10 Things We Grew Up With That Kids Today Won't Believe Existed

Remember when things were simpler, or at least seemed that way? Today's rapid technological advancements mean that what was once everyday life for us can seem almost unbelievable to the new generation. This list dives into 10 things from not-so-distant past that today’s kids might find hard to wrap their heads around.

Table of Contents

1. Using a Pay Phone
2. Sharing the Internet With the Phone Line
3. Writing in Cursive
4. Entertainment That Isn't On-Demand
5. Mentorship
6. Printing Out Paper Maps and Directions
7. Interacting Civilly With People Who Don't Share Your Views
8. Life Without the Constant Assault of Information
9. How To Be Truly Bored
10. How Hard Previous Generations Worked
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1. Using a Pay Phone

Public pay phone — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Cell phones are arguably the most convenient invention ever, enabling people to become officially untethered from landline phones. The next generations will never understand the inconvenience of tracking down and using a public pay phone (which costs money!) to call someone's house. Looking back, we all had it pretty rough!

2. Sharing the Internet With the Phone Line

Old woman with cordless phone — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Speaking of phones, long before broadband internet became an essential household utility, internet access was shared between the home's phone line. Looking back, this was an incredibly bizarre situation. "They'll never understand the struggle of Internet dial-up noise and the angst of being kicked off the Internet because someone in the house picked up the phone," explains one man.

3. Writing in Cursive

Child Writing in Cursive — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

It's official: learning to write in cursive is a lost art. Back in the day, handwriting classes were standard in elementary school, a stark contrast to schools today. Thanks to computers, learning to write in cursive has become irrelevant. It's a shame; the handwriting skills of certain people were nothing short of beautiful.

4. Entertainment That Isn't On-Demand

Video rental store — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Generations ago, watching a movie and listening to music was more challenging than it is today. Unfortunately, massive technological advancements mean video rental stores and record stores have nearly gone extinct. Future generations will never understand the pain of standing in a Blockbuster with your family and spending hours picking out the perfect movie.

5. Mentorship

Although it's depressing to think about, many people are correct in their assessment that mentorship has fallen by the wayside with each passing generation. "I think that's just the world we live in," laments one woman. "I'm probably one of the youngest people on the team at my current job, and when I ask someone if they could mentor or show me how to do something, the response every time is, 'I'll send you a document, PDF, or YouTube video that explains it.'"

6. Printing Out Paper Maps and Directions

Woman with road map showing thumbs down — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

People today have no idea how difficult it was getting from one place to another before Google Maps and other services became ubiquitous. When going on a road trip, you and your friends had two options: print out turn-by-turn directions or bring along a road map. Voice-guided navigation was only a pipe dream back in the day.

7. Interacting Civilly With People Who Don't Share Your Views

Group of friends playing and interacting — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Unfortunately, we're all too well-versed in engaging in vicious arguments with strangers on the internet. However, it wasn't always this way. "How to interact with people who have different beliefs or views than you is a lost art," explains one man. "Strict school policies and extreme internet censorship have made a lot of people unable to be civil with people they don't agree with."

8. Life Without the Constant Assault of Information

Kid playing outside — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

In 2023, unplugging from the constant information onslaught seems borderline impossible. Future generations will never know the simple joy of living without constant information overload. "There is an actual world outside of your own home (mostly the living room), but compared to my own childhood growing up in the late '70s and early '80s, you rarely see the same amount of kids being outdoors on a regular basis," declares one woman.

9. How To Be Truly Bored

Bored kids — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Before the advent of the internet, cell phones, and nonstop streaming entertainment, kids in previous generations were bored – a lot. However, we made the best of it. By doing so, we taught ourselves how to be happy, productive, and creative when bored, a skill future generations will sadly not have. I bet kids today would panic if they found themselves genuinely bored.

10. How Hard Previous Generations Worked

Man working hard in forest — Image Credit: Shutterstock.

Let's be honest with ourselves; each generation works less hard than the last. Influencer culture has permeated the current generation, and I can only assume things will worsen from here on out. Fewer people know the value of a hard day's work with each passing year.

Source: Reddit.