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Jessica: There is hope for us who like retro phones
🇸🇪 Sweden /Culture & Society

Jessica: There is hope for us who like retro phones

From Dagens Nyheter · () Swedish

Translated from Swedish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • Sweden's copper telephone network is being decommissioned this year, marking the end of an era.
  • The author reflects on the aesthetic and functional aspects of old landline phones, including rotary dials and cords.
  • Despite the shift to mobile technology, there's a resurgence of interest in landlines, particularly for parents seeking to limit children's screen time.

The copper telephone network in Sweden is being phased out this year, a development that prompts reflection on a bygone era of communication. For many, the physical artifacts of landline telephones, the coiled cords, the rotary dials, and the wall-mounted jacks, evoke a sense of nostalgia and aesthetic appreciation.

I cut the copper. It probably hurt me more than the telephone line.

— JessicaReflecting on the decommissioning of the copper network.

Author Jessica recalls the tactile experience of using a rotary phone, noting the effort required to dial numbers, especially the 'nines.' She contrasts this with modern smartphones and the ease of using gel-polished nails. The author admits to keeping old telephone components, viewing them as museum-worthy relics, perhaps suitable for a quiz aimed at younger generations who may struggle to imagine a time before ubiquitous mobile devices.

I can't get rid of the telephone artifacts for anything in the world and put them in one of the many good-to-have boxes. Consider the cord skeleton a museum object.

— JessicaDescribing her attachment to old telephone equipment.

While acknowledging the dated nature of these devices, Jessica notes a surprising trend: the resurgence of interest in landline phones. In the United States, for instance, retro phones are being sold to parents concerned about their children's excessive screen time. These older phones, stripped of apps and games, offer a simpler form of communication, focusing solely on voice calls.

Young people probably have a hard time imagining that the phone was in the hall and had a curly cord and handset. With today's fixed gel nail polish, it would be downright painful to dial the numbers with your index finger on a number dial.

— JessicaContrasting the experience of using old rotary phones with modern nail trends.

Sweden is also seeing a return to landlines, with digital adapters allowing antique phones to connect to mobile networks. These phones, available in various materials from plastic to bakelite, can still be found on platforms like Tradera. However, the practicalities of space and the shift towards mobile communication leave the author questioning the future of stationary phones and the lingering practice of lengthy conversations while standing by the hall coat rack. The era of the handset, she concludes, appears to be over.

In the US, containers full of retro phones are sold to parents who want to spare their children from screen addiction.

— JessicaHighlighting a trend of using retro phones to combat screen time.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Dagens Nyheter in Swedish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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