Does the mix of old and new tech in Severance feel like a forced aesthetic choice?
One thing that’s been bothering me about Severance is the inconsistent technology in the world outside of Lumon. Inside the company, the outdated tech makes sense—it adds to the eerie, dystopian feel and emphasizes the disconnect from the outside world. But even outside of Lumon, we see things like old cars, telephone booths, and CRT TVs alongside modern smartphones.
At first, I thought maybe there was an in-universe explanation—like corporate control over technology or some kind of stagnation in society. But the show never really provides one. It just seems like the showrunners wanted to create a "mystery" by throwing together different eras without considering the logic behind it.
Compare this to something like Dune, where the lack of computers is fully justified by the Butlerian Jihad. In Severance, the mix of old and new tech doesn’t seem to have a real reason—it’s just there to make things feel off. Personally, I think this weakens the worldbuilding and makes it feel like a lazy artistic choice rather than a well-thought-out dystopia.
What do you guys think? Do you feel there’s a deeper explanation we haven’t seen yet, or does it seem like a style-over-substance decision.