Kinda like people thinking the Internet would just be a fad and would die out in a decade or so. Cultural significance can only be recognized in hindsight, because it's the only way we can tell how large of a mark it left.

by Anonymous 2 years ago

So automobiles aren't "culturally significant" in the US? Smart phones aren't? Yeah, this claim really doesn't hold up.

by Anonymous 2 years ago

I think you're conflating "culturally significant" with "significant" (i.e. important). Cars are certainly significant, but they don't define the culture as such until they're out of fashion. For example, consider the style of cars and how they've changed. In the 50s, tail fins were all the rage, but no one was like "this is going to be a defining feature of our decade". Same goes for the mechanics of cars: if you think about hand-cranking the engine, you immediately think of the early 20th century. But you don't think twice about how you start your car today because that's just part of your everyday life. When no one uses a key in the ignition to start their car anymore, people will look back on the late 20th century/early 21st century and think "oh, what a time that was". That's when it gains *cultural* significance.

by Anonymous 2 years ago