From landlines to VHS tapes, millennials and Gen Z parents are bringing an analog childhood to Gen Alpha

"It makes the home feel a little bit more cozy. We can easily turn off the big TV, turn this on, and it feels so much more calm. Picking out a movie on VHS gives their kids more control than mindlessly scrolling streaming apps."

"Millennials and Gen Z parents are bringing parts of their childhood and retro-style items to their Gen Alpha kids for reasons beyond nostalgia. They feel it can be a way to connect with their kids, open their imaginations, and teach them independence."

"Millennials in general are just kind of yearning for that slower time in the '90s. Tin Can phones - which only accept approved contacts and have quiet hours where calls don't come in or out - can be a way to delay giving their kids a cellphone."

Parents are intentionally incorporating nostalgic items and retro-style products into their homes and their children's lives. Collections of VHS tapes, DVDs, Tin Can phones, trading cards, and vintage toys provide alternatives to streaming services and smartphones. These parents believe retro items create a calmer home environment, encourage imaginative play, and teach children independence. Tin Can phones, which restrict contacts and have quiet hours, serve as alternatives to giving children unrestricted cellphones. Parents cite a desire to recreate the slower pace of the 1990s and create meaningful connections with their Gen Alpha children through shared activities centered on physical media and analog communication.

Read at Business Insider