These days, technology is literally moving faster than it ever has before, with miraculous innovation after miraculous innovation at our disposal at an almost imperceptible rate.
It’s a thrilling time to be alive, but we have to admit that we wish the younger generation– i.e. those dang Millennials!–knew what it was like to actually have to read a map or learn cursive. (We know we sound like our grandmother, and we don’t care!)
Let’s take a walk down memory lane to relish a simpler time. Here are 17 items from our youth that kids these days just don’t understand…
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The Rotary Phone
Long, LONG, before the touchscreen reigned, we were forced to make outgoing calls with this contraption. A worthy workout for the fingers, at least!
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The VCR
Fun fact: When VCRs first hit the market in 1977, one of these high-tech devices would set you back $1,280—that’s $4,600 in today’s cash!
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The Floppy Disk
These days, we all rely on the Cloud (or USB drives if we’re feeling really “retro”), but well into the 1990s, our programs and personal information were still stored on these rectangular disks. Ah, memories!
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The Car Window Crank
Back in the day, spinning this lever over and over and OVER again was the only you could open– or close–your car’s windows!
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The Phone Book
This predecessor to the internet search was heavy, printed with a font that required a magnifying glass to read, and could even give you a paper cut. Thank you, Google!
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The Pay Phone
Long gone are the days when you were made to put a grimy public pay phone up to your ear to let your mom know that you weren’t going to make your midnight curfew. Those were the days, huh?
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The Check Book
The fairly recent invention of virtual bank accounts has made the trusty check almost completely obsolete. In fact, a recent study by Statistic Brain confirms that very few people still balance their checkbooks, and 69% of participants said that they have NEVER done this chore before! Our high school economics teachers would be appalled.
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The Pager
What once was the epitome of wealth and status is now pretty much impossible to find— unless you are in the medical profession, that is. Believe it or not, a whopping 85% of hospitals still rely on pagers. At least someone is putting this dated gadget to good use!
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The Not-So-Flat Screen
Before kids would spend their Saturday nights huddled around their laptops “Netflix and chilling,” we were fighting with our family members for the remote control!
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The Walkman
Sure, The Walkman might have been considered cutting edge when it first launched back in 1979, but it’s been well over a generation since music lovers started saying goodbye to these portable music players.
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The File Cabinet
Anyone who worked as a secretary back in the day knows the laborious task that was “filing.” These days, even the most old-school doctor’s offices are going digital!
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The Rolodex
Remember when you had to twirl this contraption around to find your aunt’s address? Yep, we do, too. Come to think of it, we kind of miss that thing!
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The Fax Machine
While we may miss the Rolodex, we sure DON’T miss the fax machine. Yep, we certainly don’t miss the glitches, the not-so-user-friendly design, and that horrid sound it would make. Thank goodness for email!
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The GPS Navigation Device
We know, we know— you can technically still buy one of these suckers, but have you ever seen anyone under the age of 35 use one?
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The Disposable Camera
Remember when you only had 24 opportunities to capture the perfect shot?
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The Printed Encyclopedia
Anyone who was anyone had a full set of the Encyclopedia Brittanicas proudly on display in their living room!
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The Classifieds Section
Sure, most newspapers still have the classifieds, but when was the last time you kicked off your job search by thumbing through one?
If you aren’t feeling nostalgic right about now, then you may just be just too young! We’d love to hear your thoughts on this list. Which item sparked the most memories? Which items do you not miss at all? Do you have any additional ones you would like to add to this list?