Lisa O
Two decades doesn’t seem like that long ago—until you look back at the little things we used to do every day. What once felt totally normal now feels outdated, awkward, or just plain odd in today’s fast-moving, digital world. From how we communicated to how we entertained ourselves, here are 15 things that were second nature back then but would feel strange today.
Printing Out Directions from MapQuest
There was a time when taking a trip meant sitting down at your desktop, typing your destination into MapQuest, and printing out a list of turn-by-turn directions. You’d carry that stack of papers in your car and try to read while driving—or hope your passenger could give decent directions. Now that we’ve got real-time GPS on our phones, printing directions feels like trying to navigate with a scroll.
Calling Someone Just to Chat
Two decades ago, people picked up the phone to talk just because they felt like it—no scheduling, no texting first, no context needed. If the phone rang, you answered it, even if you weren’t expecting a call. These days, most people would rather get a text first or let it go to voicemail. Random calls now feel like interruptions, not friendly catch-ups.
Paying for Ringtones
Remember scrolling through your flip phone trying to find the perfect ringtone to match your mood—and paying $2.99 for 30 seconds of a popular song? It was a whole thing, especially if you wanted a different tone for every contact. Now, people mostly keep their phones on silent or vibrate, and paying for a ringtone would feel like tossing money into the wind.
Burning CDs for Your Friends
Whether it was a mix for a crush or a road trip, we shared our favorite music by burning CDs. You’d spend hours picking songs, arranging them just right, and even decorating the disc with Sharpie art. Today, you just share a playlist link in seconds. Burning a CD now feels like a long-lost ritual from a slower, more sentimental time.
Taking a Digital Camera Everywhere
Carrying a small digital camera in your purse or pocket was totally normal—how else were you supposed to take photos at parties, trips, or school events? You had to wait until you got home to upload the pictures; half of them were blurry. Now that everyone has a camera in their phone, the idea of packing a separate one feels like overkill unless you’re a professional.
Saving Important Stuff to Floppy Disks
Floppy disks were once the go-to way to save school papers, work files, or even family photos. You’d label each one and hope it didn’t get corrupted or lost. With just 1.44 MB of storage, they couldn’t hold much—but they were all we had. Now, with cloud storage and flash drives, trusting something that is fragile and tiny for anything important feels totallybizarre.
Watching TV at a Specific Time
If you missed your favorite show when it aired, you were out of luck unless you recorded it on a VCR. You planned your evenings around TV schedules, and “prime time” was a real event. Now, with streaming, binge-watching, and on-demand everything, the idea of rushing home to catch a show at 8 PM feels like something from another planet.
Taking Your Shoes Off to Use the Wii
When the Nintendo Wii came out, everyone got really into motion controls—and you had to clear space, take off your shoes, and get serious like it was a fitness class. Wii Sports tournaments in the living room felt like real athletic events. These days, most games are back to buttons and joysticks, and moving your whole body to play tennis feels… oddly formal.
Carrying Around a Big Wallet Full of Cards and Receipts
In the early 2000s, a fat wallet packed with store loyalty cards, printed coupons, and ATM receipts was normal. Everyone had one stuffed into their back pocket or purse. Now that digital wallets, apps, and email receipts exist, having a bulky wallet full of paper feels outdated—like something your dad still does because he “likes to keep track.”
Sending E-Cards for Every Holiday
There was a phase when animated e-cards were the go-to way to say “Happy Birthday” or “Merry Christmas.” Sites like Blue Mountain and Hallmark let you send digital greetings with music, dancing animals, or flashing hearts. At the time, it felt high-tech and thoughtful. Now, it feels clunky, and most people would rather get a funny meme or a quick text instead.
Waiting for the Internet to “Dial Up”
The sound of a dial-up modem connecting was once the soundtrack of getting online. You had to wait for that screeching tone to finish, and you couldn’t use the phone while browsing the web. It was slow, loud, and frustrating—but normal. Now, with Wi-Fi everywhere and instant connections, the idea of “logging on” just to check your email feels completely alien.
Buying DVDs for Just One Movie
Movie nights used to mean heading to a store and buying a DVD—sometimes just for a single movie you’d only watch once or twice. People had shelves filled with plastic cases and box sets. Now, with streaming libraries offering thousands of movies at once, buying a physical disc for one title feels like clutter you don’t need unless you’re a serious collector.
Signing Yearbooks with Full Paragraphs
At the end of every school year, people didn’t just sign their name in your yearbook—they wrote long messages, inside jokes, or dramatic send-offs. Some pages were completely filled with doodles and notes. Today, with social media keeping everyone in touch year-round, yearbook messages feel like something from a time when saying goodbye meant something more permanent.
Checking Voicemail Regularly
Twenty years ago, checking your voicemail was part of your daily routine. You listened carefully, wrote down numbers, and saved special messages. Now, most people ignore voicemail notifications or dread them entirely. If someone leaves a message instead of texting, it feels unnecessarily formal—like getting a handwritten letter when you just wanted a quick update.
Chat Rooms Full of Strangers
Back in the early 2000s, it was completely normal to log into a random AOL or Yahoo chat room and talk to strangers about music, TV shows, or whatever came to mind. You picked a screen name, maybe used too many emojis, and joined the chaos. Today, chatting with a room full of unknown people feels sketchy, and most prefer DMs or curated group chats.