So. Damn. True. Kids just don’t understand how good they have it with the internet these days. Hell, most of them can whip out their phones and google anything in seconds.
The idea of kids hanging out these days consists (mostly) of some sort of technology and maybe some snacks. Sadly, the day of kids running around playing red rover, cops and robbers, shark tag, etc, are long gone. Truth be told, I coach youth rugby and half of the kids had no idea what cops and robbers was.
While these kick ass pencils still do exist, the truth is that they just aren’t as popular anymore. Also, based on how soft everyone is nowadays I would imagine that a kid doing the old “fake injection” would get a month of detention and a stern talking to or something.
Look, I know we’ve beaten the “last Blockbuster” thing to death, but hey, ask an 18 year old about Blockbuster and watch them come up with some sort of Mine Craft reference.
A kid nowadays will see this thing and laugh at the ancient technology that stands before them. But back in the day, this thing was a damn IMAX screen that made you the most popular kid on the block.
While there are not apps and you likely couldn’t take a very good selfie on them, the flip phone granted you one gift that smart phones can not: the ability to slap the thing shut with one hand after a call and looking like a complete legend when doing so. Also, most of these phones had “snake” on it and that was fun as shit.
Remember when you used to be able to check how much battery life you had left… on the actual battery?R.I.P. to your thumb. Do kids even know what a battery looks like nowadays? Ask a kid what a double-A is the next time you get a chance.
McDonald’s in the 80’s was something else. It was like… an actual kingdom of happiness and fun. Nowadays, most McDonald’s restaurants have converted into the “modernized” form of the chain- it looks clean cut, somewhat fancy, but that childish charm is long gone.
Kids nowadays will look at this whip and think about how lame it looks. Back in the day? This wagon was dropping panties like a rapper with tattoos all over his face would be doing nowadays. God that makes me sad.
Charging station? Art instillation? Individual places to eat for the lonely or those who need space? Nope. Former pay phone station.
When a hot new album drops, kids can download them and have them on their phones in seconds. There used to be a time where you’d have to haul your ass to the store and pray to god that the CD or Cassette (or vinyl) hasn’t sold out yet.
Even if you don’t download the album, you can find it on YouTube. If we missed out on a CD back in the day we’d bike to our friends house who had it.
If you’re in an argument over something nowadays, one can simply whip out the phone and look up the answer to settle things once and for all. Back then? This was the only damn source you had. Even FURTHER back? You’d have to trek your ass to the library and find it in a book.
“Hand over the aux” is a common term in the car nowadays. Back then, though, it was either cassette tapes or CDs. Both were annoying to deal with. To be honest I still use burned CD’s in my car and it’s actually kind of fun writing the songs out on them.
Some movies used to be so long that you’d have to watch it on two VHS tapes. Also, you’d have to trust that the last person to watch the movie had the heart to rewind it so that you weren’t sitting there for 6 hours doing it yourself.
Shit, the car’s broken.
Naw, it’s only the best seat in the damn house. DIBS!
No, it doesn’t vibrate. No, you can’t choose what song you wanted it to play. However, you did have the choice between “radio station in which it’ll either be an actual song or two people talking” and “loudest and most annoying noise you’ve ever heard” to wake you up!
While theater postings still exist in newspapers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a kid who opts to find out what shows are playing on anything but their phone or computer.
Because computers were so damn expensive, most computers in the 80s and 90s- hell, even the early 2000s, were considered “family computers”. They were often found in the living room. Sorry fellas, no Porn Hub while mommy and daddy watch “Who’s Line”.
Some of us were a little bit sketched out about the whole “y2k” thing. Technology, man.
Being a G ain’t easy. Or at least, it wasn’t easy. Cleaning your mouse to make sure shit ran smoothly was actually thought to be an inconvenience back then.
You try driving for 30 minutes looking for a street only to realize you must have missed it.
What are some things you’d say Gen Z kids wouldn’t understand? Let us know.
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