The technology of the last 50 years is almost unrecognizable when compared with the technology of today.
To the point that today's children often just have no frame of reference for what things from our childhoods were like.
Whether it's older media formats, methods of communication, or the toys of yesteryear, things have certainly changed.
Redditor LastPoopOnTheLeft asked:
"Without revealing your age, what is something from your childhood that 'Kids These Days' wouldn't understand?"
"Not only did only 'rich people' have more than one phone or even just one with touchtone, most of us had a party line. It meant you and your neighbors had different phone numbers, but you all shared the same line."
"You could pick up the phone and listen to your neighbor's call. And if they were using the phone, you couldn't."
"If you had an emergency, you'd have to interrupt their call and ask them to hang up."
-LakotaGrl
cassette tape GIF"Calling into the radio station to request your favorite song for your mixtape then waiting with your fingers over the record button to see if they play it."
-HazySnowDays
Who Was Going To Answer The Phone
"Calling a girl and her dad answers the phone. That sh*t was rough, kids."
-clydem
Giphy"Calling a guy on the phone and his dad answers and they sound alike so you just start talking and then he cuts you off laughing and you realize you may have been a little too familiar and now he can probably guess you're banging his son on the regular."
-lolabythebay
TV Was A Lot Different
"I recently had to explain what 'changing the channel' meant to my small kid because he only knows streaming."
"We’ve already covered CDs, VCRs, and what it means to roll down a car window."
"It was a little rough (for me, not him). Edit: oh and we watched 'Turning Red' and I got to explain what a flip phone is."
-Proper-Emu1558
Giphy"I was the youngest so I had to sit by the TV and hand turn the channels for my siblings. This was the 1980s."
-harlemhon
"It’s not working, cuz it’s not on Ch3"
-moridin82
Be Kind. Please Rewind
"Rewinding vhs or a cassette before returning."
-est1979
"Cassette tape rewind with a pencil ✏️ 😂"
-Sparkedmoon
Giphy"And those rewinders that looked like cars and were super fast."
-BussHateYear
"Lol I remember when we got our first DVD and DVD player, and my mom (bless her heart), was like 'how do you rewind it?' And my dad was like 'woman it's like a CD, you don't need to rewind!'"
-bcoftheimplication7
Chains Of Ignorance
"The things on Facebook that say repost this… they were called chain letters back in the day, and you got them in the mail."
-Plenty_Surprise2593
Giphy"Chain letters! I’d forgotten all about those. 'Make ten copies and mail them within 10 days or evil will befall you…' Ha."
-BrnEydGyrl
No Saving It
"Playing the same level on a game over and over because there’s no Saves"
-drevilishrjf
"Writing down codes after passing a level"
-Duochan_Maxwell
Giphy"Got a PS1 and MGS1 (secondhand) for Christmas, little did i realise i need to buy a memory card to save my games. For months i got through the game by speedrunning it from the start to whatever level i last played."
"When i beat sniper wolf pt 2 the console tells me to insert disc 2, only had one disk lol. Never played the game again"
-blinky9021Flow
"KEEP ON PUTTING IN QUARTERS!!!"
-Pentacostal-Haircut
"And your *ss better be up to watch them or you're waiting until next Saturday."
-Facelesspirit
"And god forbid the episode this weekend had any relevance on the following weekend."
-LazyTitan39
Art That Glows
"That Lite Brite was peak technology"
-shanecdotes
"Lite Brite IS the peak of technology"
-Lukas7088
Giphy"I still have the lite brite jingle stuck in my head."
'🎶lite Brite, making things with light!!!🎶'"
-F**kYouImFineThanks
"Yeah, and they played the national anthem before they did!"
"Then, it was the test image, until 4 p.m. on the next day, except during school holidays, when there was a special holiday program which started at 3 p.m. :-)"
-P44
Technology has evolved explosively over the last few decades, but some things have absolutely stuck in our minds.
Want to "know" more?
Sign up for the Knowable newsletter here.
Never miss another big, odd, funny or heartbreaking moment again.
