A lot has changed in the world over the past 30–40 years, and a lot of things boomers once respected have turned into somewhat of a joke with younger generations. Today, we’re going to be looking at 18 of those things!
Landline Telephones
Statista reports that in 2004, 90% of U.S. adults lived in homes with landline phones, but now that figure is under 30%! The invention of the cell phone has completely changed the way we communicate, and now a lot of younger people think of the landline telephone as a joke.
Cassette Tapes
Once upon a time, cassettes were the primary medium for music, but these days, they hardly exist other than for nostalgic reasons. Even then, young people prefer the retro aesthetic of the vinyl record, so the humble tape has been forgotten by the world in favor of records and digital music.
Manual Transmissions
In Europe, manual transmissions are still pretty popular, but they’ve been mostly forgotten in the U.S. as automatic cars have taken over. Nowadays, hardly anyone under a certain age even knows how to drive a manual car, and hardly any manufacturers are making them anyway.
Encyclopedias
The key way to find out something new back in the day was to pick up an encyclopedia. There was something immensely satisfying about getting hold of information with a book, but the internet (Wikipedia in particular) has completely voided the need for their existence.
Print Media
There once was a time when the majority of adults around the world would go to their local store and pick up a newspaper in the morning, but that’s not so often the case anymore. Newspaper sales have fallen rapidly in favor of online news, and Words Rated predicts the fall will continue.
Mailing Letters
The main form of long-distance communication used to be a letter sent via the mail, and this was seen as a personal and thoughtful way to reach out to people or send news. Nowadays, it’s laughed at by young people who prefer the speed and convenience of communicating online.
Respect for Authority
The boomers of the world used to be scared of hierarchy and leadership, including teachers, the police, and their own parents. They followed their demands unquestionably! But nowadays, many young people laugh at authority and are particularly skeptical of the police.
Television Schedules
Buying a TV guide from the local store used to be the only way to find out what was going to be on each channel throughout the week, and people were able to make their plans around these listings. That concept seems bizarre to young people!
Formal Dress Codes
The commonality of formal attire is not what it used to be, as the young people of today will only dress smart for a wedding, a funeral, or another very formal affair. And in fact, there’s an increasing number of young people who won’t even go that far…
Film Cameras
There are a few hipsters in the younger generation who still use film cameras for aesthetic reasons but, let’s face it, the vast majority of people these days would prefer to snap shots on their smartphones. And those people consider the once-loved film camera a bit of a joke.
Pay Phones
There are occasional attempts to revive the popularity of the once fundamental payphone, as HowStuffWorks correctly points out, but it’s more of a niche amusement than a necessity nowadays. People are able to make calls whenever they want, as everybody carries around a cell phone now.
Fax Machines
In the boomers’ time, fax machines were critical machines for sending documents to people at speed. They were invaluable in the office environment, but we bet that the vast majority of people in the younger generation barely know what they are, let alone how to use them!
Maps and Atlases
Boomers used to love using maps, and some still do, as they can’t quite get their heads around using a smartphone to navigate or a GPS device. Realistically, modern technology makes life a lot easier in this regard, but the skill of cartography is certainly becoming lost on the world.
Phone Books
Another way in which smartphones have taken away an article that boomers once respected is phone books. Storing contacts used to be all about pen and paper, but nowadays, they’re all stored digitally on smartphones and computers, so there’s really no need for the humble phone book.
Video Rental Stores
Remember Blockbuster? Well, fewer and fewer people do these days! The store closed all the way back in 2014, according to Esquire, and that was just about the end of video rental stores, period. Nowadays, everybody just watches their movies through Netflix and Amazon Prime, which is a little sad in a way!
Catalog Shopping
Do you remember when you used to phone in an order after you saw it in a catalog, or perhaps even send off a slip in the mail for it to be delivered? Online eCommerce has put an end to that business model, with people being able to order whatever they want at the touch of a computer button.
Smoking in Public Places
Whether or not boomers actually ‘respected’ smoking in public buildings is one thing, but they sure can’t anymore. In fact, Gallup reports that one in four Americans supports a total ban on smoking altogether, so there may be a time when we see the end of cigarettes for good.
Using a Library for Research
Back in the day, if boomers couldn’t find the information they wanted in their encyclopedia, they had to head to the library and look for a book on the matter. It was a satisfying process, albeit a time-consuming one. But people these days don’t need to do it due to search engines.
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