30 Of The Most Wonderful Things From The Pre-Internet Era, As Told By Members Of This Online Community
The internet in its classical sense is only thirty years old, yet now we have no idea how to live without it. But life was also pretty good in the days before the internet! And in this life, there were a lot of really cool things that we now miss so much.
Actually, the word "we" refers mostly to people who remember those times well. When Facebook was just a collection of photos of your classmates and Amazon was just a kind of parrot. When Pacman was the big game of the year and Michael Jordan was just a budding rookie.
There is an incredibly popular thread on Reddit with 45.5K upvotes and over 17.2K different comments answering just one simple question: "People old enough to remember life pre-internet, what are some less obvious things you miss about that time?"
Bored Panda made a selection of the most nostalgic and warm memories of those wonderful times of cassette recorders, Bird - Magic rivalry and the Back to the Future movie. We guess you guys aren't ready for that yet. But your parents are going to love it.
More info: Reddit
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Leaving home and just being gone for the day. No cell phones. If there were cameras, it was really different. You used them to take pictures of things or had people take pictures of you. But there was no social media to preoccupy your mind. It was just doing something. And whoever you were with, was who you were with.
Before the internet, facts were "curated" in the sense that information came from people with expert knowledge and was distributed by journalists or teachers who were held accountable for accuracy of information. The internet has allowed crazy people to spout rubbish with hardly any filter.
The snake oil saleman has not left the soap box. He simply found a stage. Its stil your job to make your own decisions about information presented to you.
That's true but it's hard when both sides have their own news. The left has their news and the right has their news. It's even worse if people are getting their news from Facebook because they're just getting a bubble of information that they want to hear. I blame this for the reason the US is so split. Not completely obviously but a big reason. The news used to just be the news.
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I have a nonprofit client who says there was a downside to this too - the powerless had fewer means to make their voices heard, which meant that the powerful dominated the narrative to a much greater extent. And the powerful tended to be sexist, racist, etc.
This.This.This. After January 6, a lot of the tech companies increased their censorship...sorry, "filtering of misinformation" The left cheered because it was directed at Republicans/Right-Wingers. Within weeks it was being applied to people on the left who were critical of the Democratic party and/or the US Government. Censorship just gives more power to those that already have it.
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Worse, people are intentionally ignorant. No lie is so outrageous nor truth so solid that they cannot be embraced/ ignored when it fits in with a person distorted world view.
Uh, no. False information has been put out there since we've been printing books. One easy example is history textbooks in US schools. Yellow Journalism is another. And there shouldn't be a filter. Filters (read: censorship) give power to a small group of people to decide what everyone is allowed to see. it does nothing to ensure that what's being put out is truthful.
Look at the lies about Colombus(explorer) and John Smith (Pocahontas).
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Snopes has always been around since the start of the internet and they take pride in their research into correcting misinformation. Too bad the right thinks correct info left wing propaganda or something
SNOPES?? If you think they are the bastion of truth you need to rethink that. They had to retract 60+ articles because one of the founders was caught using fake sources as well as plagiarizing other writers
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How I miss knowing for certain that whatever Walter Kronkite said could be relied on as the truth, at least as it was known at that moment—-and he was never above making a correction of a previous report if the facts he had at the time weren’t correct.
I was in college when the internet really was getting traction. While researching papers, the professors would not allow any information collected from the internet unless it was from a specific journal or university because, "Anyone can put anything on the World Wide Web." I still feel that if you haven't left your home, or even your seat, your "research" is probably flawed or at the very least incomplete.
Facts are still curated by people with knowledge - they just don't bother talking to all the morons.
Whilst that IS true, it is also true that you are able to get MORE information, more in depth knowledge on current affair than ever before. Those who read 'The Daily Mail' before are now simply members of Facebook anti-vaxxer groups. But for those with an interest in news you can actually look at source material for those same stories and confirm that vaccines are safe and worthwhile. More information is available but people will only look as far as their own biases..