- People Break Down The Worst Thing They Did As A Kid That Haunts ... ›
- People Reveal The Moment They Decided To Never Have Children ... ›
- People Share Which Things They'll Teach Their Kids That Their ... ›
- Wealthy People Reveal When They Knew They Were Spoiled As Kids ›
- People Who Grew Up Poor Explain The Things Rich Kids Will Never ... ›
- 46 Tweets About The Things "Today's Kids Will Never Know" | Bored ... ›
- Kids These Days! | The Voice ›
- Boomer slang: 17 phrases that kids these days just don't understand ... ›
- Why We've Been Hating on 'Kids These Days' for Thousands of ... ›
- 10 Things From Harry Potter That Kids These Days Won't Understand ›
- 23 things that kids these days don't understand and never will. ›
- OK boomer: The psychology of why baby boomers complain about ... ›
- Things That Kids Today Don't Understand ›
A Redditor was curious to hear some of the more questionable skills and/or accomplishments people have boasted about, leading them to ask:
"What are people stupidly proud of?"
Yeah... not cool.
"Being cruel."
"My ex actually said, 'Yeah, I saw this guy in a pub yesterday who tried talking to us so I basically burned his stupid shirt for an hour lol,' which is one of the main reasons I broke up with him."- AnyCurrency6027
GiphyAlways read the fine print.
"Those IQ tests people share but they don't know how to read their results."
"Had some guy just so proud that he was in the top 90%."- 7grendel
Can knowing and doing nothing really be considered an accomplishment?
"Willful ignorance."
"Example: pride in not knowing how to do basic math."- stupidlyugly
"Willful ignorance."- storm_the_castle
Definitely not the parent who deserves to be celebrated..
"My dad, a father of 7, brags that he's never changed a diaper."
"Like, congratulations on being no help?"- Porrick
...Where do you even start?...
“'I’m proud of myself, I haven’t cheated in a while'.”
"Me: 'it’s been 2 months and I’m not f*cking proud of you'.”- Pufferfish4467
They shouldn't be allowed to have pets!
"That their dog weighs so much, but really it's an obese sausage with legs who can't even take three steps without running out of breath."- whiskybidnus
But what's the payoff?
"Long commute times and working hours."- KyotoGaijin
"I'm terrible at my job, let's celebrate!"
"Teachers being proud that their classes are hard and their students are always failing."- GreatXs
GiphyIt's hard to imagine what some of these people were thinking when they boasted about these non-accomplishments.
In all likelihood, they weren't thinking at all.
Redditorslice29wanted to discuss all the best entertainment endings we've ever watched.
They asked:
"In your opinion, what TV show had the most satisfying ending?"
I hate and love endings of shows. I love them when they're done well. I hate that it's over. Let's start with one of my favs!!
End of Life
"Six Feet Under."
sweet_jones
"Watched this in real time with my mom. The whole show. Every episode. As they aired. I grew up along with it, and the ending felt like the opposite of a death - I was a grown up. You're right."
ipakookapi
six feet under GIF by HBOGiphyDirty Harry-style...
"Sledge Hammer! For those too young to remember this gem from the 80s, it was a show that satirized the Dirty Harry-style bad cop dramas that were in at the time. The show ended with Sledge trying to defuse a nuke ('Trust me, I know what I'm doing...'), failing."
"And then the camera slow-pans across the charred landscape of the ruined city and you hear the distant voice of the long-suffering police chief yelling 'HHHAAAAMMMMMMMEEERRRRR!!!!!!' Priceless."
ekchew
We Live!
"Blackadder Goes Forth The ending of a comedy set in WWI trenches to end with everyone dying after going over the wall is both sobering and satisfying."
PhreedomPhighter
"When Darling thinks the war is over because all the guns stopped firing. 'Thank God! We lived through it! The Great War: 1914-1917.' But we know there was still another whole year of war to go through."
Jose_Jalapeno
Shocker
"Newhart. No one in America saw that plot twist coming."
soIstartBlasting
"And with the rise of the internet, I doubt any show could pull off a twist like that again and take people by surprise. The Season 1 finale to 'The Good Place"'was a rare exception of this happening post-internet."
WaldoJeffers65
"The twist is that good, and so few people saw the show during its original run, that there are probably tons of people discovering it every week. I don't want to ruin it for anybody."
WaldoJeffers65
Last Call
"Cheers. 'We're closed.'"
Taskerst
"Thought the same thing. Have been going through the series again, usually one a day and about to start the last season."
