Alright guys, every now and then, I love to reminisce about being a carefree child, and as I was going down memory lane, I came to the realization that there are a number of things that my son (today’s kids) will grow up without.
I loved being a 90’s kid, and here were some of my favorite childhood hobbies/memories that my son one day will either 1) look at me with confusion wondering what I am talking about and/or 2) think I am as ancient as dinosaurs:
{1} Blockbuster/Movie Rental Nights. It was such a treat to get to take a drive to the local video rental shop and get to cruise the kid section trying to pick the perfect movie for the night.Although we would rent movies year round, the thrill was definitely real of deliberately staying up late on a summer night, lounging in your summer pj’s, relaxed with a snack in hand and the chill of the fan. Ohh, the #feelgood memories.
{2} Taking photos & having to wait to view them, since you had to get them developed. Yup, the good ole days of either using a disposable camera or film in a camera; either way, you couldn’t immediately view or share them.
{3} Recording Music Off the Radio. Gone are the days in which you would use a blank cassette tape to record your favorite jams from the radio.
{4} Navigating without Navigation. Do you remember the days where your parents would simply drive from place to place or take a roadtrip and just knew where they were going without navigation in the middle of the dashboard? Well, of course there were the “Thomas Guide” map books, which many folks had a crate of in their trunk. They most likely reviewed their route via the Thomas Guide prior to a new trip or had their passenger helping them navigate, but, nonetheless, it was always admirable watching them navigate around without step-by-step instructions, “Turn left in 500 feet.” I have no idea how I would get around new places nowadays without WAZE.
{5} Dial-Up Internet. I was in the 7th grade when my parents bought a family computer. Needless to say, it was huge compared to today’s norm, but man oh man, were we excited! We would need to wait for our turn to use the computer to surf the dial-up web (yes, I said dial-up), to load so that we can look up the latest trends.
Remember the days when you would log onto the internet and announce the news to your entire household? Announce it, not so that everyone knew where you were and what you were doing, but so that they would not pick up the telephone. [Only some may understand the affiliation.]
{6} Using Floppy Disks. Create a school project at home but need to print it in the library? No problem! A floppy disk can help with that. A floppy disk was the original usb drive, but with a much smaller capacity of storage
To think of it, I actually still have some photos and papers from high-school on floppy disks. Should I just toss them or try to get the data transferred off? Hmmm….
{7} Writing & Passing Notes in School. Enough said. I don’t really know any teens, but I am highly confident to believe that most messaging is done via texts.
{8} Memorizing a New Phone #. Lord help us now, if and when we don’t have a cell or piece of paper to jot down a number! With a cell phone in just about everyone’s reachable access, there is no need to learn a phone number.
{9} Planning a Whole day at the Mall. Yes, this was a “thing”, especially in middle school. My girlfriends and I would plan a day, or hours (11AM -7:00PM), at the mall. No, not to shop all day, but really, just to socialize with friends, eat, etc.
{10} Playing Outside All Day. I know some of you reading this are probably thinking, “What is Laura talking about? Kids still play outside.” Yes, they do, but this is not the norm, or preferred entertainment nowadays. Kids have video games, TV, their cell phones, computers/computer gaming, etc. If they even play outside, I highly doubt, it’s all day/ 6+ hours at a time.
{11} Talking on the Phone. Yes, I know kids/people still talk on the phone but it is no longer the norm that we look forward to on a daily basis. Hear me out. As a teenager, it was a nightly routine/privilege to look forward to chatting with a friend or two on the family phone, which was normally mounted on the kitchen wall or in the living room. Nowadays, teens/kids, have access to their personal cell phone which many have access to holding conversations in privacy; that’s if they even actually speak on the phone. In today’s world as we know it, everyone seems to prefer texting or emailing.
Guys, thank you so much for reading, I genuinely appreciate it.
Please share your thoughts on my points and/or things you did as a kid that today’s generation may be missing out on.
