Our 14yo has only ever used streaming services and doesn't know how to operate our DVD player. We're trying to get them to watch some classic movies with us but they keep asking why we can't just use Netflix. How do I explain physical media without sounding ancient?
Just hand them the remote and let them figure out the basic buttons themselves - most kids actually find it satisfying once they realize it's just insert, press play, use volume. The real sell isn't nostalgia though, it's that physical media gives you stuff that never leaves Netflix's rotation, plus no buffering or subscription changes killing your watchlist mid-month. Frame it as "this copy is ours forever" rather than "back in my day," and maybe start with a movie they actually want to see instead of a classic they'll resist.
The actual hook is showing them a movie that genuinely isn't on any streaming service they use - something obscure or region-locked that only exists on that disc. Once they realize physical media can get them access to stuff they can't find elsewhere, the mechanics of the player stop feeling like a chore. The tactile thing is real too; there's something different about holding a disc versus scrolling through an algorithm, even if they'd never admit it.
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