Remember Having to Call the Theater?
Kids these days have the world at their fingertips. They probably wouldn’t even recognize some of the things older generations grew up with and remember fondly. These things can be from technology to experiences they have never had. In fact, here are 20 things kids these days wouldn’t even recognize.
1. Floppy Disks
Floppy disks were a common method of storing and sharing digital files, well before the age of USB flash drives and cloud services. They are now most recognized as the universal symbol for “save” on computers. The majority of children today have likely never seen or used a physical floppy disk.
2. Phonebooks
Phonebooks used to be huge volumes that listed every person's phone number in a city or town. People would use them to look up contact information before cell phones, smartphones, and the internet made that information instantly accessible. Most kids these days have never seen a phonebook.
© 2010 by Tomasz Sienicki [user: tsca, mail: tomasz.sienicki at gmail.com] on Wikimedia
3. Library Index Cards
Library index cards were once the primary means of locating library materials before computerization. They provided access to specific books, including titles, authors, and where the books are shelved. Index cards are now a thing of the past.
4. Physical Maps
Prior to GPS and smartphones, people used paper maps to find unfamiliar destinations. You had to unfold bulky sheets, follow roads closely, and even ask for directions en route. Kids today are accustomed to digital maps and turn-by-turn directions.
5. Weekly Shows
Before streaming services, if children wanted to watch a show they would have to tune into the given channel at the scheduled time. If you missed it, you would have to wait for a rerun, or perhaps hope it would be on one of the limited channels you had access to.
6. TV Guides
Once upon a time, before we had digital or streaming guides, a TV Guide was one of the only ways to know what was on and when. These paper magazines would list the weekly schedule for every channel, helping viewers navigate their evenings around programs they enjoyed. Now you can watch essentially whatever you want whenever you want.
7. Portable CD Players
Before there were streaming and MP3 players, people listened to music on portable CD players. You carried discs with you, pressed “play,” and sometimes the music skipped while you walked or ran. Now you can just stream songs on your smartphones.
8. VCR Tapes
Before DVDs and streaming, people watched movies and recorded shows on VCR tapes. You had to insert the tape, push play or record, and rewind it when finished. Today, kids instantly stream or download stuff, so the clunky VCR feels from another planet.
9. Pagers
Before cell phones, people used to use pagers to receive short messages or alerts. You could only receive a beep or a numeric code, and then had to locate a phone to call back. Kids these days can instantly text or call from their phones, so pagers are no longer needed.
10. Encyclopedias
Before the internet, if you wanted to research something or learn about a topic, you probably turned to an encyclopedia. Rows and rows of encyclopedias could fill up an entire bookshelf. To find information on a topic, you had to search alphabetically and page through the entire set.
11. Dial-Up Internet
Back before the days of broadband internet, computers used dial-up internet. Dial-up needed a phone line to connect, and it made an obnoxiously loud screeching noise while it connected to websites. Dial-up loading speeds were very slow and often occupied the phone line so no one could make phone calls while on the internet.
12. Calling the Radio
Before streaming and online playlists, music fans used to call radio stations to request songs and time the recording on cassette tapes. You had to wait for the DJ to start the song and hit the record button at just the right time. Now you can stream your music yourself on various devices.
13. Calling the Theater
Long before there were apps and websites, you had to call the theater to ask what movies were playing. You couldn’t look at schedules online; you had to wait for someone to pick up and read you the information. Kids these days can just look on their phones and buy tickets.
14. Hand Crank Windows
In the good old days before power windows, there was the hand crank. You turned it and rolled your window up or down manually. Now, it just takes a press of a button.
15. Juke Boxes
Before streaming and personal listening devices, some restaurants offered tabletop jukeboxes where customers could choose songs to play during a meal. Coins and buttons were used to select favorite tracks. Now kids can instantly stream any song on a speaker or phone.
16. Gas Station Attendants
In the olden days, before self-service became the norm, you had a gas station attendant pump your gas, check your oil, and even wash your windshield. You could sit back and let someone else do all the work at the pump. Kids these days are accustomed to filling their own tanks, so the full-service attendant is ancient history.
Austrian National Library on Unsplash
17. Payphones
Before cell phones were in every hand, people used to use payphones to make calls in public. You needed coins or a phone card to make a call and often had to wait in line. Kids these days with their smartphones might not even recognize the idea of a payphone.
18. Manual Typewriters
People once wrote documents, letters, and reports using manual typewriters before the age of computers. Striking the keys physically pressed ink into the paper using force and accuracy. Mistakes needed to be corrected using whiteout or retyped again.
19. TV Antennas
Before cable and streaming, TVs needed aerials, which required tweaking to get a clear signal. Switching channels meant getting up to twist a dial on the front, and there were usually only three or four stations. Compare that to today, where children can use remote controls to access hundreds of shows.
20. Walkmans
Prior to cell phones and streaming, Walkmans and Discmans allowed you to listen to music while on the go. It required carrying around a cassette or CD, pressing play, and frequently untangling headphones. Kids these days can instantly stream music from their devices, making portable players seem ancient.
