The world has gotten very different over the years, with all the new technology. Things that were common, such as waiting for photos to dry or using a paper map, seem like a long time ago. Millennials have grown up with smartphones, instantaneous solutions, everything on demand. Because of that, there are everyday struggles and experiences from the past they will never understand. Here are 12 things that highlight just how different real life used to be.
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Waiting for Dial-Up Internet
The internet wasn’t instantly accessible back in the day. You had to wait for the dial-up connection, with loud screeching noises. It was slow, and if anyone answered the phone, the connection dropped. The millennial generation was brought up with the internet being faster, so they’ll never know how long it took to load a webpage or send an email.
Using a Paper Map
The pre-GPS way of finding your way was to lay out a massive paper map and figure out a route yourself. If you took a wrong turn, you couldn’t rely on a voice to guide you back. Millennials, who have never been without GPS or mobile apps, can’t imagine how difficult it is to take long trips in this way.
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Memorizing Phone Numbers
Once, you had to keep everyone’s phone number in mind or write it down. There was no list of contacts to store them for you. Millennials, who are cellular-phone children, will never be able to recall using a notebook or a little black book to remember vital numbers.
Waiting for Photos to Develop
Taking pictures was a matter of shooting it with film and waiting days for it to be developed. You didn’t delete bad photos or take hundreds of selfies. The millennials mastered digital cameras and instant photos, so they’ll never get the excitement—or disappointment—of picking up prints.
Watching TV on a Schedule
Back in the day, you couldn’t rewatch your favorite show if it wasn’t on rerun. There were no streaming services or DVRs to record it later. The millennial generation that is accustomed to on-demand will not remember the stress of having to reschedule your night so you can watch one show.
Writing Letters by Hand
Before email and texting, correspondence took the form of letters. It took time, effort, and even weeks to hear back. Millennials, who have grown up on the instant messaging scene, may never know the beauty and patience of handwritten correspondence.
Renting Movies from a Store
Friday evenings meant going to the video rental store, scouring the shelves for a movie, and hoping it wasn’t already rented. Millennials raised on streaming services won’t ever get the joy – or anguish – of stumbling across the final VHS copy of an old classic.
Being Unreachable
Before cell phones, there were times when no one could reach you. When you weren’t at home, your friends had to leave a message on your answering machine and wait for you to return their call. Millennials who have always carried a mobile device can’t envision a world without connection.
Using Physical Encyclopedias
When you needed to do some research, you went to the library or whipped out an encyclopedia set at home. No one googled answers. Millennials were raised on the internet, and therefore never had to read thick books to find information.
Fixing Things Yourself
When things broke, people tended to fix them rather than spend money on new ones. Manuals, tools and a bit of creativity got the job done. Millennials, who live in a throwaway culture and consume things in the name of convenience, would replace rather than repair. They have never felt accomplished when fixing something.
Waiting for the Mail
Once upon a time, bills, bank statements, other updates, etc. all arrived in the mail. There was no refreshing your inbox to receive updates at once. Millennials accustomed to emails and digital alerts will never understand what it’s like to wait for the postman.
Spending Time Without Screens
Life before smartphones and tablets meant finding other ways to entertain yourself. They read books, or played outside, or conversed with one another in person without the screen. For millennials, who are used to living on their digital devices, life might never be the same without it.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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