the pop culture even moreso. But you could walk down a 2001 street and probably not even know you went back (unless it was in your hometown for instance, and you were inherently familar with it). Yeah, game systems are another thing - I remember back then, N64 was still sort of hot, and even the 2D games seemed to have a half-presense.

Yeah, technology actually was pretty pervasive in the '80s in terms of what was cool. For instance, computers and CDs both started becoming household around 1986. I guess the only difference is, alot of popular tech of the time had actually been around awhile. Modern VCRs are late '70s, and tapes were from the '60s. Even records were still used (albeit declining a bit), and that's like an early 20th Century thing, lol.

The tech of 1981 was dated and old in 1987, and the pop culture even moreso. But you could walk down a 2001 street and probably not even know you went back (unless it was in your hometown for instance, and you were inherently familar with it). Yeah, game systems are another thing - I remember back then, N64 was still sort of hot, and even the 2D games seemed to have a half-presense.



Yeah, while pop culture hasn't had a dramatic shift since 2001, tech has advanced dramatically since then. Something like the Iphone would've been kinda hard to imagine back then, and there have been alot of smaller practical changes as well. Mp3 players, for example, were just starting to get big then, but they have much more memory now than they did then. With the newer 250 GB ones, you can put thousands of songs on there.

I think that by 2011, the culture of 2001(while I'm certain it will be very outdated) probably wont seem as old as 1981 culture seemed in 1991, but the technology will be horribly out dated by then.

Yes, I think you are right. Regarding the whole cell phones...I mean, if you happen to have one that DOESN'T include a camera or MP3 player, or video camera, etc...then you are already outdated. ::)

Yes, I think you are right. Regarding the whole cell phones...I mean, if you happen to have one that DOESN'T include a camera or MP3 player, or video camera, etc...then you are already outdated. ::)



I myself have a cell phone that I bought in 2001. No camera, mp3 player or video. It works fine for me.  I guess that makes me outdated huh.  :o  I still think a phone is for talking and not playing music or video.

--
Dave.

I myself have a cell phone that I bought in 2001. No camera, mp3 player or video. It works fine for me.  I guess that makes me outdated huh.   :o  I still think a phone is for talking and not playing music or video.

--
Dave.



I agree....things are much too fancy nowadays. ::)

I myself have a cell phone that I bought in 2001. No camera, mp3 player or video. It works fine for me.  I guess that makes me outdated huh.   :o  I still think a phone is for talking and not playing music or video.

--
Dave.


I guess I'm on both sides of the fence in that I can see why people like those and would want one. I can agree to a point, that it would be a cool thing to have, but it's not like it's a necesitty the way some people treat it. I know people who are one step away from being surgically attached to their cellphone. These people would be totally lost in the pre-1998 years without digital tech, lol.

Technology is pop culture.

It's all consumerism.  It's all about selling you gadgets.  Stick a microchip in a brick and some schnook will buy it!
::)

I myself have a cell phone that I bought in 2001. No camera, mp3 player or video. It works fine for me.  I guess that makes me outdated huh.   :o  I still think a phone is for talking and not playing music or video.

--
Dave.
Yeah I bought a cell phone back in 2001 with no camera, MP3 player, or video and somebody said to me in the summer time last year that that must be an old phone(the phone that I bought in 2001.) I'm thinking in my head its only 5 years old so its not that that old of a phone. Anyway, I lost the phone that I bought in 2001 and bought a new phone with has all the gadgets that have the camera in it but I don;t use the camera.

As for technology replacing replacing musical trends I think replacing is too much of a strong word since technogical trends as well as music trends have always existed and evloved . For example, In the 80's the VCR was new and the microwave was pretty new in the 80's wasn't?

I have talked about the music scene in the 00's and the differences from say 1999 or 2001 till now so I am not going to get into that subject again but usually a muisc trends change every 5-6 years.