Kids today have it so easy! Here are 45 struggles from the old days that today’s kids will never understand
1.Old school cell/cordless phones
2.Going to the library for research
Or using an encyclopedia at home. Who needs Google search when you can look at a Microfiche machine or hours!
3.Using a paper map
No GPS you have to read these maps. And don’t forget to fold it correctly!
4.Waiting for dial up
Who remembers that screeching cat noise every time you tried to log on?
5.Getting disconnected from dial up when a phone is picked up
6.Renting a Video or game at Blockbuster
There was no ordering a movie on demand. If you wanted to watch a movie at home you had to march on to the Blockbuster and rent one (or a few)
7.Sitting through VHS previews at the start of a movie
who remember this agony? Yeah you could always fast forward them but even that was kind annoying!
8.TV listing scrolls/Preview Channels
Cable was so different back in the day, with channels devoted to “bulletin boards” and of course the always reliable program guide. Reliable as long as you didn’t have sit there for five minutes until the channel you wanted scrolled by.
9.downloading (for hours)
10.Waiting for your favorite video on MTV
11.Floppy Disks
Hard to believe there was a time when your computer was useless unless you put a disk in. And then had to replace it 100 times. Remember before we had external disk drives?
12.No ATM’s
Ah, the joys of having to go to the back and stand in line just to get a little cash!
13.Obnoxious Headphones
What I wouldn’t have given for earbuds as a kid!
14.Calling the cable company to watch “pay per view” event (even more fun when it was x-rated!)
15.One hour photo development
Anyone remember foto mats? Anyone??? Also there was mail order which meant it would take a week before you could even see your pics!
16.Using a phone book
Yeah if you wanted to find a phone number you had to find a book, for the correct area, and let your fingers do the walking!
oh here’s a bonus, before Yelp or trip advisor we had these:
17.Making mix tapes
Ah the joys of waiting for hours until the song you wanted to record was finally played on the radio !
18.Scratched records and cd’s
19.Waiting until you get home to check your messages
Can kids today even imagine this one? There was a time when people couldn’t wait to get home and see if that little red light was flashing on their machine.
20.being tethered to wall when on the phone
Yeah in the old days we were trapped when on the phone
21.Answering the phone with no idea who is calling
22.Missing a TV show
Back in the day if you missed a show on TV, that was it. You missed it! Unless…
23.Recording TV shows
VCR’S were such an innovation in there day allowing people to record TV shows.
24.dragging VCR along when making home videos
Looks like fun, huh?
25.Recognizing an actor but not being able to find out who it was.
26.TV Antenna’s
Not only were TV’s huge, but you had to use rabbit ears to barely get a decent picture. And when I say struggle, I really mean it too! Especially if you were watching UHF. Who remembers UHF? or Black and White sets?
27.Fixing broken audio/video tapes
28.Saturday Morning Cartoons
How was this a struggle? If you had a brother and sister you’d understand
29.Having to get up to change the channels
Yeah, no remotes! FOR ANYTHING!!!
30.Payphones
Got a quarter?
31.Old fashioned rolodex
32.Being confused by a fax machine
33.Beepers
This was a fad that didn’t last
34.Playing video games alone
35.AOL
Don’t forget the installation disk!!
36.Waiting until your father got home to get yelled at
We have email today!
37.No Lyrics in (some) tapes or records
38.No way to share your opinions on anything instantly
39.Rotary Telephones
40.Needing a CD to install game or program
41.Reading showtimes in a paper
Or call on the phone!
42.Reading a Newspaper
43.Manually opening your garage door
Nothing like getting out in the rain to pone the damn garage door!
44.Shopping at stores
45.Pong
We were so excited about Pong! It was the coolest thing ever. Like Tetris LOL!!!
So, what is the point of the article you may be wondering? Well I turn 45 today, and can’t believe how old I am. So I decided that it was a good time to look back at the things have changed since my day. And yes despite having 45 items, I am sure I missed a lot. So feel free to comment and let me know what other struggles kids today will never understand.
1.Old school cell/cordless phones
2.Going to the library for research
Or using an encyclopedia at home. Who needs Google search when you can look at a Microfiche machine or hours!