Yeah gonna disagree on that one. Facts were still tampered. People just couldn’t check it.
Once heard a GOP spokesperson say something like, "If people believe it, it's a fact." And Kelly Anne herself constantly touted alternative facts. No such thing.
No, there have always been bs artists. Usually an uncle or someone.
Journalists rarely "curate" anymore. 24/7 news began this death spiral. But when sites started using Twitter responses in their reporting, I knew the 4th Estate was dead.
This is a double edged sword. Before the internet people would say things and there wasn't an easy way to fact check them. Now you have the ability to quickly look up any topic and call people out on their b******t. Of course you still need to be able to fact check the fact checkers but it's actually a lot easier now.
Actually.... The internet has made fact checking a while heck of a lot easier, even for the layman, you just have to actually do so.
This is only partly accurate. I'm sorry, but Edison and Columbus were not good men. One stole ideas from those around him to claim as his own, and the other nearly wiped out an entire people. So pardon me for learning online just how assholish they were. Take everything, including what you learn from school, with a grain of salt.
It still is, the problem that places like facebook and bored panda often share (stories and) facts without quoting their sources. AP news, economists, science papers and such are still a thing. If you have not found them, it just means you did not try hard enough to do so.
I completely disagree with this. The curation by so-called experts as described here I would call gatekeeping. The beauty of the internet is that anyone can speak their mind. It's the responsibility of the individual to have a critical mind when it comes to how they interpret the information they come across.
Watch the documentary "Manufacturing Consent" if you think the news has ever been more than a business
I was devasted when I realised the BBC news service could be unreliable and biased I now ensure I tune into several sources before formulating opinions
When you think about it, most "facts" (especially historical) are a matter of perspective. Of course there are things that have been scientifically proven, but there are a vast number of pre-internet things that were misquoted, misinterpreted, or even guessed at based on other historical inaccuracies. I think that with the internet and social media, everything is just SO much, SO fast, that the rate at which we must ingest, mull-over, & react is overwhelming. Especially now that crazy people from all over the world have platforms to band together and spread their crazy 🤪 lol honestly, I think that it's up to us to never lose our sense of wonder and curiosity, to investigate and make up our own minds instead of taking anything at face value 😉
Oh, the facts are 'curated' all right, but just not by any entity without an ulterior motive or hidden agenda. Once upon a time, 'curating' was called 'peer review' and, in most scientific pubs, it still is. We need that discipline on all media, but you can bet invested 'interests' will do anything to prevent it. In some places, they are...journalists are murdered daily.
When you used to play outside and the only curfew you had was when it started getting dark outside.
Simplicity. I don't even know how to describe it. Like my days were filled with playing outside or swimming or reading in tree out front.
The Saturday morning cartoons and sitcoms I watched.
Don't forget Schoolhouse Rock! Conjunction Junction, what's your function?...
For me it would be less negativity. Back then I was less aware of what was going on around the world outside of where I lived but now it’s almost instant coverage of the bad things happening everywhere.
This is a double-edged sword - if you have too little awareness of what’s going on in the world, you won’t be motivated to help put it right, but if you hear too much about it, you get burned out. You have to learn to find that balance.
I miss having an attention span of more than three seconds
Privacy. When you left work or school it was over for the day. There were no further interactions unless they were close friends. Hanging out. Teens and young adults spent a lot of time away from home with friends, at malls, movie theaters, parks, arcades, etc. Dating. You met someone at school, work, at a party, at a bar, or through friend. Money. Cash was king, debit cards didn’t exist, and many businesses didn’t accept credit cards (fast food, for example.) Planners and Address books. Write it down! Appointments, birthdays, addresses, phone numbers, reminders, etc. Photo Albums. Taking the time to buy film for a party or special occasion or just because and having 24 photos you could take (with no way to see the final photo until you took it to be developed.) Road maps. Going anywhere you haven’t been before? Better stop at a gas station and buy a map. Shopping. Go to the store and see what they have. Do the local stores not have what you need? Try looking in a catalog, maybe you can mail order it. Music. On the radio and on MTV. Buy records, cassette, or CDs. Make mix tapes to create your own playlists. If you don’t record it off the radio or buy it there is no way of finding it again. There was so much “not knowing” which made the world seem so much bigger and exotic. Now everything feels noisy and petty.
