Throwback Tech: You’ll get a kick out of these kids’ reactions to the Walkman

 
Before our iPod, iPhone, and digital music listening days, Sony’s Walkman technology roamed the earth, strapped onto on-the-go music listeners. In 1979, it was the first portable cassette player ever created, weighing in at 14 oz. It's crazy to even fathom that today’s iPhone weighs about 4 oz! YouTube video makers TheFineBros taped kids’ reactions to the Walkman as part of their ever popular “Kids React” web series.

For this experiment, the children were given a Walkman and asked to guess what it is, figure out how to use it, and guess what it is used for. The kids showed an array of perplexed visages in reaction to this once top-of-the-line vintage technology. Nine-year-old Krischelle first appears excited, and guesses that it’s a phone as she asks, “Are these like in the movies?” Eleven-year-old Jayka prods the device, anticipating a Siri-like voice to notify her of the start-up app or to give specific instructions. Derek is completely befuddled as he turns over the Walkman in complete confusion. The children’s educated guesses to what the Walkman is include a boombox and a walkie-talkie. When they are told that it is a music player, the children fail to realize how to insert a cassette into the Walkman, or what the concepts of rewinding and fast-forwarding truly mean.

The children are appalled when they’re informed that people used to listen to music on these obtuse objects, and some would even take them along for a jog. They are likewise unimpressed by bulky '80s style headphones. This year, the Walkman will be celebrating its 35th birthday. Yes, it's hard to acknowledge that there once was technology sans touchscreens.

Story via YouTube