SnooLobsters4636
Cbs Cheers GIF by Paramount+GiphyAh 'Cheers.' Not my favorite show, but a great end. And 'Six Feet Under?' GENIUS!
Afterlife...
"The Good Place."
gr3ybacon33
"I need to rewatch that show. If someone told me to watch a show about the afterlife, philosophy, morality, interspersed with d*ck jokes I wouldn't be able to take it seriously but somehow they pulled it off."
jn2010
Season 1 Nbc GIF by The Good PlaceGiphyThe Tie Up
"Gravity Falls. Tied everything up nicely, but left me wanting more, but what good show doesn't?"
smugfruitplate
"I want more so bad, but we all know it's better to die a hero than a 25 seasons show nobody wants to watch."
Equivalent_Meal2688
"Agreed. Whether Alex Hirsch does something new in the future or just sods off with his residual checks, I couldn't be more proud."
smugfruitplate
"why we fight"
"'Cherish the memory of a question my grandson asked me the other day when he said, ‘Grandpa were you a hero in the war?’ Grandpa said ‘No... But I served in a company of heroes.'"
Thirty_Helens_Agree
"Band of brothers is GOAT. Even reading that line gave me goosebumps I stumbled across 'why we fight' the other day, must have seen it 20 odd times, watched it again, still amazing. In fact, my missus is out tmrw, you've inspired me to start episode one again."
Curahee!
Realities...
"M*A*S*H, still the greatest final episode in TV history. It made it clear that nobody would be the same after the war. Winchester couldn't love music like he had before without being reminded of the war. Father Mulcahy lost his hearing as a result of the war. Hawkeye lost some of his sanity."
"Margaret had to lose her self-reliance and realize that it is okay to accept help. Potter had to lose his beloved horse, which was his #1 way to stay sane. BJ had to learn to say goodbye. And, of course, Klinger had to give up his dream of leaving Korea at least for the foreseeable future."
"There are times (most times for me) when being in the military totally sucks. Living in deplorable conditions, spending 24 hours a day with the same people; working, playing, and sleeping together with people you like and people you hate. Missing your family and loved ones. Yet, when you have to separate, the feeling of loss is like nothing else that I have experienced in civilian life."
NoFunHere
Beyond
"Star Trek TNG. The episode itself was great, but that ending scene was phenomenal."
"'Nothing is wild and the sky is the limit.'"
HaCo111
annoyed star trek GIFGiphyThose are definitely some incredible endings. And endings are hard to pull off.
Basically, people who aren't nice
"People who don't apologize for their mistakes, blame others for their problems, and generally complain without doing anything about their situation."
"Oh, and generally a**holes."- NerdyDadGuy1981
"People who are overly rude and constantly laugh it off and call themselves 'a**holes' as if it is an uncontrollable character trait."- Business_Grand7665
Don't you twist my words around!
"People that distort what you said."- Mystery_I
real housewives lies GIF by leeannelockenGiphyJust take some responsibility!
"People who can never admit they're wrong about anything."
"No matter how blatantly wrong."- Rachfo44
Say it to my face!
"The kind that talks behind your back."- 0breanna0
Are you sure about that?
"Someone who thinks they already know everything."- Fragrant-Crow-4513
know it all boomerang GIFGiphyThen why aren't I laughing?
"Someone that puts you down in front of your other friends.. 'as a joke'."- motherfugher
How well do you actually know them?
"People who abuse your trust and honesty to manipulate you, especially when they disguise it so well."
"Had it one too many times, thankfully gets easier to spot but some people are freakishly good at it."- nothingjustk
Yeah, well mine's better!
"One uppers."- BasedChickenTendie
kristen wiig television GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphySomeone needs a lesson in self respect...
"I'm a woman."
"Had a classmate strike a conversation with me for the first time."
"2 minutes in said she doesn't have female friends because all women are b*tches."
"Why are you talking to me then?"
"What do you think you are?"- Minimum_Greedy
As Jane Austen famously explored in Pride and Prejudice, first impressions can often be misleading.
But every now and then, they can give a crystal clear depiction of who someone really is.
Which could easily be someone you do not want to be friends with.
All Hail Dame Helen Mirren. Is there anything else to say?
