Tech Nerds Freaked Out About Obsolescence 100 Years Ago Too

Tech Nerds Freaked Out About Obsolescence 100 Years Ago Too

Do you find yourself obsessing over the latest tech? Does owning the newest model smartphone or tablet feel like a need more than a desire? Well, as you can see in this comic strip from 1919, your anxiety about having the Latest New Thing is actually nothing new. In fact, you’re continuing a long tradition of nerds obsessing over tech obsolescence.

In the case of this comic from the June 1919 issue of Electrical Experimenter magazine, the tech in question was amateur radio. The strip’s protagonist struts around town, proud that his home has the latest and greatest radio tech, a beautiful mast and aerial, towering over his house!

But Mr Fancypants is dismayed to discover (through reading Electrical Experimenter magazine, of course) that there’s even newer, more exciting technology out there: underground aerials. How embarrassing!

The moral of the story? Your months-old smartphone is an above-ground aerial and you should feel ashamed.

Picture: From the June 1919 issue of Electrical Experimenter magazine


The Cheapest NBN 50 Plans

It’s the most popular NBN speed in Australia for a reason. Here are the cheapest plans available.

At Gizmodo, we independently select and write about stuff we love and think you'll like too. We have affiliate and advertising partnerships, which means we may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. BTW – prices are accurate and items in stock at the time of posting.