Pessimists Archive
@pessimistsarc.bsky.social
We explore and catalog the history of technophobia and moral panic.
Our newsletter: http://newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org
Our newsletter: http://newsletter.pessimistsarchive.org
193 years ago Henry Colburn observed:
“objects of the highest importance to mankind, on their first appearance, are slighted and condemned. Posterity smile at the ineptitude of the preceding age, while it becomes familiar with those objects, which that age so eagerly rejected”
“objects of the highest importance to mankind, on their first appearance, are slighted and condemned. Posterity smile at the ineptitude of the preceding age, while it becomes familiar with those objects, which that age so eagerly rejected”
November 3, 2025 at 11:30 PM
193 years ago Henry Colburn observed:
“objects of the highest importance to mankind, on their first appearance, are slighted and condemned. Posterity smile at the ineptitude of the preceding age, while it becomes familiar with those objects, which that age so eagerly rejected”
“objects of the highest importance to mankind, on their first appearance, are slighted and condemned. Posterity smile at the ineptitude of the preceding age, while it becomes familiar with those objects, which that age so eagerly rejected”
Happy Birthday Google
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
🥂 🥳
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
🥂 🥳
September 27, 2025 at 10:30 PM
Happy Birthday Google
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
🥂 🥳
For many of your 27 years you were called a lazy vice. Finally you have attained the status of a thoughtful virtue of the good old days.
🥂 🥳
Rolling Stone, 20 years ago:
- There are too many virgins!
- How will Apple keep growing?
- Vaccines cause autism?!?
- There are too many virgins!
- How will Apple keep growing?
- Vaccines cause autism?!?
September 6, 2025 at 9:55 PM
Rolling Stone, 20 years ago:
- There are too many virgins!
- How will Apple keep growing?
- Vaccines cause autism?!?
- There are too many virgins!
- How will Apple keep growing?
- Vaccines cause autism?!?
They said this about the bicycle in 1893 predicting the "evolution of a round-shouldered, hunched-back race"
September 3, 2025 at 4:23 PM
They said this about the bicycle in 1893 predicting the "evolution of a round-shouldered, hunched-back race"
“Our forefathers had to carry water in pails; chop their own firewood to keep themselves warm; hew their own homesteads out of wilderness; walk miles to the nearest neighbour to borrow books.” (1928)
August 17, 2025 at 3:14 PM
“Our forefathers had to carry water in pails; chop their own firewood to keep themselves warm; hew their own homesteads out of wilderness; walk miles to the nearest neighbour to borrow books.” (1928)
Defence attorneys for kids love to scapegoat new technologies and trends. The media loves to write about it and lawmakers love to propose ‘solutions’ to the ‘problem.’
Often it is a waste of time, distracting from real problems and solutions to them.
(1977)
Often it is a waste of time, distracting from real problems and solutions to them.
(1977)
August 15, 2025 at 3:09 PM
Defence attorneys for kids love to scapegoat new technologies and trends. The media loves to write about it and lawmakers love to propose ‘solutions’ to the ‘problem.’
Often it is a waste of time, distracting from real problems and solutions to them.
(1977)
Often it is a waste of time, distracting from real problems and solutions to them.
(1977)
The 1980s was a time when technology was rapidly reshaping youth culture/childhood.
- Video games
- Walkman
- Pagers
- VHS
Adults absolutely lost their MINDS.
- Video games
- Walkman
- Pagers
- VHS
Adults absolutely lost their MINDS.
August 14, 2025 at 11:42 AM
The 1980s was a time when technology was rapidly reshaping youth culture/childhood.
- Video games
- Walkman
- Pagers
- VHS
Adults absolutely lost their MINDS.
- Video games
- Walkman
- Pagers
- VHS
Adults absolutely lost their MINDS.
"It remains to be proved how fast the brain is capable of traveling” The New York Times, 1904
August 12, 2025 at 9:13 PM
"It remains to be proved how fast the brain is capable of traveling” The New York Times, 1904
99 years ago
“Solitude, with its opportunity to think, is a thing of the past”
“We have a movie eye, a radio ear, a newspaper brain, and automobile nerves”
“Solitude, with its opportunity to think, is a thing of the past”
“We have a movie eye, a radio ear, a newspaper brain, and automobile nerves”
August 12, 2025 at 12:50 PM
99 years ago
“Solitude, with its opportunity to think, is a thing of the past”
“We have a movie eye, a radio ear, a newspaper brain, and automobile nerves”
“Solitude, with its opportunity to think, is a thing of the past”
“We have a movie eye, a radio ear, a newspaper brain, and automobile nerves”
In the 1980s it was illegal to make a VHS recording of a TV show in Britain.
