Spinning Back in Time: MGA’s Tina Ashford On The Vinyl (And Other Retro Tech) Revival

Author: Sheron Smith
Posted: Monday, October 13, 2025 12:00 AM
Categories: School of Computing | Faculty/Staff | Pressroom

Macon, GA

MGA's Tina Ashford and her current favorite vinyl album.

From vinyl records to flip phones to digital cameras, younger generations are rediscovering the charm of old school media. To explore what’s driving this return to retro tech, we spoke with Tina Ashford, associate professor of information technology and curator of Middle Georgia State University’s Museum of Technology. She shares her thoughts on the appeal of vinyl, the sensory experience of retro media, and what these comeback trends reveal about our connection to technology.

Why do you think vinyl and other analog formats are making a comeback?

I think we’re feeling some fatigue from the instant, infinite access of digital life. It’s amazing to have every song ever recorded at our fingertips, but we’ve lost the intentionality that came with choosing an album, setting it on the turntable, and just listening. Vinyl demands your attention, slows you down and turns music into an event. That’s part of its modern appeal. I also think people are craving authenticity and permanence. In a world where everything lives in the cloud and can disappear without notice, owning a physical object feels comforting.

What draws you to retro media like vinyl, tape, and film?

There’s a certain satisfaction in physically interacting with media - placing a record on the turntable, flipping a cassette, threading a reel-to-reel, being kind and rewind! These experiences engage multiple senses in a way that scrolling through a digital library never could. As curator of Middle Georgia State’s Museum of Technology, I get to preserve and share that sense of connection with students and visitors who grew up entirely in a digital world. Watching them explore how a record’s grooves, a CD’s pattern of pits and lands, or a floppy disk’s magnetic coating each store information - and seeing that moment of recognition - is one of my favorite parts of the job. It’s a reminder that technology has always been a human experience, not just a screen-based one.

Do you have a favorite record in your personal collection?

My copy of “Eat to the Beat” by Blondie is the one I reach for most often. It’s such a dynamic album - punk attitude meets pop precision - and hearing it on vinyl brings out every layer of that energy. There’s something about dropping the needle on “Dreaming” that instantly transports me back to late ’70s creativity, when genres and technology were both being reinvented. The album’s photography and design also embody that fearless era of analog art. Playing it feels like opening a time capsule that still sounds completely fresh.

How does the Museum of Technology reflect this renewed interest in physical media?

The Museum of Technology at MGA showcases nearly every major playback format, including reel-to-reel recorders, cassette decks, and early CD players, along with displays on magnetic tape, floppy disks, and even LaserDiscs. Many visitors seeing these devices for the first time instantly recognize their influence on the technology we use today. The vinyl comeback is a reminder that progress doesn’t always mean leaving the past behind, it often means rediscovering what was so good about it!