My formative years were the 1980s. I remember like yesterday going to study in Paris my junior year of college. I got off the plane with no cell phone, no internet, a Let's Go Paris book, and just a hostel address written on a piece of paper I'd stuck in a French dictionary. I did not know a single person in all of France.
I had $500 of cash stuck in a money belt. The belt was tight and sweaty but that money had to last me for at least a month until I could find a part-time job with my lousy French. My "credit card" was my father's credit card numbers written down on a piece of paper. He told me I could only use it to buy a plane ticket home in an emergency.
I remember standing in the airport and having this powerful emotion of being 21 years old, scared shitless, but in absolutely completely control of my own destiny. There was absolutely nobody who could come rushing to my aid if I needed it. I was 100% on my own.
I'm actually very thankful for that experience. I found the hostel. I found a job. I made friends. I learned French. I made it all on my own which was just a big boost in life confidence.
I have no doubt if I'd had a cell phone I would've called my parents on Day 2, told them it was too hard, and been on the next plane home. But I had no other choice but to succeed.
Going to the library to research things. I loved getting a big pile of books on a table, taking notes, getting photocopies. It was an experience in itself.
Also, not being available to everyone all the time. I hate that almost all apps show people when you read their messages or are online. No one needs to know that I read a message and didn't reply for two hours!
There is nothing like browsing stacks. You think you know what you want but can really find a treasure you didn't know was there.
Living in the moment. Memorizing peoples phone numbers. People were less flaky. No manufactured drama over likes and dislikes.
My dad recently stopped having his landline phone. I was actually really sad about that because my parents divorced when I was very young and I learned the number to my dad's pretty fast and it gave me some sense of security that I knew his number by heart and thus would always be able to call him. That is all gone now. I still remember his number and I just can't use it anymore. My dad doesn't know how important his number was to me.
Being at a party and folks not checking their phones. In the good old days you had to interact.
Even in a restaurant, heads are down when there is good company all around the table.
The Sears catalog. That was how I found out about all the cool new toys.
video rental stores. i have such good memories of going to our local Mr. Movie with my dad, renting a sci-fi flick and getting candy at the checkout. streaming is cool and all, but i do miss video rental stores, mainly for nostalgic reasons.
Being in the moment. There was little temptation to be stuck in front of a screen or a phone all of the time.
TV had a schedule and wasn’t in demand, so if something you didn’t like came on you usually went to do something else, like go outside, read a book, or whatever. Life didn’t revolve around screens, and everyone was better off for it.
It sadly seems to take far too much self control to do those things these days.
Tv being on demand imo means more freedom as you can watch what you want when you want instead of adhering to the schedule. Back in the day life *did* revolve around screens becausr if there was a show you were into, most people had to be right there when it aired (getting a tv and vcr with the option to be able to record live tv on vhs wasnt always a possibility for people due to cost and tech saaviness to pull off. plus it was technically illegal)
Reading the newspaper and magazines used to be just about one of my favorite things.
Now it seems pointless to clutter the house with so much paper when I can access all of it online - but of course I don't. I pick and choose just a few articles, I don't really browse the way I would before and I encounter a lot fewer new or enlightening things.
Getting the Sunday New York Times and then going out for brunch and reading it with your friends/dates was such a treat.
I used to get so excited when my favorite magazines came in the mail, I'd immediately sit down and leaf through them and see what was worth reading right away and what could wait.
This is gonna sound dumb but... getting lost. Like, it was bad a lot of the time too but sometimes not knowing exactly where you were going led to unexpected and awesome consequences.