One suggested compromise was to allow it but only if people wiped the tapes after 28 days.
One suggested compromise was to allow it but only if people wiped the tapes after 28 days.
August 9, 2025 at 10:20 PM
In the 1980s it was illegal to make a VHS recording of a TV show in Britain.
One suggested compromise was to allow it but only if people wiped the tapes after 28 days.
One suggested compromise was to allow it but only if people wiped the tapes after 28 days.
August 6, 2025 at 12:56 AM
In 1988 the UK Conservative Party tried to pass a law that would make it illegal to keep a VHS TV recording for longer that 28 days...
August 3, 2025 at 11:03 PM
In 1988 the UK Conservative Party tried to pass a law that would make it illegal to keep a VHS TV recording for longer that 28 days...
In 1986 Ozzy Osbourne was cast as a 'moral crusader' in horror movie 'Trick or Treat', satirizing his critics...
August 2, 2025 at 12:57 PM
In 1986 Ozzy Osbourne was cast as a 'moral crusader' in horror movie 'Trick or Treat', satirizing his critics...
How it started. How it’s going.
July 27, 2025 at 8:56 PM
How it started. How it’s going.
"The men are spending too much time in looking up two-toed sloths and three-lettered Australian birds or attempting to tune in to Honolulu" (1924)
July 27, 2025 at 1:12 PM
"The men are spending too much time in looking up two-toed sloths and three-lettered Australian birds or attempting to tune in to Honolulu" (1924)
FLASHBACK: In 1988 Ozzy Osbourne went on Geraldo’s ‘Exposing Satan's Underground’ to defend his music against satanic panic…
July 25, 2025 at 12:45 PM
FLASHBACK: In 1988 Ozzy Osbourne went on Geraldo’s ‘Exposing Satan's Underground’ to defend his music against satanic panic…
1994 floppy disk porn panic
July 21, 2025 at 4:15 PM
1994 floppy disk porn panic
There was a medieval moral panic about pointy shoes.
"Fashionable pointy-toed shoes called poulaines were alleged to promote sexual deviancy and, as a resulting sanction from God, were blamed for bringing about the plague."
In 1362 Pope Urban V tried to ban them... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"Fashionable pointy-toed shoes called poulaines were alleged to promote sexual deviancy and, as a resulting sanction from God, were blamed for bringing about the plague."
In 1362 Pope Urban V tried to ban them... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
July 18, 2025 at 2:47 PM
There was a medieval moral panic about pointy shoes.
"Fashionable pointy-toed shoes called poulaines were alleged to promote sexual deviancy and, as a resulting sanction from God, were blamed for bringing about the plague."
In 1362 Pope Urban V tried to ban them... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
"Fashionable pointy-toed shoes called poulaines were alleged to promote sexual deviancy and, as a resulting sanction from God, were blamed for bringing about the plague."
In 1362 Pope Urban V tried to ban them... www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...
In 1972 the International Tennis Federation approved the use of yellow balls 🎾 so colour TV viewers could see the ball more clearly.
Wimbledon would resist the change from white balls for 14 years, in the name of tradition, until 1986.
Wimbledon would resist the change from white balls for 14 years, in the name of tradition, until 1986.
July 13, 2025 at 5:12 PM
In 1972 the International Tennis Federation approved the use of yellow balls 🎾 so colour TV viewers could see the ball more clearly.
Wimbledon would resist the change from white balls for 14 years, in the name of tradition, until 1986.
Wimbledon would resist the change from white balls for 14 years, in the name of tradition, until 1986.
2025: "Superman is a woke commie"
1952:
1952:
July 11, 2025 at 3:33 PM
2025: "Superman is a woke commie"
1952:
1952:
"Modern technology depletes human cognitive abilities more rapidly than drugs, according to a psychiatric study conducted at King's College, London. And the curse of 'messaging' is to blame." - The Register, 2005 web.archive.org/web/20050424...
June 28, 2025 at 12:30 AM
"Modern technology depletes human cognitive abilities more rapidly than drugs, according to a psychiatric study conducted at King's College, London. And the curse of 'messaging' is to blame." - The Register, 2005 web.archive.org/web/20050424...
“Dr. Meyers expressed doubt as to the benefits of modern inventions. He blamed the radio for causing the death of eight persons listening in on the Dempsey-Tunney fight reports...” - York News-Times - York, Nebraska • Mon, Sep 26, 1927
June 23, 2025 at 10:46 PM
“Dr. Meyers expressed doubt as to the benefits of modern inventions. He blamed the radio for causing the death of eight persons listening in on the Dempsey-Tunney fight reports...” - York News-Times - York, Nebraska • Mon, Sep 26, 1927