If you’ve been feeling a strange sense of déjà vu lately, like you’ve stepped into a time machine and landed somewhere in the turn of the century, you’re not alone. Dallas is in the throes of a full-blown millennial nostalgia renaissance, and it’s not just about the return of claw clips and Lisa Frank folders. From landline-like phones to arcades, the city is leaning hard into the past, and honestly, we’re here for it.
Let’s start with the Tin Can phones. No, not the literal string-and-can contraptions we made in elementary school, but close. These retro-inspired devices are popping up in Dallas parenting groups faster than you can say “dial-up internet.” They resemble old-school landlines, complete with chunky buttons and a curly cord, but they operate on Wi-Fi and only make calls to pre-approved numbers. It’s like giving your kid a cellphone, but without the TikTok rabbit holes, Snapchat streaks or the existential dread of doomscrolling. Instead, kids are rediscovering the lost art of actual conversation. Imagine that — talking to your friends without hiding behind emojis.
And speaking of old-school tech in a digitally-dominant age, let’s talk about cameras. With Texas banning cellphone use in public schools statewide, students are turning to digital and film cameras to capture their memories. Yes, film cameras. The kind that requires roll development at an in-person camera shop and makes you wait days to see if your photos are a masterpiece or just a blurry mess. It’s a slower, more deliberate way of documenting life, and it’s bringing creativity back to photography. Plus, there’s something undeniably charming about a bedroom wall covered in photo collages. Remember those? Maybe it’s time to dust off the Polaroid and start snapping again…