I sometimes make myself be lost. I do have my phone with me, usually, but I won't check google maps to see where I am. Sometimes it's nice to just explore and be in the present. Sure, my anxiety will go bananas while I am lost.... but when I figure out where I am/how to get to my destination, I feel like I conquered something bad in my self. And that feels good! :)
When you bought new music you just had to hope it was good. The single might be popular but otherwise unless someone had it you just bought it and hoped for the best.
The instant win bottle caps / candy / chocolate bar wrappers where you could turn them back into the store and immediately get a free one. Now it's just codes you have to register on their website so they can get your info, i don't even bother anymore.
Walkers crisps (Lays?) used to do a giveaway with actual cash in little sachets - quite often you’d get £5 or £10 notes. Some people even claimed to have got £20!
Sitting down in the evening to read a book because there was nothing on tv. With today’s streaming services, there is so much more media being produced - and it’s all available at the click of a button whenever you damn well please. It can easily become an endless loop of what to watch next. I remember when there used to be 8 channels. You either had to watch “General Hospital” or find something better to do.
You had to call someone's home phone number and talk to their parents first before you could talk to your friend
Video game cheat codes either spread by gaming magazines or by word of mouth. Sometimes that word of mouth was b******t. I'm looking at you Tomb Raider nude cheat code
RSVPing mattered. If you said you were going to be there, you made sure to be there. None of this facebook invites that everyone blows off without any form of social repercussions. If you said you were going to go and didn't go, you were the a*****e and everyone knew it.
People would forget things you did that where maybe not the smartest..
The effort that people made to stay in touch. Now, it is effortless, but people don't bother with anything but social media.
Back then, when people made appointments, they make effort to turn up for the appointments at said time. Now, it isn't uncommon to get a text that say 'Will be late' and turning up an hour later. Or just plain not turn up.
News only being on at 6pm. That was it. Now we have 6 hours of local news and 24 hours of cable news. Not being bombarded all day with "news." And when you saw "Breaking News" on the screen you knew some serious s**t went down.
Edit: My old brain interpreted "pre internet" as "when you were a kid". So yeah cable news was a thing ore internet. But you all know what I mean. When I was a kid local news was noon for 30 minutes and 6pm for 30 minutes, then Network news was 6:39 for 39 minutes. I think local might have had an 11pm too but I don't remember for sure.
Innocence.
The ease at which even a kid can gain access to the scariest of content (or super serious content) is such a drastic change from the 90s early 2000s.
Mix tapes.
I still have a tape player. And I can make mix taoes on it. AND I have a few tapes that hasn't been opened yet. Some day I'm gonna make a mix tape of all my fav music of all time and I'll give it to my kids to hear. They won't be able to just skip the songs they don't like. Lol.
The absolute absence of push notifications.
Life just waited for you like a good person.
Unless someone very gossipy liked to call your house and "push" whatever notification they wanted you to have.
Note: this post originally had 48 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
As a kid I was poor and frequently bored, and I discovered you could call airlines, ask them for travel posters, and they would mail them to you free of charge. Big, beautiful, full-color posters of exotic destinations. My room was completely covered with these free posters, and this is probably part of the reason I love to travel today.
I used to do something similar. I loved cars as a kid (still do) and my Dad would buy me car magazines that often had adverts for prestige motor dealers. I would write letters to them telling them how much I loved Ferraris, Lambos, Astons, etc and a few weeks later I would get a poster tube in the mail with all these cool, huge posters and keyrings.
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It would be nice to see a list about ways the access to internet/cell phone has made lives better. So many articles wax nostalgic for the older days. Personally. I love the access to instant information, fact-checking, ease of communication.checking on family members, appointments, online ordering... I think moderation is key.
