For my post, I wanted to focus on a sound that not many people think about until they hear it. I chose to focus on games/toys from our generations’ childhood. Since a lot of the toys and games we played with growing up don’t exist anymore, hearing noises associated with those toys create a sense of nostalgia. A lot of the games that we interacted with growing up had very specific sounds; much like how now, everyone knows the sound an iPhone makes when a picture is taken. Some of the toys that I used to play with include a “LeapFrog Leapster.” I remember loving this toy, and it keeping me occupied! As I was researching some other toys that had a similar influence on me I came across others that I loved. I remember the little hamster toys that my friends and I all had, “Zhu Zhu Pets.” These little wound up animals made such distinct high pitched noises to resemble a hamster. I also found a “Furbie” which everyone loved in the early 2000’s. I continued thinking about other games/toys and thought of “EasyBake Oven’s” and “iDog’s.” All of these games and toys remind me of my childhood and are in a way a time capsule of the early 2000’s.
As I was considering how all of these toys and games have evolved into apps and social media platforms, I was really interested in how these sounds spark a sense of nostalgia for me. I am sure that for many this feeling is also experienced. While I am writing this I wonder what sounds from games/toys (apps/social media) will have the same effect on growing generations. For example, what will the equivalent what sound from modern day life will a (then) adult hear in 40 years that will remind them of the year 2024? How can we measure the popularity and impact of sound in a way that takes us back to our formative years. I think that my generation is really lucky as our nostalgic memories of sound were mainly tangible objects. As time went on these sounds gained more popularity and changed to the noises of an Xbox or Wii and eventually social media and apps for download.