20 Things That Basically Have Become Obsolete In The Last 20 Years
20 Things That Basically Have Become Obsolete In The Last 20 Years
Read on to find out what has disappeared throughout our lifetime!
Read on to find out what has disappeared throughout our lifetime!
1. Restaurant smoking sections: Not even 20 years ago, many restaurants had smoking and non-smoking sections.
Those are largely a thing of the past. Hey, nobody wants a side of cancer with their meal, so it's a good thing the smoking section is now virtually non-existent.
2. Camera film: Just 15 years ago, it was still common to use cameras that required film. Today, everything is digital and people take photos on their phones, thus making film virtually extinct.
You can still buy film, but you might have to learn to develop it yourself. Hey, a new retro hobby!
3. Unannounced pop-ins: When's the last time you stopped by somebody's house completely unannounced? Probably before the text message was invented, right?
Let's be honest, it was occasionally fun to get the announced pop-in, but most of the time, not so much. Because who wants guests when the house is a mess and you're sitting around in your sweatpants???
4. Skiing/Snowboarding without a helmet: Believe it or not, there was once a time not so long ago when skiing with a helmet was sorta weird. These days, more people on the slopes wear them than don't.
This trend largely came about after some high-profile deaths from people crashing into trees.
5. Video stores: Video stores ruled Friday nights until the mid-2000s when streaming began to creep in. Nowadays, Blockbuster Video stores are empty and people get their movies online, or by going to Red Box if they simply must have a DVD.
Walking the aisles of a video store looking for that perfect movie and then stocking up on snacks was a simpler time. Nobody misses those ridiculous Blockbuster late fees though.
6. Pay for email accounts: Yes, up until the dawn of the 21st century, America Online was STILL getting people to pay money to have an email account.
More often than not, all those AOL discs went straight into the trash. Seriously, who's paying for email?!
7. Paper maps: Sure they still make paper maps, but NOBODY buys them. People just use their phones for any mapping needs. Just look how confused this poor millennial is by a paper map!
Paper maps had of course been around since the invention of paper thousands of years ago. But in less than 5 years, they became virtually obsolete.
8. Looking in the paper for a job: $100 says you don't know a single person who found a job in the last 10 years by looking in the newspaper. Linkedin, Indeed, and other job sites have replaced the classifieds.
This is another way of life that is better left in the past. Far more job opportunities abound online than could ever be printed in the local newspaper.
9. Landline phones: These girls are probably laughing because they can't believe people once actually used landline phones. R.I.P. landlines.
Yes, kids, there was even once a time when everybody in the house had to share the same phone number! Shocking!
10. Public pay phones: There are still a few of these prehistoric relics around in dead-end corners of town. But by and large, the cell phone has killed them off.
Nowadays, if you happen to forget your cell phone or have a dead battery, you're probably out of luck in finding a pay phone.
11. Fax machines: Some printers may still have faxing capabilities, but we're pretty sure a fax hasn't been sent since 1999.
There are still a few agencies out there that prefer faxes, but c'mon, this machine is a relic of the 90s that nobody is longing for a comeback. Bye bye, fax machines.
12. Mailing out a stack of resumes: Because most employers prefer to accept resumes online, few people take the time to print off and mail out paper resumes anymore.
Folding resumes, stuffing them in envelopes, then buying stamps... no thanks! The next generation will never have to experience the hassle of mailing out resumes to potential employers.
13. Phone books: These paper behemoths continue to exists, despite 96% of Americans having a cell phone and many of them owning smart phones that can look up numbers far faster than the Yellow Pages.
The phone book was once the most practical way to find a plumber, dog-groomer, or any other service you needed. Nowadays, websites like Yelp provide that service with reviews and customer tips.
14. Floppy disks: External hard drives, thumb drives, and the iCloud, have made backing up information on floppy disks about as advanced as using two sticks to start a fire.
Floppy disks served their purpose, but once they became damaged, they were pretty much useless. Thankfully, they were recyclable.
15. Remembering phone numbers: Smart phones are awesome, but they've also trained us to not remember just about everything and phone numbers were the first to go.
Alright, this is definitely a skill that most people no longer possess, but really should. Our brains need exercise and it's unhealthy to rely on smartphones for every aspect of modern life.
16. Paying bills via the mail: Online and over-the-phone bill paying has nearly done away with paying bills through the mail. It's faster and cheaper, and has made mail-in bills a thing of the past that most people are happy to forget.
Paying bills online is not only faster but cuts down on paper waste and cost. Is anybody really wishing for the old days of mail-in bills? Doubtful.
17. Pushing a fully-clothed person into a pool: Outside of a movie, this doesn't happen much these days. Mainly, because when they resurface they'll probably scream at you for ruining their $500 iPhone.
There was once a time when you could push your fully-clothed friend into the pool, and then both of you would laugh about it afterward. Now, they have to first remove their smartwatch and phone, thus totally ruining the surprise :(
18. Saying hello/goodbye at the airport gate: The September 11th terrorist attacks pretty much killed this practice forever.
This used to be a pretty common scene in rom-coms and TV shows, not anymore. The best you can hope for is meeting them at the curbside drop off for all of 30 seconds before somebody honks for you to move it along.
19. Blind dates: You probably couldn't go on a blind date now if you tried. Social media has made the concept of going on a date with somebody, whom you only know their first name, a complete thing of the past.
Blind dates were truly nerve-wracking affairs where you had no idea if you'd be meeting a troll or a beauty. Sure, the internet has taken a little bit of the surprise out of dating, but maybe that's for the best.
20. Calculators: When's the last time you saw a person under the age of 50 using a calculator that wasn't on their phone? Probably around the year 2005.
Calculators used to cost a fortune! Seriously, why were we all shelling out $60-$100 just for a machine that could do a few algebra equations?!