At a popup outdoor event one weekend, one of the booths was giving away an old-fashioned game. I say “old-fashioned” because I recognized it from my childhood. Though of course this 2026 version was fancier with brighter colors and flashier images. It even included sparkles! However, I have no doubt that it worked just as well as the ones I had growing up.
The game looks simple, but it can be tricky. Basically, pushing the yellow knobs on either side moves the little rings around. The goal is to hook as many rings as possible on the blue sword-like points on either side. What I like about it is that it’s fun, engaging, just challenging enough, and not on a screen.
Looking around at today’s youth, always glued to some kind of electronic, or attached to a device, I felt a bit sad for them. Everything they interact with is designed to dominate and hijack their attention. Games feature realistic graphics, catchy sound tracks, add-ons and features. All of which guarantees hooking even the most savvy users. Even worse, it makes every other experience seem dull and somehow, not quite sensational enough to keep one’s attention.
Growing up with these analog-type games where the action is simple, engaging, yet hard enough to be fun, provides a different experience. An experience, I feel, is also important for connecting. You can use your brain differently, or even feel bored with something because it provides the same action repeatedly. Games like this are easy to share with one another. You can pass this game to a friend without fearing your whole life is going with it, as we might sharing a smartphone with somebody.
I’m not sure what this will mean for today’s youth, growing up in an environment hyper saturated with the most sensational, stimulating everything. However, I do know at least some young people, are experiencing amoneia (longing for nostalgic things one never experienced) and looking for ways to be bored. They should try going analog once in a while to stimulate their brain in new ways.