Nostalgia is a power feeling.
The Big Bang Theory's Sheldon is overwhelmed with the nostalgic appeal of text-based games. Humans are sentimental creatures, so as long as we can remember a world before iPods and Instagram, we will yearn for it.
The idea that new developments will always supersede older technology is an oversimplification. While technology companies like Apple work in planned obsolescence, they can not totally control the whims of the consumer.
The willingness of companies to pander to this nostalgia is evident in pop culture trends. Look no further than Netflix's revival of Full House, The Magic School Bus and Gilmore Girls. It's not just TV production companies that are cashing in. Check out how one company is resurrecting Hydrox cookies.
In Eisenstein's words, "long-enduring habits of mind" keep us in this loop of re-invention. It's not hard to find evidence of this. Indeed, in these first weeks of 2016, people across North America are pledging to shed their old skins, totally forgetting how they failed those same resolutions a year ago.
As Elizabeth Eisenstein alludes, since the invention of the Kindle, futurists have been heralding the end of print books. However, statistics from December 2015 show that sales of the e-book are leveling out while sales of print books are trending upwards.
References:
Kestenbaum, D. [producer]. (2015, September 18). Episode 652: The Hydrox Resurrection. Retrieved January 11, 2016, from http://www.npr.org/sections/money/2015/09/18/441546748/episode-652-the-hydrox-resurrection.
Regan, M.D. (2015, December 15).Why print book sales are rising, and books are getting longer. Retrieved January 11, 2016, from http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/2015/1221/Why-print-book-sales-are-rising-and-books-are-getting-longer.
TheDeepEnd666. (2011, April 1). Big bang theory - Sheldon playing text adventures (video file). Retrieved January 11, 2016, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YCpr_QHAqks.
