Anemoia: Nostalgia For A Time You've Never Known

Anemoia: Nostalgia For A Time You've Never Known

Author: Caitlin Begg April 24, 2024 Duration: 17:41

I felt an inexplicable feeling a few weeks ago, and turned to GPT-4 to help explain it. I was feeling nostalgia for a time I've never known, a longing for an unexperienced past. GPT identified this as "anemoia".

In this episode, I explain anemoia, relate it to technology (as it pertains to childhood, college, etc.) and especially to NYU Professor Jonathan Haidt's book "The Anxious Generation", a paradigm-shifting book calling for a move away from a phone-based childhood and back toward a play-based childhood. A PROGRESSION TO ANALOG.

"The desire to play returns to destroy the hierarchical society which banished it" -Raoul Vaneigem


There's a quiet but persistent feeling that something essential is getting lost in our digital shuffle. Progression to Analog is a space to examine that feeling, hosted by sociologist and Authentic Social founder Caitlin Begg. This isn't a nostalgic retreat, but a thoughtful exploration of how reintroducing analog elements-whether in communication, work, or leisure-can reshape our daily experience toward something more intentional and, ultimately, more human. Each conversation in this podcast moves beyond simple tool-swapping to ask deeper questions about presence, connection, and the architecture of our attention. You'll hear discussions that weave sociological insight with practical reflection, considering how the textures of a less-mediated life can influence our relationships, creativity, and sense of self. New episodes arrive every Monday, offering a regular pause to consider the pace and quality of the everyday. Tune in for a series that treats the analog not as an antiquated concept, but as a meaningful progression.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 39

Progression to Analog
Podcast Episodes
Season Two: Winter 2024 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 7:55
In this season two trailer, I share milestones and insights from season one including: ​Several keynotes, seminars, and talks across the U.S. and Europe, centered around Progression to Analog and related ideas ​Upcoming…
Reflecting on Our Relationship with Tech [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 10:33
Book recommendations; out-of-print technology magazines across nine decades; the spectacular and the everyday; what's next? (in terms of our relationship with tech); general reflections after getting home from doing one…
A People's History of Tech with New York-based Sara M. Watson [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 33:45
Radical futurist, tech critic, independent industry analyst, and interdisciplinary researcher Sara M. Watson and I discuss "A People's History of Technology" in this episode, which she co-founded and curates (with Emily…
A Sociotechnical Approach to AI, Sales, and Communication [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:32
One issue organizations are dealing with right now: how do we move AI from a buzzword to something that actually impacts our organization? Along these lines, in this episode I discuss the importance of a sociotechnical (…
No Phones in the Bedroom? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 16:21
I discuss why you should stop checking your phone when you wake up, benefits to ditching your smartphone in the bedroom, sleep inertia and sleep drunkenness, how I decreased my screen time by 65%, and more. Some referenc…