Gone Without A Sound: 50 Things That Disappeared Without Warning

"Research in the psychology of memory has found that our recollection of previous events is generally positive. Overall, memory is kind—especially of distant times like our childhood. This is one of the reasons why nostalgia is so powerful—it's the warm glow of the past, being conjured up into the present moment," Johnson, the host of the marketing psychology blog and the author of 'Branding that Means Business,' told Bored Panda.

Because nostalgia is such a powerful force, some companies use it to market their products. "When it comes to evoking memories through marketing, nostalgia reigns supreme. Brands often employ various strategies, such as using a beloved retro song, reintroducing older product versions, or featuring familiar characters from the past in their advertisements," the consumer psychology expert told us.

"These tactics aim to establish a profound emotional connection with our personal recollections of days gone by. Such connections can significantly influence our future choices and behaviors. One could even argue that Adidas's resurgence in the sneaker market can be attributed to their revival of '80s and '90s shoe models like Superstars and Stan Smiths."

This isn't the only approach, however. Johnson explained that another subtle method that brands and sometimes even politicians use to harness the power of nostalgia is portraying things as reminiscent of the 'Good Old Days.'

"An excellent example of this is the iconic Coca-Cola commercial from 1971, featuring a diverse group of young adults on a hillside singing in harmony, 'I'd like to teach the world to sing... I'd like to buy the world a Coke.' This commercial, released during a tumultuous period marked by the Vietnam War and civil rights protests, successfully tapped into the collective nostalgia for a simpler and more harmonious era, associating Coca-Cola with this longing sentiment."

According to Johnson, it's difficult to say which products or technology will stay relevant in the future. However, he added that "we could get some indication by understanding the degree to which they tap into universal themes of human nature."

He explained: "There's a reason, for example, that the biggest, oldest, and most globally recognized brands have this kind of appeal. For example, Coca-Cola is aligned with 'happiness,' Nike is aligned with 'individual excellence,' and Apple with 'innovation' and 'think differently.' These are perennial themes that could be popular anywhere, anytime, and to anybody," the author of 'Branding that Means Business' shared how these approaches have given these brands longevity.

"This is in contrast to more niche products and brands with a smaller, specialized target market. So while we can't be completely certain, understanding the universal appeal of the brand's associations will be a strong indication of its enduring power."

This post might make you pay more attention to what tech and product trends are going out of fashion around you at this very moment. For instance, most of us probably know deep in our hearts that 3D cinema was a bit of a failed experiment. However, it wasn’t until we were reminded that it existed that we realized just how long it’s been since we’d gone to a 3D movie. 

Similarly, pay phones and phone books used to be ubiquitous around homes and towns pretty much everywhere. But the odds are that very few of us noticed the moment when they were finally phased out. Of course, they still exist in some areas of the world, but elsewhere, it’s hard to compete with easily accessible smartphones and the internet.

What our childhoods were like is likely to influence how we feel about certain things, from products to technology. If someone had a difficult childhood, for instance, they might not remember their past environments with fondness.

On the flip side, someone who had a very happy and wholesome upbringing might associate those feelings with the things that surrounded them back then.

That’s why someone might miss the aesthetics or technology of previous decades: they’re artifacts of happy (or happier) times when they had fewer responsibilities and more time to spend with the people they love.

However, it’s far from healthy to constantly think about the past. If you’re always reminding yourself how much ‘better’ things used to be, then you’ve gotten stuck in a nostalgic rut. It’s a warped view because we’re only focusing on the positives.

This can make you blind to genuinely good life opportunities and relationships in your present. Nostalgia is best enjoyed in small amounts when you need to quickly boost your mood and help you get through some tough moments.

Worrying about how everything was so much better a few decades ago, however, is exhausting and can make you less likely to embrace genuine improvements in tech. Being grateful for what you do have is an antidote to this. And if you have the patience and willingness to learn new skills and adapt to an ever-changing world, you might find that the present can be pretty darn great, too.