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Times are constantly changing. I am technically part of Gen Z, but I feel like a dinosaur when I speak to tween Zoomers. Technological advancements have caused our world to evolve rapidly, and suddenly, things that were everyday occurrences 15 years ago have become extremely foreign to the youngest generations.

Redditors have recently been discussing some of the things that have become outdated in the last decade and a half, so we’ve gathered their most spot-on replies below. Enjoy scrolling through this list that might make you miss the early days of iPhones and hearing Justin Bieber’s “Baby” everywhere you went, and be sure to upvote the insights you agree with!

#1

Yellow English grammar book on a desk, representing things that were obvious 15 years ago but confuse people now. Punctuation and grammar.

Seriously, it feels like even the basics have eluded a lot of folks today. I don't claim to be perfect, but I've struggled trying to translate what should be basic sentences lately.

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Red PANda (any pronouns)
Community Member
1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think this is correlated with the shortening of attention spans. People want to be able to type faster, and so punctuation is obsolete. I’m unlike most people my age in the way that I take the effort to use proper punctuation and grammar

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    #2

    Woman in a blue sweater talking on the phone, holding coffee, on a street. I think I’m just becoming a grumpy old woman but social awareness. Like blocking the whole sidewalk, speakerphones in public, that kind of thing. It’s always been a problem but I feel like the pandemic stunted an entire generations social growth and they’re just oblivious to their effect on others in any given space. It’s stunningly annoying tbh.

    Carinne89 , pvproductions/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Schmebulock
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Walk into them and then yell at them for not watching where they were going - problem solved.

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    #3

    A landline phone on a desk, highlighting items that confuse people now compared to 15 years ago. If someone doesn't get back to you right away, it's OK, they're not home.

    Electronic-Smile-457 , engin akyurt/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    #4

    Woman in a beige coat extending her hand toward the camera, conveying confusion. Sometimes people would lose their cool in public, we just never knew about it because not everyone had a smartphone in their hands at all times. Now, one person's bad day can become a public spectacle that follows them for the rest of their lives.

    bluvelvetunderground , garetsvisual/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Red PANda (any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One bad mistake can haunt you for the rest of your life. That’s what I don’t like about cancel culture. People aren’t static characters.

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    #5

    Person dialing a rotary phone, a once obvious object, now confusing to many. Remembering phone number of friends and families. Even to this day I can still remember some of my friends number from over 15 years ago.

    vnillaqt , Wesley Hilario/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    #6

    Child in blue jacket holding a map outdoors, symbolizing once obvious navigation skills now confusing for many. Paper maps and how to use them.

    sailingosprey , Annie Spratt/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    ImaScratMan
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    When I was a kid I had an unnatural fear of getting lost when I got older and could drive anywhere I wanted to go, so I learned how to read maps (and fold them!) so I always knew how to find my way back home or whatever I my destination was. I'm 41 now and it's not really an often necessary skill but I'll always have it in case I'm somewhere that GPS isn't really available 🤷‍♂️

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    #7

    Kids playing outside on a scooter and bike, enjoying a sunny day, reminiscent of activities obvious 15 years ago. I'm a teacher and the kids think it is some mythological world where children leave the house, go on adventures, and return home before the streetlights go up.

    theneonwind , prostooleh/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    #8

    Woman using a vintage phone, illustrating things that confuse people now but were obvious 15 years ago. How to hold a phone up to your ear and mouth rather than holding it in front of you to shout into the mic at the bottom, apparently.

    infectedsense , azerbaijan_stockers/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    JL
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of these days when I'm subjected to someone using their phone on speaker in a public place, I'm going to be tempted to walk up and just join their conversation. If they're on speaker, it's open to the public, right?

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    #9

    Hands holding a cassette tape with a pencil, symbolizing confusion over once obvious technology. The relationship between a cassette tape and a pencil ✏️.

    OmegaloIz , freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Boris Mohar
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    That is the wrong kind of pencil. You need a six-sided pencil, not a round one.

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    #10

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Cash... We were away for the weekend last year. Had an all day drinking session and at around 9pm went to a chippy.

    I was served by a young lass, maybe 17 years old.
    My order came to £13.40. To avoid a pocket full of change I gave the girl £23.40 to get a £10 note in return.

    Well, it was like I had completely fried her brain. She just stood there staring at the money in her open hands for far too long.

    I said "I just need a tenner change". Nope, it didn't help.
    She just couldn't fathom what the hell was going on.

    Eventually a her greasy gaffer reached over her shoulder, pressed the button on the till and pulled a tenner out.

    fitttz , wirestock/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Tyranamar Suess
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This happens so much. Cashiers not understanding why you would give them say, $22 for a $12 purchase. They always want to hand the $2 back. No thank you. I'd like a $10 or (2) $5's. Sometimes they look completely befuddled but then decide to take a chance and put the numbers in the register. And then, a miracle happens! They get to see why I paid that way. I'm always mildly shocked. And then resigned to this is the way it is now.

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    #11

    Floppy disk on a light blue background, representing technology that used to be obvious but confuses people now. Why the save button icon is a floppy disk

    Edit since of people aren’t understanding my point: I didn’t say people were still using floppy disks 15 years ago, I meant that most people at least knew WHY the save icon was represented by a floppy disk. Many Gen Alpha kids seem to have no idea, which a what OP asked.

    Dabbles-In-Irony , Fernando Lavin/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    PinkNekoGirl
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes “diskettes” came after but 1. They were still called floppy disks (I only ever heard people trying to sell them call them diskettes) and 2. They still had a floppy disk inside the hard cover.

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    #12

    Three people discussing work on laptops in a modern office, highlighting changes in obvious knowledge over the years. You shouldn't bring your parents to a job interview.

    buchwaldjc , LinkedIn Sales Solutions/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Zena
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Their parents should know better, even if they don't. There's absolutely no excuse for this. Even if a parent needs to drive them to the interview for whatever reason, the parent should know to wait in the car or at a nearby cafe or something. I flat-out blame this on the helicopter parent.

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    #13

    A ceiling-mounted surveillance camera inside a dimly lit building, representing technology changes over the years. That being constantly tracked, surveyed, and recorded isn’t good.

    Carefully_random , Alex Knight/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    #14

    Children in costumes knocking on a blue door, representing old Halloween traditions. Needing to ring the doorbell at your friends’ houses to see if they’re home and if they wanna play outside.

    Manonono_ , Wiroj Sidhisoradej/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    #15

    Person eating spaghetti with meatballs while using a smartphone, showcasing modern dining habits. That phones are unnecessary when eating something.

    abbysglazed , No Revisions/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Chich
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    If at a restaurant, everyone in the group puts their phone in the middle of the table. First one to pick up theirs before the meal is done picks up the tab.

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    #16

    Hand holding a roll of Pro Image 100 film, a once obvious technology now confusing to many. Remember having to develop film rolls at a photo lab. Instant photos are so convenient now!

    PearlRiona , Jakob Owens/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    #17

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Thinking. The ability to be bored. Context.

    John_Dee_TV , Arif Riyanto/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Red PANda (any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Now this one I agree with for Gen Alpha. My sister always complains so much when she’s bored, and expects us to always be able to entertain her. She’ll ask questions during shows or movies that could be answered by context or by waiting a few seconds to let the character explain themselves.

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    #18

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Downloading music off dodgy websites just so you could have a "cool" phone ringtone. Or burning CDs...

    Krysenti , rawpixel.com/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    #19

    Man in a data center holding a laptop, reflecting on what was once obvious but is now confusing for some. Millennials seem to really know this well, but kinda lost in Gen Z and younger: Troubleshooting your own computer. They don't even know how powerful the Task Manager is.

    anima99 , DC Studio/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Jill Rhodry
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    It may seem paradoxical but it actually makes sense that the younger generations can't trouble shoot computers. For us oldies, we had no choice, that was how we learnt and we shared that info - the younguns are taught 'do abc to get xyz' so that's what they do, they have no need/incentive to go and explore a programme or system

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    #21

    A person reading a newspaper while drinking coffee, symbolizing things that used to be obvious but are now confusing. Looking at a TV guide. I remember getting out of the news paper every Sunday. Then searching through it to see what horror movies were playing on late night cable.

    Butt_bird , ArthurHidden/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Thomas Francis
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Remember when each programme had a number printed alongside it which you could type into a VCR to record it.

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    #22

    Person in a blue suit looking at a wristwatch, symbolizing confusion over time-related changes. Telling time on an analog clock, apparently.

    _Bearded_Dad , Andrea Natali/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Red PANda (any pronouns)
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Admittedly I had this problem, but since I noticed it, I’ve had my Apple Watch face to an analog one to force myself to relearn how to read it lol

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    #23

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Privacy

    Not posting every thought that comes into your head

    Responsibility

    Consequences for your actions

    Dignity and self-respect

    Community service

    Respect and care for your neighbors.

    RegularFinger8 , wayhomestudio/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    April Pickett
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    consequences for your actions is a very big one. Kids bring guns to school: they should be charged and their parents charged for making the gun available to the kid. They've started charging the parents, but the kids don't realize that handcuffs and an escort by police are just the start of the consequences.

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    #25

    Person studying outdoors with notebooks and a drink, illustrating changing trends over 15 years. Handing in a paper in university on paper. I talk to university students now all they hand in all their papers online. Back when I was going in the mid 2000s everything was handed in on paper.

    mikel145 , freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Marnie
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    OMG, I have a story. Back in the 90s, I had a paper due. I was up all night (literally) finishing my reading. I finished the paper and tried to print it. I had one of those old X-pin printers. Wouldn't print. I called my Dad and somehow sent the paper to him to print. He printed it on his printer (with the paper with the feed holes on the sides that had to be ripped off). He printed it and ripped the edges off. He was retired by then. I drive up. He's waiting outside! I roll down my window and he throws the paper at me and I rush off. I get to the University and deposit the paper, JUST IN TIME. My Dad will always be my hero (for this and a thousand other reasons).

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    #26

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Pay phones AND having money for a call AND either knowing the number or having a little black book. 

    Similar: calling collect and blurting out “momcomepickmeup” instead of shelling out money for the call.

    BriefShiningMoment , Maarten van den Heuvel/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Justin Tyme
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Pay phones still exist in some places in the US. They are especially common in areas with a population of Amish and/or old order Mennonites. Most of those groups don't have phones in their house of use cell phones. I have also seen pay phones in a few other places.

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    #30

    Vintage card catalog drawer open, showcasing an old organization system that confuses people now. File systems.

    A lot of college grads or college interns apparently have no idea how a file system works.

    Abdelsauron , Maksym Kaharlytskyi/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    El Dee
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I suppose someone would have to teach them, the same way someone taught us when we were young..

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    #32

    Vintage computer and cassette player on a desk with 80s music posters, depicting things that used to be obvious. That it wasn't even all that long ago when the vast majority of people just didn't have the internet or had really bad internet. My brother is old enough to remember when we had something like DSL but too young to know a time when we just didn't have internet at all and I don't think it computes at all in his brain lol.

    Organite , freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Deborah B
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The sound of dial-up internet connecting. Plugging a cable into the phone jack, and one connection point for the whole household. Often only one computer for the whole household, and that was the only internet-capable device.

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    #33

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Writing cursive (24 states still require it taught in school, though).

    lettertojerrygarcia , Aaron Burden/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Cyber
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I went to a Montessori elementary school and they drilled into us from Pre-K that we only could write in cursive and you would get a trivial punishment if you wrote in print. Well, now my everyday hand-writing is cursive, and most people just think I'm some pretentious teen and I have to explain to them that I've just been doing this my whole life and writing in print is just slower and more inconvenient for me.

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    #34

    Pile of vintage cassette tapes representing things that were obvious 15 years ago but confuse people now. 15 years ago is 2009, folks. Floppy drives and cassettes were already a decade out of date.

    Bigmaq , freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    #35

    Close-up of US dollar bills and coins, representing monetary concepts that may confuse people now. Counting change.

    It's both hilarious AND frustrating watching my new hires struggle to count a $200 cash drawer.

    They do okay with the bills, but when they get to the coins. . .

    stootchmaster2 , Mathieu Turle/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    #36

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Computer literacy.
    IT field, young employees are as bad as the older employees now.

    PajammaDrunk , ArthurHidden/freepik (not the actual photo) Report

    #37

    A vintage purple rotary phone on an orange table, symbolizing outdated technology. Using a landline phone without getting weird looks. Kids today probably think it’s some ancient artifact.

    One-Shame3030 , Nadia Rudenko/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Zena
    Community Member
    1 week ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I was at The International Spy Museum in DC (definitely go, if you can!) and in a room that was set up as a military office either during WWII or during the Cold War (I can't remember which), I saw a man explaining to his kids (under 10yrs old) how the rotary phone on the desk worked ("You put your finger into the hole for the number you want to dial, and spin the plastic ring around until your finger hits the metal piece, then remove your finger and let the dial spin back around; you do that for each digit in the phone number.")...they did not believe him.

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    #38

    Hand using a computer mouse at an office desk, illustrating technology changes over time. Its a slow trend but keyboard and mouse.

    Kids these days growing up with touchscreens from the beginning, its ancient to them that we still use keyboard and mouse when the screen is right there infront of us.

    gLu3xb3rchi , Carrie Allen/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Carl Roberts
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My laptop has a touch screen, and touch pad. I use neither. I use a regular, good old mouse.

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    #39

    Old desktop setup with sticky notes, keyboard, and office supplies symbolizing things that used to be obvious. File structures.

    Because of cloud storage kids in high school have no idea how file organisation/folders/naming work, which leads to issue with searching what you need specifically on a computer (phones/tablets just throw file at you).

    We had specific folders for GCSE coursework for them and would spend ages on explaining how to save in particular spot and a term later would hear MISS MY WORK DISAPPEARED to find it in their personal docs.

    Best_Needleworker530 , freepik (not the actual photo) Report

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    Robert Beveridge
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Part of this is tech related as well. NoSQL and other such technologies aggressively push non-hierarchical storage, to our great detriment.

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    #40

    Retro beige Macintosh Classic computer on a wooden desk, symbolizing past obvious technology now confusing to some. My kids are very confused about the order in which different technologies appeared. They don’t really understand that computers came long before the internet, and that forms of the internet came long before people think it did (like dial up AOL in 1989).

    Edit: I kinda didn’t see the 15 year thing, sorry.

    BitcoinMD , Marissa Lewis/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Ace
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    AOL was only one of many early providers, and like many suffered from trying to be too simple, restricting users to only a small subset of what was already available even at that time.

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    #42

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now I still have the video of my son attempting to open a CD case. It took him about 45 seconds before he pried it open by pulling up the little tabs that are actually the hinges. He's pretty bright, but he was completely blown away by it.

    edgarpickle , Jack Gardner/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Fred L.
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    To be fair some cases were extremely robust, with the two clasps so tight that you had to use so much force to open it that you risked breaking one of them off.

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    #43

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Carrying around a flip phone and a digital camera to take pictures.

    anon , Curology/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

    #44

    45 Things That Used To Be Obvious 15 Years Ago, But Confuse People Now Streaming Netflix was still novel rather than DVD's via mail. Also, TiVo was a big thing for DVR.

    phenolate , Sean Benesh/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    #45

    Couple holding hands across a restaurant table set with wine and a candle, symbolizing changing relationship norms over time. Apparently none of these young people know how to date.

    Darpaek , René Ranisch/unsplash (not the actual photo) Report

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    Heras buddy
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Some of us old people have problems dating. I don't think it ever gets easy.

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    #46

    Longer than 15 years ago, but in movies when someone would call someone and they would answer the phone...you knew where they were. The phone was wired into their house. And the opposite, you just knew you were not going to be able to get ahold of them while they were out/traveling. It was just impossible, and that was accepted.

    justinsayin Report

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    Robert T
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    For a long time you had no idea who was calling you. You had to answer the phone to find out. Now we can have a different ringtone for different people and selectively mute the phone at night for all but the most important of callers.

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    #47

    Headphone jacks are going to confuse the hell out of kids one day.

    KK_Tipton Report

    #48

    Streaming anything other than YouTube was a joke. Terrible quality. Extremely limited selection. Netflix was the best game in town and their DVD/Blu-ray selection was far superior to their streaming setup, which you got for free with a DVD subscription.

    Legitimate_Dare6684 Report

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    #49

    Manual transmissions.

    Molto_Ritardando Report

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    SAF saf
    Community Member
    1 week ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This is unique to the U.S. market, the rest of the world still learns how to drive a manual.

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