The small screen finally won the TV match

A mini Sony television, gifted in 1993, once seemed like a futuristic novelty. With a screen smaller than today's mobile phones and a hefty weight, it required large batteries and struggled to pick up analog signals. An attempt to watch the 1994 World Cup match against Russia with this device, despite the clear summer skies, proved futile. The analog signals simply weren't strong enough, forcing a switch to a regular television.

Years later, the author rediscovered the device, its batteries corroded, a relic of outdated technology. Placing a modern smartphone next to it, the author opened SVT Play, realizing how far viewing habits have evolved. Since the pandemic, the author notes a shift away from the living room television, with screens now readily available in pockets.

Streaming services allow for viewing on computers, even while cooking, or listening to pre-game commentary while cycling, with the phone tucked away. The ability to rewind or restart programs has become a common practice, adapting viewing to personal schedules. For younger generations, specialized "micro-dramas" are even created for these small screens.

Now, 32 years after that 1994 World Cup match, the author experienced a similar moment: Sweden's opening game in the current World Cup against Tunisia. Waking up before the alarm, the author watched the pre-game show on the mobile's mini-TV screen, enjoying both halves from the warmth of the bed. A book served as a stand for the small screen during the second half. After more than three decades, the mini-TV, in its modern mobile form, had finally won.

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The mini-TV won the match.