My six-year-old asked me this question and it made me wonder if she would ever use one. There are so many things my kids don’t understand because things have changed. And though I try to change with the times, I find myself telling my kids how much better they have it (just like my parents used to tell me). And it’s true. The facts are the facts. So, here’s a list of things my kids likely will never experience.
Phonebooks
Film cameras
TV commercials that can’t be fast-forwarded
Scheduled radio and TV programming – since pretty much everything is available on demand
Non-microwave popcorn
TV Guide Magazine/Book
(Got the TV Guide picture from a blog called B-Side on which the author posted ads from this 1986 issue).
Phones with cords
Aqua Net Hairspray (Unless there’s a potato cannon involved)
Paper Maps
Cars without movie players
Saturday morning cartoons - now you can watch Dora 24/7
After-school Specials
Pink Ice Jewelry
Menudo
Big thick TVs with no remote
Enormous stereo systems (that had enormous head phones to go with them)
A Walkman
A boombox on your shoulder (um, why was that cool?)
Jelly shoes. I guess crocs are the modern-day version of those.
A Mix Tape
The orignal MTV
Man, do I feel old. But, here are a few I’d add to your list:
Answering Machines
Record Players
Encyclopedias
Videotapes and CDs
Fax Machines
Books / Newspapers / Libraries (the horror – if the eBook really takes off, hard copy will no longer be necessary…I simply can’t fathom this)
** I saw a recent article discussing things children born in 2011 will never know. I remember many of the items I listed from that article.
A busy signal
A 45 or 33….I miss the feel of vinyl!
wow….brings me back…WAY back. I love it.