Parents and grandparents like to argue how things were so much better back in their day before all this technology nonsense. They may have a point but you can’t deny the benefits of modern day technology either.
However, life back then was very simple, and very personal as people actually interacted in person outside. It’s always a fun comparison so here’s a list of things kids today won’t ever understand.
Blowing into your video game to get it to work again
Remember those big, bulky gaming consoles you had to plug into the TV to play?
They came with cartridges that had to be inserted into the console. And if ever they refused to work, you could just eject the thing and blow into them to make them work again.
It almost, always worked. Honest.
Rewinding mix tapes with a pencil
No really this was the way to rewind cassette tapes back in the day.
You could use the player to do the same but it was so much more fun inserting a pencil and spinning the tape in the air.
You’ll have to tell your kids to Google what a cassette tape is by the way.
Using toothpaste to cure your acne
This may have been a thing of the past, and surely many people have tried and put toothpaste on acne.
But doctors today warn against this practice.
Ask around if it really worked though because you never know.
Recording a song off the radio station by hitting play and record at the right moment
Yup, it wasn’t like you could just search and download that song.
There was no such thing as YouTube and Spotify and whatever else they use today.
Grab a blank tape, wait for the DJ to play that song, and hit play and record at exactly the right moment to record the song.
Failed? Wait and do it all over again.
The glorious sound of dial up internet
It was a sound like no other. A sound that meant infinite possibilities with a click of that mouse.
Didn’t matter if you had to wait for an hour or so to establish a connection because it was all worth it.
Dial up internet truly was an exercise of patience.
Looking up words in a dictionary
People had to literally find that big, heavy book and go through it to find the meaning of a word.
And it was fun since that meant they had a reason to hang out in the library or each other’s houses.
That’s how people came up with ideas for parties, dances, and pranks.
Answering the phone without knowing who is calling
Phones were big clumsy machines plugged into sockets and it was anyone’s guess as to who was calling.
So you really couldn’t avoid that annoying relative or gossipy friend since you’d still have to answer it.
It was those same phones that had teenagers up all night exchanging stories.
The thrilling feeling of walking into a Blockbuster on a Friday night
After a long week at school or work, families would drive down to the local Blockbuster to rent out their favorite movies.
Family nights were awesome. Popcorn, chips, soda, and lots of entertainment.
This is something we just have to bring back. Netflix just doesn’t feel the same.
Not being able to be on the phone and the computer at the same time
It was one or the other, unlike today where kids can juggle two or even three gadgets all connected online.
They probably shared one line so one had to be disconnected.
Which meant no distractions.
Calling time and temperature to get the day’s forecast
Before news outlets reported the day’s forecast, and before everyone had phones, there was an actual number people would call to ask for the same information.
So it was anyone’s guess if the day was going to be warm or chilly.
This is the one time we’re thankful for technology.
Having to get up and walk to the TV to change the station
And once you found your channel, sit down and enjoy it because getting up was such a hassle.
You’d have to check the schedule of shows too to figure out which program comes on when.
You couldn’t afford to be lazy.
Using cameras with film and having to get the film developed
Kids may not believe this but cameras were a separate gadget from a cellphone.
And those cameras required the use of film, which then needed to be developed to get pictures.
And they were really nice. And very nostalgic.
They’re still a thing for serious collectors and photographers though.
Looking up a phone number in the phone book
They were big, thick, heavy books that contained all the contact numbers one would need.
And were usually placed beside or underneath a telephone in the living room.
You seriously needed to make an effort back in the day.
Paying long distance charges for calls
Calling family across the country?
Better pay up so someone could connect you to a long distance call.
And you’d better have your stories in order because that gets expensive real quick.
Using a massive encyclopedia to research your school paper
There was no such thing as Google back then, nor were there easy access websites to get the information we needed.
Either kids headed to the library or back home to go through a collection of encyclopedias.
It was a time when men and women knew how to do proper research.
Writing notes to your friends in class
No texting, no apps for chatting, nothing.
Kids would write notes and pass it on or literally throw them across the room when the teacher wasn’t looking.
The risk of getting caught was what made it all even more exciting.
The sound of the disposal camera winding as you prepared to snap your next great picture
Those were fun since you’d have to get the shot perfect or it would be a waste of money.
They were all the rage though and chances were everyone carried a camera in their bags.
And it was a time when selfies weren’t a thing.
Looking up movie times in the newspaper or calling the movie line and having to wait until the movie you wanted was announced in the rotation
The excitement would build and the anticipation was such that family and friends would talk nonstop about the new movie coming out.
And they all had to wait until it showed in the cinema.
So people would grab papers or call the cinema to ask for the schedule.
If you were lucky enough to have cable, MTV played actual music videos
It was as time when Music Television literally meant MTV.
All the new music videos and all the cool artists were on that channel 24/7 and if you could dance, chances were you’d eventually get the choreography down.
MTV was everyone’s karaoke at home.
Having to watch your favorite show on the exact day and time it was on TV
There was a strict schedule followed around the house all for the sake of everyone’s favorite TV shows.
You had to know when and what time it was showing or else you’d have to wait and pray for a replay.
And even the replay had a schedule you had to find.
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