optical disk
Unicode: 1F4BF
Description
A classic cassette tape, typically shown with two reels and a label area. Sometimes depicted with a brown or grey casing and darker tape inside.
Group:
Objects > computer
Status:
fully-qualified
Emotion:
Nostalgia, vintage, retro, music, audio, recording, old-fashioned, throwbacks.
Backstory
The cassette tape was a popular analog magnetic tape recording format for audio recording and playback, introduced by Philips in 1962. It gained immense popularity in the 1970s and 80s for its portability and affordability. The 1F4BF emoji represents this iconic object, tapping into collective memories of mixtapes, Walkmans, and a pre-digital music consumption era. It was approved as part of Unicode 6.0 in 2010.
Usage Examples
- Talking about old music: 'Found my old mixtapes! 📼 Brings back so many memories.'
- Referencing retro technology: 'Kids these days wouldn't even know what this is 📼.'
- Expressing nostalgia: 'Weekend vibes: Chill music and good books 📼.'
- Discussing analog audio: 'Vinyls and cassettes are making a comeback 📼.'
Cultural Differences
Western culture:
Strongly associated with 1980s and 1990s music and culture, often symbolizing a bygone era of audio recording.
East Asian culture:
Similar associations with older music formats; sometimes used playfully to refer to things that are 'old school' or 'outdated' in a charming way.