Watch Millennial Manager Try To Teach Gen Z How To Use an iPod

Whether you were lucky enough to have one, or you longed for one whenever a friend showed off the latest song they downloaded off iTunes, the iPod was the pinnacle of new technology and personal entertainment for many millennials.

These iconic MP3 players are a rare find nowadays, and while many millennials would recognize one in an instant, that's not the case for members of Generation Z. This is exactly what 30-year-old Sam discovered after dusting off his own iPod and seeing if his 21-year-old Gen Z colleague, Hugo, could use it.

Sam, who doesn't wish to disclose him full name, was intrigued to see how Hugo would fair with the iPod model, telling Newsweek that he's "never actually seen or used one before." In that case, Hugo could be forgiven for having absolutely no idea how to use the relic of technology.

"I fired it up again to listen to music without the distractions of a phone, and for the nostalgia of course," Sam, from Warwickshire, United Kingdom, explained. "When I handed it to Hugo, I realized that he couldn't work out how to navigate the click wheel.

"It's pretty funny to see the technology gap, as most of the attempted interactions were things you'd expect to do on a phone, like swiping and tapping the buttons."

The first iPod was brought out in October 2001 and as Apple continued to develop new models and designs, it transformed the way we listened to music. There were several deviations of the first iPod, before the tech giant released the iconic iPod Classic in 2007.

While the portable music player was positively received, Apple continued to dabble with new designs to meet varying needs. For those who couldn't fit the bulky iPod in their pocket, they created the slim iPod Nanos and the iPod Minis.

Indeed, long before the iPhones we know and love now, Apple broke ground with their various iPod models and in 2008 they sold approximately 55 million units worldwide, according to Statista.

Sam could certainly use his cell phone to listen to music (or podcasts, this is 2024 after all), but there's just something special about the nostalgia of the iPod.

He told Newsweek: "iPods were always so expensive when I was younger, so to be able to pick one up for cheap and relive that era is really nostalgic and exciting."

Witnessing Hugo try to use the iPod was incredibly amusing for Sam, who couldn't resist sharing it on TikTok (@purplemonsterltd). The clip has already been viewed more than 112,600 times and gained over 4,600 likes in a matter of days, leaving many people horrified that he didn't know how to use the renowned item.

The viral reaction to the TikTok video has been "completely unexpected" for Sam, but he's loved seeing so many other millennials react to the video.

Among the 200 comments, one person wrote: "I'd honestly get these back! Battery and storage was amazing. Plus didn't take away battery from your phone!"

Another TikToker wrote: "I feel ancient."

While another comment reads: "Wait until he hears about the Walkman CD player."

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