3.Using a paper map
No GPS you have to read these maps. And don’t forget to fold it correctly!
4.Waiting for dial up
Who remembers that screeching cat noise every time you tried to log on?
5.Getting disconnected from dial up when a phone is picked up
6.Renting a Video or game at Blockbuster
There was no ordering a movie on demand. If you wanted to watch a movie at home you had to march on to the Blockbuster and rent one (or a few)
7.Sitting through VHS previews at the start of a movie
who remember this agony? Yeah you could always fast forward them but even that was kind annoying!
8.TV listing scrolls/Preview Channels
Cable was so different back in the day, with channels devoted to “bulletin boards” and of course the always reliable program guide. Reliable as long as you didn’t have sit there for five minutes until the channel you wanted scrolled by.
9.downloading (for hours)
10.Waiting for your favorite video on MTV
11.Floppy Disks
Hard to believe there was a time when your computer was useless unless you put a disk in. And then had to replace it 100 times. Remember before we had external disk drives?
12.No ATM’s
Ah, the joys of having to go to the back and stand in line just to get a little cash!
13.Obnoxious Headphones
What I wouldn’t have given for earbuds as a kid!
14.Calling the cable company to watch “pay per view” event (even more fun when it was x-rated!)
15.One hour photo development
Anyone remember foto mats? Anyone??? Also there was mail order which meant it would take a week before you could even see your pics!
16.Using a phone book
Yeah if you wanted to find a phone number you had to find a book, for the correct area, and let your fingers do the walking!
oh here’s a bonus, before Yelp or trip advisor we had these:
17.Making mix tapes
Ah the joys of waiting for hours until the song you wanted to record was finally played on the radio !
18.Scratched records and cd’s
19.Waiting until you get home to check your messages
Can kids today even imagine this one? There was a time when people couldn’t wait to get home and see if that little red light was flashing on their machine.
20.being tethered to wall when on the phone
Yeah in the old days we were trapped when on the phone
21.Answering the phone with no idea who is calling
22.Missing a TV show
Back in the day if you missed a show on TV, that was it. You missed it! Unless…
23.Recording TV shows
VCR’S were such an innovation in there day allowing people to record TV shows.
24.dragging VCR along when making home videos
Looks like fun, huh?
25.Recognizing an actor but not being able to find out who it was.
26.TV Antenna’s
Not only were TV’s huge, but you had to use rabbit ears to barely get a decent picture. And when I say struggle, I really mean it too! Especially if you were watching UHF. Who remembers UHF? or Black and White sets?
27.Fixing broken audio/video tapes
28.Saturday Morning Cartoons
How was this a struggle? If you had a brother and sister you’d understand
29.Having to get up to change the channels
Yeah, no remotes! FOR ANYTHING!!!
30.Payphones
Got a quarter?
31.Old fashioned rolodex
32.Being confused by a fax machine
33.Beepers
This was a fad that didn’t last
34.Playing video games alone
35.AOL
Don’t forget the installation disk!!
36.Waiting until your father got home to get yelled at
We have email today!
37.No Lyrics in (some) tapes or records
38.No way to share your opinions on anything instantly
39.Rotary Telephones
40.Needing a CD to install game or program
41.Reading showtimes in a paper
Or call on the phone!
42.Reading a Newspaper
43.Manually opening your garage door
Nothing like getting out in the rain to pone the damn garage door!
44.Shopping at stores
45.Pong
We were so excited about Pong! It was the coolest thing ever. Like Tetris LOL!!!
So, what is the point of the article you may be wondering? Well I turn 45 today, and can’t believe how old I am. So I decided that it was a good time to look back at the things have changed since my day. And yes despite having 45 items, I am sure I missed a lot. So feel free to comment and let me know what other struggles kids today will never understand.
Oh, I remember so many of those things! But I had almost forgotten about the dial-up days, when there was no way to be om the internet and the phone av the same time. That sucked...
ReplyDeleteI have to tell you though that papper maps and newspapers still exist. Then again, my mother is more likely to use them than what I am.
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteWhere are you at?
ReplyDeleteI keep wondering that as well.
DeleteThanks for the concern and for following, the truth is I ran out of ideas, and have stopped for the time being.
Delete