How Old?
Viggo Mortensen Peace GIF by Golden GlobesGiphy"Viggo Mortensen. Very handsome at 63."
Sidewalk_Tomato
"Damn, he is 63? Time flies."
2020UsernamesBeLike
Personas
"Elvira. Cassandra Peterson. Just turned 70 and still breaks out that amazing personality at every appearance."'
darkoath
"Omg. I saw the BEST suggestion for a movie ever. Elvira & Dolly Parton playing their stage personas as estranged sisters who must team up to fight evil."
ClothDiaperAddicts
Fatale
jane seymour call me kitty cat GIFGiphy"Jane Seymour. 71 and still stunning."
MrWiggy89
"Live and Let Die. Incredible, and she'll always be in my mind as Elise McKenna, the woman so beautiful that Christopher Reeve's character went back to be with her in Somewhere in Time. I totally get the desire."
pcserenity
Hey Su...
"Susanna Hoffs (63)."
analogtapes
"Plot twist: She sang 'Walk Like an Egyptian' because she's immortal and actually lived in Ancient Egypt."
RealisticDelusions77
"She was my first crush. As a child, I used to watch MTV for hours just for that moment when she cut her eyes in the 'Walk Like an Egyptian' video."
3lon_Mu5k
I am loving this list. I didn't think I would.
Maddy
mads mikkelsen hannibal GIFGiphy"Mads Mikkelsen."
Valuable-Mango368
"You mean my daddy issues? Damn I love that guy. Death Stranding really nailed how he can come through a medium without much hassle."
This_User_Said
My Biological Clock
"Marisa Tomei."
LiveShowOneNightOnly
"Jesus, I was so confused watching the new Spider-Man movies with Marisa as Aunt May. Marisa Tomei is perpetually the hot 80s chick in my head, also Jennifer Connelly. I was watching Morbius and seeing Requiem for a Dream and Career Opportunities. I AM OLD, I GUESS."
Forge64
Oh Captain
"Christopher Plummer, right up until the day he died at 92."
amodernjunecleaver
"I first saw ‘The Sound of Music’ as a child, watched in many times, know if off by heart etc. I didn’t watch for many years."
"Then as an adult I wanted to introduce a friend’s kid to it, put it on, and spent the next couple of hours absolutely dumbstruck by how hot Christopher Plummer was. It had never struck me before that time but go**amn have I never forgotten. No wonder Maria chose the Captain, if I had to choose between him and God I know who my pick would be."
niconiconeko
Hey Tim!
"Timothy Olyphant. Idk what it is about him. He's so funny, charming, and handsome that I don't care how much older than me he is."
throwaway-getaway122
"I do NOT get tired of watching him; he is so expressive. In Catch and Release there's a scene where he and Jennifer Garner are having a conversation that consists entirely of gestures and facial expressions. Hilarious!"
BugsRatty
"He is amazing in Justified and Deadwood... hell, pretty much everything. I think I just found out I may have a man-crush on the dude lol."
Captain-Hornblower
Yeoh
Michelle Yeoh No GIF by RegalGiphy"Michelle Yeoh."
ThinkIGotHacked
"Ugh she was a vision in Everything Everywhere All at Once. And if she doesn't win all the awards then there is something really wrong with the voting system."
HoaryPuffleg
YUM YUM
"Oof that's kind of a hard one. Without looking up a bunch of older actors I think I'd have to go with Ken Watanabe. I think he's in his early 60s now and the last time I saw a recent pic of him he was still looking fine AF. And an honorable mention is Steve Carell... I don't know what it is but he keeps getting hotter with age. I was never attracted to him until he did that silver fox photo shoot with the paint brush 'n shi*t."
total class act...
"Stanley Tucci. As my mom says about handsome men, he just looks like he smells good."
vonye25
"He visited our hotel a few weeks ago. As the Restaurant Manager I was specifically told that my team and I were not to treat him any different to other guests, which we don't."
"The guy was a total class act polite, courteous, and always keen for a chat. Never mentioned his movies, his career, but was there to enjoy time with his family, and they themselves were also a joy to be around. Can confirm he always had a slight aroma of warm cinnamon."
valdezverdun
Well that is a long list of sexy. Cheers to growing sexy with age.