From watching the video it sounded like this guy was simply interested in cars as a child and took a fancy to older cars.. It's quite understandable that he then decided to fulfil his childhood dream of owning one when he reached adulthood. I know guys who were obsessed with guitars as kids then when they got their first job brought all the guitars they dreamt of. I know did same thing with computers and computer bits when I got my first job. I even know a guy who liked steam trains as a child so after he left college decided since he's always liked trains he'd work on them.
I guess what I'm saying is that this is far more likely to be a kid who grew up simply liking cars so brought a car that he liked as a kid when he got a bit of money as an adult. I suppose it's possible there was something emotionally harmful about how he was raised which caused him to like different things from other kids, but it certainly wasn't obvious from the video... It seemed like he was a loved child and understood he had unique interests. Plus, he seemed happy and socially well adjusted, so good for him.
I agree by the way if that was the case, even though you have cases like Beckham, Beckham's father was obsessed by football and Manchester United and so became his son, but you could see David loved football with all of his heart (and excelled at it).
> We always watch old films together, he's in love with Ginger Rogers," Anne says.
Maybe I'm being pedantic, but UK TV licenses didn't exceed a million until the early 1950's [1], so he's cheating at least a little.
> "I was forced to have a laptop for college, and I hated it."
Past tense. What is/was his major?
On some level I find this positively charming. If I had a time machine, I'd visit the 1940's, too. But I likely wouldn't stay for more than a few weeks at a time. Even Gary Sparrow eventually found it boring. [2]. Hmm, I wonder if he's ever seen "Goodnight Sweetheart"?
> Callum has lived at his gran's house since he was 12, after his grandad, John, suddenly passed away. He's kept her company ever since.
That's also the same year he bought the hat. So this would appear to be a reaction to his grandad's passing? It's not necessarily the reporter's job to play psychoanalyst, but I would have liked more details.
From what I can tell, Kirkcaldy isn't exactly rural, but if his ambition is to run the local animal shelter or local museum, I think he'll do fine. He's just 19 and has plenty of time to decide his life's direction. And should I ever visit Fife and encounter him, I'd be happy to stop for a game of checkers, darts, etc. I was a little kid in the 1970's, before home computers, the internet, ATM's, and cable TV, and could go back and do it again. Tech isn't everything. As I think some have remarked, it may just give him a clearer head.
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_licensing_in_the_...
[2] https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goodnight_Sweetheart_(TV_ser...
Two distinct types of parentification have been identified technically: instrumental parentification and emotional parentification. For instance, instrumental parentification involves the child completing physical tasks for the family, such as looking after a sick relative, paying bills, or providing assistance to younger siblings that would normally be provided by a parent. On the other hand, emotional parentification occurs when a child or adolescent must take on the role of a confidante or mediator for (or between) parents or family members.
I'm not saying you are necessarily wrong, but we have nowhere near enough information to make such a judgment.
Ok but it's pretty groundless speculation then.
TBH I love tech from the 1990s and before: CGI, terminals, sixels etc and I refuse to carry a cellphone (though it's ok to have one at home, plugged 24/7)
I didn't realize it before, but I now I can see how I embrace being anachronistic :)
It's just that I don't know it. Maybe if I did, I would love it like he does?
Even his teachers were getting in on the sickening brainwashing operation: ""Callum went away on a school trip when he was about 12 and came back with an old-fashioned hat on," she says. "I thought it was funny, and I just asked him, 'Where did you find this?'. "He said 'that's the way I want to dress, that's going to be me'. "Ever since then, that's just been Callum," his mum says."
Humans, without substantial biological modification, do not seem ready for a technology driven quasi-utopia. Keep the biotechnology and pharmacology, keep the industrial robots and keep the private space programs but remove the inexpensive personal computation, omnipresent high-bitrate packet radio networks and with them all of the anti-societal behavior they support.
TL;DR This kid is closer to hyper-sane than brainwashed.
I also contemplated the idea to buy an old car of the era. My grandfather's old cars would have been out of reach of my pocket[1] so I can relate.
I would have however totally incorporated tech into old design, making old radios work with my flac collection and connectable with bluetooth for example, or converting an old peugeot 402 to EV.
Our societies have progressed a lot in a century in many ways. However as far as design and elegance goes, I think even the richest person of the planet tend to look like crap nowadays with the modern outfits.
[1] some selling for literally millions of dollars nowadays at auctions.
There's plenty of people that get obsessed over uncommon things that I'm not sure I'd jump to the "parentified" conclusion.