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Why Parents Are Bringing Back Old Tech

From library DVDs to very old iPods, readers share what's working at home.

This is an image of a child in the backseat of a car. They're holding a smartphone in front of their face and on the screen is an image of a cute dog.

By Jill Murphy, Common Sense Media
Edition #31 | September 25, 2026

We Asked, You Answered: The Appeal of Analog

A few weeks ago, I asked what "old" object or ritual you're using to slow things down. You did not disappoint. Alarm clocks, landlines, record players, library DVDs, and at least three of you with iPods older than my kids.

What struck me was how little of this was about nostalgia, but rather about what the object does. You had some pretty practical reasons for bringing these things back, and some honest reviews of how it's going. Here are a few of my favorites, in your own words.

  1. "Once the movie is over, there's no autoplay or recommendations! It's just DONE." That's a librarian and mom in Japan, borrowing DVDs from the library. A record ends. A CD ends. A disc goes back in the basket. The most '90s feature of '90s media is a finish line.
  2. Parents who brought back iPods and MP3 players weren't chasing retro cool. The music is already there, the choices are finite, and you know what's not going to autoplay next.
  3. The kids are doing some work. One mom's kids have never woken up to Alexa. Three weeks into using a loud digital alarm clock across the room, they're getting themselves up and learning how long 15 minutes actually is. Another family brought back a Tin Can phone, which means memorizing a friend's number and sitting in one spot to use it. Imagine that.
  4. Remember when everyone shared a screen? A kitchen wall calendar everyone can see. A family stereo. One movie the whole family watches. Some of you miss the days when the household shared its tech instead of everyone disappearing behind their own devices.
  5. It's not a magic fix, and that's OK. You were honest about the drawbacks, and I so appreciate it. Yoto cards go missing at bedtime, so parents end up streaming stories from their phones, "and it has changed the experience." Landlines get spam calls, and most friends don't have one to call back. Used tech is expensive. Alarm clocks are blindingly bright (one reader swears by a Timex with a dimmer). One family finally cut the landline to save money.

And once the phone becomes the backup, it has a funny way of becoming the default.

Tonight's to-do: Pick one "it ends" activity for this weekend. Try one reader's dinner ritual: play an album from beginning to end (no skips allowed). Borrow a DVD from the library or rewatch one of your own childhood favorites together.

Old faves worth a rewind: Check the reviews first. As one reader learned, parents don't always remember the scary parts of their childhood favorites:

Meanwhile, Back in 2026 ...

86% of parents report feeling that their children are "growing up faster" because of technology.

There are group chats to catch up on, feeds to check, and, increasingly, AI bots ready to answer questions. Aura Parents' research shows that this always-connected part of school life is shaping attention, belonging, stress, and the way kids learn. Give the research a read, and ask your kids if they agree with the findings.

The Parent (News) Edit

The news keeps piling up, and AI is quite literally everywhere, all at once. My inbox and feeds are full of opinions about technology and our kids, so I've done some sifting. With plenty of help from my incredible colleagues at Common Sense Media, here are a few things that perked up our ears this week:

That's enough internet for one week. I'm closing a few tabs, including some overcrowding my brain. Enjoy your weekend!

Warmly,
—Jill

Last reviewed or updated on: September 25, 2026
Topics: The Parent Edit
Jill Murphy

Jill Murphy is Chief Content Officer at Common Sense Media, where she leads content strategy across media ratings and reviews, parenting advice, and resources that help families navigate media and technology. During more than two decades at Common Sense, she has helped build and evolve its editorial work to keep pace with changing platforms, audience needs, and the digital lives of kids. But first and foremost, she is a mom of two girls, a lot of pets, and shares this chaos and delights in her parenting fails with her husband, Steve.