I finally got a smartphone a couple months ago, and yes it is nice to be able to look things up on the go, check on the cat via a webcam, or send a quick text with a photo to an out-of-state relative. Moderation is indeed the key. As my awareness of what the new phone can do grows, I'm noticing the potential to lose a certain feel of engagement with life. I don't want to let that happen!
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I miss having a shared frame of reference with everyone. When we only had 4-5 TV channels, you could guarantee you'd all be watching the same shows each evening, have the same information about the same issues and, in a way, a sense of national conscience. Now there is so much media available I struggle to find commonalities with most people outside my immediate peer group.
That's a really good observation. There are so many more options available for so many more things these days! Not just media but clothes, cars, home decor, lifestyle, food, recreation, and on and on. So many choices can be liberating, but also divisive.
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It was nice not having to listen to some loudmouth idiot's phone calls in the middle of a restaurant.
I miss my husband. He was jovial, encouraging, and kinder before his job was automated. Now he struggles with temper, wastes time on tech learning curves, and has lost interest in building models and handcrafts around the house. He's an architect. I think tech kind of ruined our lives.
These are kind of annoying and pointless- no one is forcing you to be on the internet all of the time, you can still have/do all of the things on this list
True. And folks can turn off push notifications and ignore their devices if they really want some peace and quiet.
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Talking to the Operator when you made a phone call. Yes, I am that old.
Not all major incidents/events came with associated conspiracy theories, correct or otherwise. There simply wasn’t a large platform like the internet to allow exponential spread.
The idea the earth is flat has existed for a long time, and the moonlanding being fake or the murder on jfk are all events people had conspiracies theories about, which spread far enough for people to believe even today.
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i can't relate to 90% of these "positive" memories. we were observed by neighbors, school was a boring chore, information was painfully scarce, good books rare, superstition and false information plentiful ... and the rest i read here is a simple lack of self-discipline and/or -management.
If you feel that good books are rare, it is a comment on the holes in your education and on how little time you've spent in libraries.
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Not gonna lie, some of these act like we are forced to be on our phones and internet 24/7. You can leave your phone at home, you can turn off your notifications, you can just be clear you don't want work contact outside work hours, you can still pick up a book ans go outside etc.
What happened at your school or in your neighborhood, stayed there. It didn't end up on social media for the entire world. If a kid was bullied in school it stayed there and usually in that particular class. It did not spread all over the school and follow the victim 24/7 until they snapped and decided to shoot up the place.
Hi all! I am part of the new generation and I have to say, why isn't the world like this. This entire age sounds amazing! I love to read and chat with friends! Not too sure about the 13th one though...🤣
I grew up in the 80s and yes it was a blast! But for all the things in this list feel like things I don't want to do but "an exotic unknown force pushes my cellphone in my palm and presses my fingers on its screen"! If you find it difficult to stay away from your device, the problem is not the year you live in... It's YOU. Decide the time you are willing to spend on your device, read a book, go for a walk, invite a friend for a conversation. Honestly it's not that hard! Don't search for excuses to cover the lack of will.
Trusting your family physician to give you the best and most accurate medical advice.
So many of these things are things that can still happen for you if you choose it. Get over FOMO and ignore your phone...unless it's your mom.
Some of the old ways were great some however where not ... We could go back we would all just have to decide to .. Only problem is our monkey brains crave it.
Calling home collect and saying, "Mom, pick us up from the mall! We'll be at the May D&F entrance!" (How many of you recognize that May D&F reference?)
I was bullied throughout my school days, years. When I went home the bullying stopped, there was no Facebook where kids could find me and tell me to kill myself or whatever. I don’t even think my bullies ever thought to tell someone to do that. So glad the internet was a new thing when I was younger.
I miss one phone per house. So when you called someone, anyone might answer. Their mom, sister, etc. If you were calling a relative, this meant you got to talk with other cousins or aunts and uncles. If you were calling a friend you got to know other people in their family. This ended up making your connections stronger.
