Lisa O
Technology is such a huge part of our lives now that it’s hard to remember what things were like before it all took over. For younger generations, being plugged in is all they’ve ever known—they probably can’t even imagine life without tech. Baby Boomers, Generation X, and Millennials remember the days before we were constantly online. So, let’s see how life has changed before and after tech took over.
Getting Up to Flip the Switch
Before the Internet of Things (IoT), if you needed to turn something on or off, like a light, TV, or air conditioner, you had to actually get up and do it yourself. Everything—light switches, dials, coffee makers—required physical touch. But now, with so many devices connected to the Internet, you can control them with a simple voice command, remote, or even an app on your phone.
Catching Shows When They Air
Before DVRs and streaming platforms, if you wanted to watch a show from start to finish, you had to be glued to the TV when it aired—no pausing, no rewinding, nothing. If you needed to take a break, you had to hope for a commercial. Now, with DVRs and streaming, you can pause and watch shows whenever you want, even if the scheduled time doesn’t work for you.
Thumbing Through the Phone Book
One of those classic American traditions was getting the new phone book and Yellow Pages every year. It was fun to flip through the pages, find phone numbers and addresses of friends and family, or even see your own info listed. While phone books are still printed, they’re nowhere near as common as they used to be in the pre-Internet days.
Waiting for the Phone to Ring
Before cell phones with voicemail became a thing, most houses just had landlines with no answering machines. If you weren’t home when someone called, tough luck—you had no idea if you missed a call. And if you were waiting for an important call, you had to literally sit by the phone, hoping it would ring. But then came answering machines and voicemail, and life got way easier.
Enjoying the Arcade
Hitting up the arcade with a bunch of quarters was the best. But having a whole roll? That was next-level. These days, though, those old-school arcades have been swapped out for home consoles and online gaming. Instead of chilling with a crowd of gamers in person, now you hop online and play with people from all over the world.
Library Trips for Books and Research
There was a time when if you wanted to borrow a book, do homework, or research for a school report, you had actually to go to your local library. They had everything you needed, from books to newspapers to scholarly journals. While libraries still have all these resources, they’re also available online. Thanks to e-books, digital newspapers, and journals, you can do all your research from the comfort of your own home—no need to leave the couch.
Waiting for the Paper to Arrive
Newspapers are still out there, but they’re being printed less and less. The advertisers who once supported print newspapers are now putting their money into online media, which is why print editions are on the decline. Instead of getting the paper delivered to your door every day, more people are choosing the convenience of reading the news on their computers, tablets, or smartphones.
Penning Handwritten Letters
When was the last time you actually sat down with paper and wrote a letter to someone? If you need help remembering, you’re definitely not alone. What about a thank you note? That one might even make Miss Manners wince. Handwritten letters and thank you notes have been swapped out for emails and texts. Sure, some people still enjoy writing letters by hand, but let’s be real—typing it out is just way quicker.
Using Encyclopedias
Remember the World Book Encyclopedias or Encyclopedia Britannica? Your family or the local library probably had a full set sitting on the shelves. Those books were the ultimate go-to for students writing research papers or looking up facts. While World Book is still available in print, and both it and Britannica offer digital versions, most people now turn to online tools like scholarly databases to do their research.
Dropping Off Film to Get Developed
Except for instant cameras, if you had a film camera, you had to drop off the roll at a Fotomat or some other place to get your photos developed. Back in the day, Fotomat booths were everywhere—there were almost 4,000 of them in the U.S. Now, most people just use their phones to take pics and don’t bother printing them—and let’s be real, why would you?
Relying on Paper Maps
No family road trip was complete without a glove box stuffed with paper maps to figure out where you were going. Thinking back, trying to drive while remembering what the map said feels almost impossible now. These days, GPS systems and smartphone maps have totally changed the game. They don’t just give turn-by-turn directions—they even warn you about traffic and show you quicker routes if things get jammed up.
Making Your Own Mixtape
Before music streaming and playlists, the go-to move was recording your favorite songs off the radio onto a cassette to make your own mixtapes. It was way cheaper than buying a full album, especially if you only liked a couple of tracks. Making a mixtape was an art—getting the timing just right on the songs you wanted without the DJ’s voice or any commercials sneaking in to mess up the flow.
Going to Video Stores
The unofficial start of the weekend was when you hit up Blockbuster or Hollywood Video to rent movies for the whole family. It was a race to grab the latest Hollywood releases, and if you didn’t rewind the tapes before returning them, you’d get slapped with a fee. Netflix started chipping away at that business with its mail-to-home DVD service, but the real knockout punch to video stores came with platforms like Netflix and Hulu.
Spending Hours Outside
Kids playing outside used to be the usual scene, especially in the summer. They’d be out from morning till evening, only coming home every now and then to check in with their parents. Now, though, with safety concerns and all the tech at home, kids are indoors more than ever. Unless they’re doing sports or something organized, it’s pretty uncommon to see kids playing outside these days.
Heading to the Movies
Movie theater attendance has dropped in recent years, especially with the huge drop during the global health crisis. People are heading back to theaters, but it’s usually only for those big blockbuster hits. With crazy ticket prices and overpriced snacks, it’s no wonder people are staying home—especially when it costs way less to stream the movie at home.