Society has changed a lot over the past few decades. The younger generation does not even remember the time before the advent of smartphones.
Recently, baby boomers shared their thoughts on things today’s youth will never understand, and their comments were eye-opening, to say the least.
Call to cinema
One person said, “Called the cinema to listen to the tape showing the times of the movies.”
Before the Internet, getting information required actually picking up the phone. Others have joined in on similar stories of calling on a fixed line to report school closures due to snow, or having to watch local TV news to see if your school is on the list.
Viewing the draft lottery
Another man mentioned, “Watched the draft lottery to see if your number would be low enough to be drafted into the war. [in Vietnam]”.
Several people noted that they looked anxiously to see if they would call their number or the number of a loved one.
Recording your favorite songs from the radio
Before the age of YouTube and Spotify, people didn’t have access to any song ever recorded on demand. One person recalled waiting patiently for your favorite song to play on the radio and being ready to hit “record” as soon as it started.
People were unavailable 24/7
Before everyone had a cell phone in their pocket, “people couldn’t always get through to you, and that was a good thing.”
“Constant connection really changes the way of life,” one man remarked.
Clear your calendar to watch TV shows
Remember when you had to be home at the right time to watch your favorite TV show? Their younger generation has no idea of a world without on-demand streaming.
“If two shows were shown on TV at the same time and on the same day, a choice had to be made. No DVR, no VCR, no On Demand,” commented one user.
Encyclopedias and file cabinets
Thirty years ago there was no Wikipedia or online news archives. If you had to write a school research paper, you had to go to a real library, shuffle the card file and find a book on the subject.
One user commented on their experience: “You need to make a report on the topic. No Internet. There is no encyclopedia on disk. Go to a real library to find someone in your class who has already borrowed a single book on the subject.”
Everyone smoked everywhere
“Smoking EVERYWHERE,” one user noted. “Theatres, airplanes, offices, hospitals, trains, restaurants, schools…and outrage when it was finally banned.”
Remembering phone numbers
“A long time ago, you had to REMEMBER people’s phone numbers. You even bought little books to write them down,” said one user. “I will never forget my parents’ phone number in our house while I was growing up. But their current mobile phone numbers? They’re saved on my iPhone and I probably won’t even be able to tell you the first three numbers.”
Photo development
Before there were digital cameras and then mobile phone cameras, you had to buy rolls of film and process them. The younger generation has no idea about owning a dedicated camera, let alone taking film to the store for processing, and not even knowing if the pictures have been good for weeks or months.
Bored in the bathroom
One user recalls doing just about anything to avoid being distracted from work in the toilet, which the younger generation could not understand.
“Stuck in the toilet for a while and read shampoo bottles, bags of soap bars, and anything else that might be within reach of the toilet.”
Millennials and Generation Z – now it’s your turn
Did the boomers do the right thing? We hope you enjoyed this Ask Reddit thread about things the younger generation just don’t understand. Now about the younger generation – what do boomers not understand?
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Andrew Herrig is a financial expert and financial nerd, and the founder of Wealthy Nickel, where he writes about personal finance, part-time jobs, and entrepreneurship. As an avid real estate investor and owner of several businesses, he has a passion for helping others create wealth and shares his family’s experiences on his blog.
Andrew holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Texas at Dallas and a Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University. He has worked as a financial analyst and accountant in many aspects of the financial world.
Andrew’s expert financial advice has been featured on CNBC, Entrepreneur, Fox News, GOBankingRates, MSN and more.
