Pessimists Archive has always been a brand about change. We look at why people fear change, how they resisted change, and what causes those fears to keep repeating across time. Today, we’re doing a little change of our own: The podcast we’ve created, which since 2016 has been called Pessimists…

Obsessively checking information on a pocket device is seen as a very 21st century dysfunction, but a 1665 diary entry hints it isn’t such a unique phenomenon. 355 years ago Samuel Pepys lamented his obsessive watch checking habit in his diary: “But, Lord! to see how much of my old…

by @louisanslow Nov 22, 1918: SF residents gathered around a clock tower to count down the seconds to flu mask laws ending like it was New Years Eve. Kids heckled those who didn’t remove masks. Then a second wave hit and the mask rules were reinstated. Podcast on topic: http://link.chtbl.com/pa-masks …

They called it “photographic mania”, and it sounded just like today’s social media critiques. — If you post a selfie on Instagram, are you a narcissist? Today’s social scolds say yes. They believe that social media — and the many selfies that followed — created a rise in vanity. …

Episode 2 — When exactly were the good ol’ days? In this episode we go back in time to find out — exploring every moment that people claimed was a golden age, and trying to understand why, as Trump’s victory has shown, nostalgia is such a powerful force. iTunes • RSS

Episode 1: the Walkman — Listen below and subscribe on iTunes: The first episode of our podcast is LIVE, we travel back to the 80s and explore how American society reacted to the rise of the Walkman. Laws were passed to keep them of the streets, and one New Jersey man risked jail time for his right to walk with headphones.

A decade of cynicism directed @ Twitter — 10 years ago Twitter launched and was met with cynicism, ridicule and accusations of frivolity. Pointless Early criticism of Twitter focused on its uselessness. …

With the passing of Ray Tomlinson, ‘the father of email’, we wanted to look back at some early, cynical reactions to electronic mail in his honor. As with most technologies, cost was an early complaint…

A bizarre two-wheeled vehicle is sweeping the world. It’s being met with ridicule, fear and legislative action. That pretty much sums up present-day reactions to the hoverboard: