As the new year has now been and gone, it’s made us realize that there are some things we’ve been holding onto for way too long. Technology has advanced, society has evolved, and yet, somehow, we still have numerous outdated items lying around, making life just a little more complicated than it needs to be. It’s time to say goodbye to these outdated items that no longer have a reason to exist.
Fax Machines
Fax machines should have gone extinct years ago, but somehow, they’re still lurking in offices and medical practices. In an age where emails and secure digital files can be sent instantly, why are we still relying on a machine that screeches like it’s dialing up the internet from 1995? Even worse, half the time, the paper jams or the connection fails, leaving you frustrated and wishing you’d never needed to use it in the first place.
Passwords You Can’t Remember
With fingerprint scanners, face recognition, and two-factor authentication, there’s no reason to keep relying on passwords that everyone forgets anyway. Half the time, you’re just cycling through variations of the same phrase, adding numbers or symbols to meet some ridiculous requirement.
It’s high time we moved on to simpler, more secure ways to log in because no one has the mental capacity to remember 50 different passwords.
Checkbooks
Who writes checks anymore? Apparently, some people still do, but let’s be real, checkbooks have no place in today’s world of Venmo, PayPal, and instant bank transfers. Writing a check takes forever, then you have to find a stamp and mail it, and by the time it clears, the recipient has already forgotten what they were waiting for.
Landline Phones
Landline phones feel like they belong in a museum at this point. With everyone carrying around smartphones that can do everything from making calls to streaming movies, what’s the point of keeping a bulky phone attached to the wall? Sure, some people argue that landlines are useful during power outages, but let’s be honest, how often does that actually happen?
Most people forget to use their landline even if they have one, and it’s just another thing taking up space in your home.
Physical Menus at Fast-Food Restaurants
Standing in line at a fast-food restaurant and staring at a giant board with tiny text feels incredibly outdated. We’ve got apps, digital kiosks, and online ordering, there’s no need to keep squinting at a tiny menu. Digital menus not only make ordering faster but also allow for easy updates when items change.
Printer Paper for Tickets
When we head out for a concert or a movie, the idea of carrying around a piece of paper that you could easily lose seems absurd in this day and age and with mobile ticketing apps and QR codes, there’s really no need for paper tickets anymore. They’re wasteful, inconvenient, and honestly, a bit of a hassle. Plus, most of us have our phones on us at all times, making digital tickets the clear winner.
Cash Toll Booths
Sitting in traffic just to toss some coins into a toll booth feels like stepping into a time warp. With automatic payment systems like EZ Pass and electronic tolling, there’s no reason we should still be stopping to pay cash on the highway.
It’s slow, outdated, and creates unnecessary bottlenecks during busy travel times. Not to mention, who even carries cash anymore?
Paper Phone Books
These bulky, yellow monsters still show up on doorsteps every now and then, even though most people immediately toss them into the recycling bin. With Google and online directories at our fingertips, flipping through hundreds of pages to find a phone number is completely unnecessary. Phone books take up space, waste paper, and honestly, feel like a relic from another century.
Separate TV Remotes
Between the one for the TV, the soundbar, the streaming stick, and whatever else you’ve got hooked up, it’s like playing a game of hide-and-seek every time you want to watch something. Universal remotes exist, but even those can be clunky and unreliable. With smart technology, it makes way more sense to control everything from one app or device. It’s time to streamline our entertainment setups and ditch the clutter of multiple remotes once and for all.
Manual Car Keys
Using a manual key to start a car feels strangely old-fashioned in a world where push-to-start buttons and keyless entry are so common. Digging through your bag to find your keys, fumbling to insert them into the ignition, and then turning them just seems like extra work.
Modern key fobs let you unlock and start your car with the press of a button, making life so much easier. It’s surprising that manual car keys are still around at all, but hopefully, they’ll become a thing of the past sooner rather than later.
CD Drives on Laptops
Laptops with CD drives feel like dinosaurs in the world of sleek, lightweight computers. Streaming services, digital downloads, and cloud storage have made CDs almost completely obsolete, yet some laptops still come with bulky CD drives that add unnecessary weight.
Most people can’t even remember the last time they used a CD, and the ones they do have are probably gathering dust in a drawer somewhere.
Overhead Projectors
Schools and offices still hanging on to those ancient overhead projectors need to let them go. These clunky machines are loud, awkward to set up, and require transparency sheets that feel like they belong in the 1980s. Modern projectors and interactive screens are way more efficient and user-friendly, yet somehow, overhead projectors keep popping up in classrooms and meeting rooms.
Paper Bills and Statements
Most companies now offer digital statements and online payment options that are not only more convenient but also eco-friendly. Yet, somehow, paper bills still show up, cluttering your mailbox and adding one more thing to deal with. Switching to digital billing saves time, cuts down on waste, and ensures you’ll never lose a bill under a pile of mail.
Plug-In Landline Modems
Seeing a plug-in landline modem in someone’s house feels like spotting a fossil in the wild. Wi-Fi has completely revolutionized how we connect to the internet, yet these relics of the early internet age still exist. They’re slow, cumbersome, and nowhere near as convenient as modern Wi-Fi routers.
If you’re still using one of these, it’s definitely time for an upgrade. Wi-Fi isn’t just faster, it’s also far easier to set up and works seamlessly with all the devices we rely on every day. Plug-in modems had their moment, but they’re long overdue for retirement.
Paper Airline Tickets
Standing at a check-in counter with a printed airline ticket feels outdated when most airlines now offer mobile boarding passes. Paper tickets are easy to lose, and having to dig through your bag or wallet to find one adds unnecessary stress to an already hectic travel day. With mobile apps and QR codes, boarding a plane has never been easier or more convenient.
Separate Chargers for Every Device
Between your phone, tablet, smartwatch, and laptop, it feels like you need an entire drawer just to keep all the cords organized. Forgetting the right charger for one device can throw off your entire day, especially when you’re traveling. Universal charging solutions like USB-C and wireless chargers are becoming more common, so there’s really no excuse for companies to keep making proprietary cords.