We’re so used to any bit of information being readily available at our fingertips at a moment’s notice. It’s easy for people who were around before many of these modern conveniences to remember what it was like. But younger people may never be able to fully grasp the details of simpler times before the internet and iPhones. These glimpses into the past, as told by real message board users, will bring back memories for some and give younger folks an idea of what it was really like.
TV Guide
“Looking forward to Monday’s newspaper having that week’s TV guide so you could see what movies were on that week,” said one commenter. Before the days of Netflix, Hulu and cable tv menus, everyone had to wait for the guide in the snail mail!
The Future
Before the year 2000, the sound of that date just sounded so futuristic to everyone. It was even referred to as ‘the millennium’. One user said, “The year 2000 seemed like some year way off in the future. Now I have lived more than half my life in the 21st century. Heck, we had a technology show called ‘Beyond 2000’.”
Manual Checkout
One commenter shared, “70’s kid here. Checkout ladies in supermarkets (yes, it was mostly a ladies job) used to manually type in the prices of every item purchased. (Every item had a price tag stuck on it by another member of staff). Their fingers could really fly around a numerical keyboard. It used to fascinate me as a kid.”
The Early Internet
“What you can’t simulate is what the Internet used to be… there was no “good” search engine and your bookmark field had an actual purpose. Wikipedia didn’t exist, the closest you got to something like that was a list of links at some random website: Want to know about ants? Here’s a link to a site with pictures in wildly different resolution and a background made to mimic old parchment. You couldn’t use the internet to listen to music, you could barely use it to look at low res pictures and you’d be lucky if even half the features of anything functioned,” said one commenter.
Dial-Up Internet
Anyone who was around for dial-up internet days knows that screeching sound of trying to log on. One user said, “I tried to explain to my nieces that you used to get the internet through your phone. They were all like ‘yeah, duh’. Then I had to explain that the phone line had to be connected to a special box which had to be connected to a computer that you could only connect to the internet if no one else was using the phone.”
No Social Media
“People just went away, and you never saw them again or had any idea what they were doing with their lives. Without social media, everyone but your closest friends or family disappeared from your life forever, and you had no clue what they were doing (remember you can’t google them either). Ex boyfriend? I heard a rumor from an old hs buddy I ran into at the mall that he moved to New Jersey. Camp buddy? Randomly ran into him two decades later, and he was totally different. It’s why kids don’t understand the point of stuff like [high school] reunions,” recalled one commenter.
No Googling
“If you wanted to know something your family or friends didn’t know, and you couldn’t find it in the library, you were unlikely to find out the answer. This applied to all sorts of things all of the time. I doubt younger people today can really imagine the difference immediate information availability makes in our daily lives,” said another user.
Appointment Television
“Missing the new episode on TV, having no way to see it again, and be completely clueless when it was all anyone at school or work talked about,” said a commenter. Before streaming services, tivo, or DVRs, there wasn’t an easy way to catch shows if you missed the original airdate. You’d have to wait months or even years for a re-run!
Pre-9/11 Flying
“Flying solo at 8 and having my parents meeting me at the gate! Quickly getting on flights (most cases). It was great!” recalled one user. Before the tragedy of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, security at airports was fairly non-existent– no metal detectors, no removing shoes, no ticket needed to get to the gate.
Memorizing Phone Numbers
Before cell phones, everyone had landlines, and that meant no computer memory to store phone numbers. You’d either have an address book or Rolodex, or you’d just have to remember it by heart. Everyone knew at least a dozen numbers by heart.
Smoking
“Smoking was not illegal anywhere. You could smoke on airplanes. Restaurants, in the mall, in the stores. School parking lot,” said one commenter. As the risk of second-hand smoke became more evident, the prevalence of available places to smoke dwindled. It started by separating smoking sections, to moving it outside, to moving it several feet away from a building.
Landlines
There was a time when everyone had to share the same phone number and the phone was stuck in your house. One user remembers, “One phone for the entire family and you could only go as far as the cord would stretch.”
Source: Reddit
10 Things People Miss the Most About the ’90s
The ’90s was a decade filled with iconic fashion, music, and pop culture. It was also a simpler time, where people could enjoy life without the constant distractions of technology and social media. Recently on an online platform, people were asked what they missed most about the ’90s, and their responses were both nostalgic and heartfelt. From the accessories and music to the freedom and innocence, here are some of the things people missed most about the ’90s.
Read more: 10 Things People Miss the Most About the ’90s
13 Foods That Don’t Taste The Same As They Used To
Do foods taste different to you now versus when you were younger? It’s not just your imagination! Ingredient changes, different cooking techniques, and even some selective breeding may have changed the taste of many of your favorite foods. According to users on a recent online message board, the following foods are the most unrecognizable from their former versions.
Read more: 13 Foods That Don’t Taste The Same As They Used To
12 Greatest Fashion Trends Women Wish Would Make a Comeback
Have you ever daydreamed about an old fashion trend, hoping it would return to widespread circulation? Someone asked, “What is something you wish would make a comeback?” Twelve individuals shared their favorite ‘out-of-date’ trends on an online platform.
Read more: 12 Greatest Fashion Trends Women Wish Would Make a Comeback
11 Fashion Trends Women Thought Were Cool But Now Make Them Cringe
From butterfly hair clips to low-rise jeans with whale tail thongs, get ready to cringe and laugh at the fashion disasters these women once fell into.
Read more: 11 Fashion Trends Women Thought Were Cool But Now Make Them Cringe
The Best Travel Clothes for Women: The Ultimate Guide for 2024
Searching for the best travel clothes for women? Look no further! From stylish travel jackets to comfortable hiking shirts, this post has it all.
Read more: The Best Travel Clothes for Women: The Ultimate Guide for 2024