I used to love getting prizes in cereal boxes, or you could save up the coupons. My brother and I got the entire set of the die cast vintage lorries and cardboard village. There was a cornflakes one, Boots...can't remember the others now.
I really really miss not having to prepay for my gasoline everytime I need to fill up🤯
On the plus side, though, no more losing an hour trying to find your friends because they're not where you arranged to meet. No cyber fraud, just a emergency tenner in your bra to get home with. No panicking because you're late for a meeting and can't reschedule it. No more waiting in for the phone to ring.
Some of these seem ok to me, but others are things which reduces or vanished due to excessive inflation, and rising crime rates, or people now being able to use their phone, or the internet to enjoy themselves when forced to be around people they don't want to be around. Unfortunately, this list seems to be more filled with stuff that is more of a "when I was young..." sorry of nostalgia, even though it can be done now, or reduced/stopped due to economic disparity, not the ability for internet access instead of doing the listed activity.
UK here. I would love to have my kids education. They have so many different people to help them. I loved my childhood. We had something to do every day.
I miss relying on books to find what you needed instead of Google. I miss payphones. I miss the lack of social media and have some semblance of privacy. I miss not knowing the time everywhere you went.
Across the board near enough everything has gotten better with the internet. My one cozy nostalgic memory though is buying CD's and reading the little book thing that they came with them and just learning everything about who made it etc. Jay-Z has a skit on his forth album talking about this. But don't believe the hype of this thread, things are better now.
Agreed, especially about doing the deep dive booklet read on an album
Load More Replies... As a kid I was poor and frequently bored, and I discovered you could call airlines, ask them for travel posters, and they would mail them to you free of charge. Big, beautiful, full-color posters of exotic destinations. My room was completely covered with these free posters, and this is probably part of the reason I love to travel today.
I used to do something similar. I loved cars as a kid (still do) and my Dad would buy me car magazines that often had adverts for prestige motor dealers. I would write letters to them telling them how much I loved Ferraris, Lambos, Astons, etc and a few weeks later I would get a poster tube in the mail with all these cool, huge posters and keyrings.
Load More Replies... It would be nice to see a list about ways the access to internet/cell phone has made lives better. So many articles wax nostalgic for the older days. Personally. I love the access to instant information, fact-checking, ease of communication.checking on family members, appointments, online ordering... I think moderation is key.
I finally got a smartphone a couple months ago, and yes it is nice to be able to look things up on the go, check on the cat via a webcam, or send a quick text with a photo to an out-of-state relative. Moderation is indeed the key. As my awareness of what the new phone can do grows, I'm noticing the potential to lose a certain feel of engagement with life. I don't want to let that happen!
Load More Replies... I miss having a shared frame of reference with everyone. When we only had 4-5 TV channels, you could guarantee you'd all be watching the same shows each evening, have the same information about the same issues and, in a way, a sense of national conscience. Now there is so much media available I struggle to find commonalities with most people outside my immediate peer group.
That's a really good observation. There are so many more options available for so many more things these days! Not just media but clothes, cars, home decor, lifestyle, food, recreation, and on and on. So many choices can be liberating, but also divisive.
Load More Replies... It was nice not having to listen to some loudmouth idiot's phone calls in the middle of a restaurant.
I miss my husband. He was jovial, encouraging, and kinder before his job was automated. Now he struggles with temper, wastes time on tech learning curves, and has lost interest in building models and handcrafts around the house. He's an architect. I think tech kind of ruined our lives.
These are kind of annoying and pointless- no one is forcing you to be on the internet all of the time, you can still have/do all of the things on this list
True. And folks can turn off push notifications and ignore their devices if they really want some peace and quiet.
Load More Replies... Talking to the Operator when you made a phone call. Yes, I am that old.
Not all major incidents/events came with associated conspiracy theories, correct or otherwise. There simply wasn’t a large platform like the internet to allow exponential spread.
The idea the earth is flat has existed for a long time, and the moonlanding being fake or the murder on jfk are all events people had conspiracies theories about, which spread far enough for people to believe even today.
