Y2K technology is making a comeback in 2025, forcing students to find other ways to consume media. With House Bill 1481 in action beginning Sept. 30, communication devices like cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, gaming devices, and earbuds are banned in all public schools across Texas. Prosper ISD implemented the ban on the first day of school to minimize the disruption and help students adapt to the new policy.

For students, the switch to older technology was a loophole to the phone ban. With the bill only banning the use of communication devices, it left room for other devices to take its place. Students began bringing back the classics, using MP3 players, Walkmans, Ipods and digital cameras, allowing them to sidestep the ban while remaining compliant with the law.

From swipes on their phone screen to the physical sensations of clicking buttons, students are now importing their never-ending playlists to their Ipods and plugging in their wired headphones. For some, like sophomore Jaxon Inman, music helps drown out the chatter of the chaos, and allows for greater focus when working alone.  

 “[Music] gives me a sense of peace,” Inman said. “It limits the distractions around me.” 

Purely for the access to music, sophomore Skyler Sarabia, prefers using older tech to the Phones that have been tainted with the rise of social media. However, the phone ban has improved the music listening experience for some, like Sarabia, as he feels as though phones tempt listeners to switch to other apps, fueling phone addictions.  

“[The Ipod] feels more pure than using a phone,” Sarabia said. “With a phone you can endlessly scroll through social media, plus music, plus other stuff. An Ipod is just for music—only music.”

Snapping a quick photo with friends is no longer as simple as opening the grey and black camera icon. With a digital camera, there isn’t that immediate satisfaction of seeing the photo on the screen, as after the shutter button clicks, it takes a process of waiting for the photo to be able to show off. 

“I feel like with your phone, you’re just tapping the touch screen and it takes the photo, you just get it over and done with,” Bedgood said. “Whereas with [the digital camera] you have to kinda sit there for a second. It slows the whole process down.” 

For some, the retro tech goes beyond trying to get around the phone ban, it becomes a way for students to connect with the past. For senior Noah Pajibo, he uses his older devices for the aesthetic of having a collection of photos to showcase senior year and the nostalgia it evokes when looking back on them. 

“I use the tech to archive my days at school, so I can post them and be able to look back and reflect on my senior year.”