Load More Replies... i can't relate to 90% of these "positive" memories. we were observed by neighbors, school was a boring chore, information was painfully scarce, good books rare, superstition and false information plentiful ... and the rest i read here is a simple lack of self-discipline and/or -management.
If you feel that good books are rare, it is a comment on the holes in your education and on how little time you've spent in libraries.
Load More Replies... Not gonna lie, some of these act like we are forced to be on our phones and internet 24/7. You can leave your phone at home, you can turn off your notifications, you can just be clear you don't want work contact outside work hours, you can still pick up a book ans go outside etc.
What happened at your school or in your neighborhood, stayed there. It didn't end up on social media for the entire world. If a kid was bullied in school it stayed there and usually in that particular class. It did not spread all over the school and follow the victim 24/7 until they snapped and decided to shoot up the place.
Hi all! I am part of the new generation and I have to say, why isn't the world like this. This entire age sounds amazing! I love to read and chat with friends! Not too sure about the 13th one though...🤣
I grew up in the 80s and yes it was a blast! But for all the things in this list feel like things I don't want to do but "an exotic unknown force pushes my cellphone in my palm and presses my fingers on its screen"! If you find it difficult to stay away from your device, the problem is not the year you live in... It's YOU. Decide the time you are willing to spend on your device, read a book, go for a walk, invite a friend for a conversation. Honestly it's not that hard! Don't search for excuses to cover the lack of will.
Trusting your family physician to give you the best and most accurate medical advice.
So many of these things are things that can still happen for you if you choose it. Get over FOMO and ignore your phone...unless it's your mom.
Some of the old ways were great some however where not ... We could go back we would all just have to decide to .. Only problem is our monkey brains crave it.
Calling home collect and saying, "Mom, pick us up from the mall! We'll be at the May D&F entrance!" (How many of you recognize that May D&F reference?)
I was bullied throughout my school days, years. When I went home the bullying stopped, there was no Facebook where kids could find me and tell me to kill myself or whatever. I don’t even think my bullies ever thought to tell someone to do that. So glad the internet was a new thing when I was younger.
I miss one phone per house. So when you called someone, anyone might answer. Their mom, sister, etc. If you were calling a relative, this meant you got to talk with other cousins or aunts and uncles. If you were calling a friend you got to know other people in their family. This ended up making your connections stronger.
I used to love getting prizes in cereal boxes, or you could save up the coupons. My brother and I got the entire set of the die cast vintage lorries and cardboard village. There was a cornflakes one, Boots...can't remember the others now.
I really really miss not having to prepay for my gasoline everytime I need to fill up🤯
On the plus side, though, no more losing an hour trying to find your friends because they're not where you arranged to meet. No cyber fraud, just a emergency tenner in your bra to get home with. No panicking because you're late for a meeting and can't reschedule it. No more waiting in for the phone to ring.
Some of these seem ok to me, but others are things which reduces or vanished due to excessive inflation, and rising crime rates, or people now being able to use their phone, or the internet to enjoy themselves when forced to be around people they don't want to be around. Unfortunately, this list seems to be more filled with stuff that is more of a "when I was young..." sorry of nostalgia, even though it can be done now, or reduced/stopped due to economic disparity, not the ability for internet access instead of doing the listed activity.
UK here. I would love to have my kids education. They have so many different people to help them. I loved my childhood. We had something to do every day.
I miss relying on books to find what you needed instead of Google. I miss payphones. I miss the lack of social media and have some semblance of privacy. I miss not knowing the time everywhere you went.
Across the board near enough everything has gotten better with the internet. My one cozy nostalgic memory though is buying CD's and reading the little book thing that they came with them and just learning everything about who made it etc. Jay-Z has a skit on his forth album talking about this. But don't believe the hype of this thread, things are better now.
Agreed, especially about doing the deep dive booklet read on an album
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