I’ll start! I remember writing out essays by hand. Everyone seems to think that we always had laptops, but I remember the rules: only black or blue ink, if you made a mistake you had to write it over again. Sometimes you would run out of room on the line and have to cram in some word that you forgot!
Millennials (I am one) are funny in that we were raised at the crossing between the old era and the new one, when the internet and computers took hold. We’ve been part of both generational sides.
Old style flip phones and land lines, portable CD players for music, VHS tapes and Blockbuster Video. There was probably only one computer in the house and you shared it with the family. You were allowed to roam outside wherever you wanted without your parents thinking you’d be kidnapped. The existence of furbies.
We had to teach ourselves how to navigate the internet. Then we had to teach our parents and/or grandparents. Now we are trying to teach our kids.
I really don’t know how to impart 30 years of experience in spotting internet scams. Like, i can’t tell you why, but i know if you click on that something bad is going to happen…
I’ve seen a lot of people say things like “you probably don’t know what this is” with respect to things like landline phones, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, etc.
Not only were all those things core millennial technologies that we all grew up with, I have memories of growing up with technology even older than that. My grandparents’ houses still had rotary phones, typewriters and gramophones.
Not having laptops in University. Hand-writing lecture notes.
I’m an older millennial (mid-1980’s), and when I went to university, we actually were given laptops. But my uni was very advanced that way, one of the most expensive in Canada at the time because of it, and was seen as very novel and unique. They were one of the first universities in Canada to integrate laptops into their programs, rather than just having a computer lab or computers in the library.
But even with that, we usually weren’t allowed to use our laptops in class and hand-wrote all lecture notes. And the professors didn’t go slow for us like a lot of teachers in high school did. They went full-steam, and you had to keep neat, tidy notes that you could use to study later, and do it fast.
For the Americans especially; we were the ones who were in school when Columbine happened. There was a real loss of innocence that day especially as a student. Of course it impacted teachers, parents and the broader community – but basically the entire millennial generation was at school while gen x had all graduated and gen y were a bit young to have started.
I miss going to the computer lab and knowing more about the computers than the teacher and admin. I remember setting the auto correct on Word to change “and” into “chickens” and nobody could figure out how to change it back, so they just said you can’t use that computer for Word anymore.
I used to go out by myself starting at like 8 years old after school, ride my bike about mile, hang out with friends with whom I’d ride all over town and meet up with other people at parks and such, then come home by dark or 7pm for dinner. That was pretty normal. At the very least I think that’s heavily frowned upon now.
A little outside millennials but always thought how hard it would’ve been living through the Cold War and fearing complete nuclear annihilation. Never knowing if it could be everyone’s last day on earth.
I know it’s an outdated way of looking a nuclear war but that was what they thought at the time.
Tons of places didn’t accept card and were cash only, and more people carried loose cash on them. Now the reverse seems to be true where many places are card only, and less people seem to carry cash on them.
Just a weird thought.
There is so much I miss, though. Everything seemed more simple. I miss Blockbuster.
Comments
You first OP, I feel like you have an interesting take and I’m curious
I’ll start! I remember writing out essays by hand. Everyone seems to think that we always had laptops, but I remember the rules: only black or blue ink, if you made a mistake you had to write it over again. Sometimes you would run out of room on the line and have to cram in some word that you forgot!
“drinking from the garden hose” 🙄
Having a childhood without the internet. I remember when we knew one person who got dial-up in my small town and it was such a novelty.
Older Millennials went to war. Not everyone came home.
Millennials (I am one) are funny in that we were raised at the crossing between the old era and the new one, when the internet and computers took hold. We’ve been part of both generational sides.
Old style flip phones and land lines, portable CD players for music, VHS tapes and Blockbuster Video. There was probably only one computer in the house and you shared it with the family. You were allowed to roam outside wherever you wanted without your parents thinking you’d be kidnapped. The existence of furbies.
Paying $17 for a CD, $22 for a DVD, but then $5 for a fast food meal
Apparently, fuckin’ everything lmao
DSL
Whoever took you to the airport could go through security and watch you board the plane.
Nothing. Everything you went through, older people did too. DERP.
Spending hours on the perfect city in SimCity2000 and then it gets destroyed by disaster.
Vending machines with real soda in school
We had to teach ourselves how to navigate the internet. Then we had to teach our parents and/or grandparents. Now we are trying to teach our kids.
I really don’t know how to impart 30 years of experience in spotting internet scams. Like, i can’t tell you why, but i know if you click on that something bad is going to happen…
I’ve seen a lot of people say things like “you probably don’t know what this is” with respect to things like landline phones, VHS tapes, cassette tapes, etc.
Not only were all those things core millennial technologies that we all grew up with, I have memories of growing up with technology even older than that. My grandparents’ houses still had rotary phones, typewriters and gramophones.
My gen z friend didn’t believe we used to have to pay a few cents per text message
Not having laptops in University. Hand-writing lecture notes.
I’m an older millennial (mid-1980’s), and when I went to university, we actually were given laptops. But my uni was very advanced that way, one of the most expensive in Canada at the time because of it, and was seen as very novel and unique. They were one of the first universities in Canada to integrate laptops into their programs, rather than just having a computer lab or computers in the library.
But even with that, we usually weren’t allowed to use our laptops in class and hand-wrote all lecture notes. And the professors didn’t go slow for us like a lot of teachers in high school did. They went full-steam, and you had to keep neat, tidy notes that you could use to study later, and do it fast.
I was using a type writer until we got a family computer.
Boomers seem to forget their banks savings accounts paid 15+% in the 80s
Cursive handwriting
For the Americans especially; we were the ones who were in school when Columbine happened. There was a real loss of innocence that day especially as a student. Of course it impacted teachers, parents and the broader community – but basically the entire millennial generation was at school while gen x had all graduated and gen y were a bit young to have started.
Sweet, sweet internet. AOL chat rooms, neopets, RuneScape, halo 2, and other things.
We had to replace our music several times but oh look vinyl records again. Just like when I was 5.
We experienced the recession of the 1980s that went well into the early 90s. We may have been children, but there were poor times for most of us.
I miss going to the computer lab and knowing more about the computers than the teacher and admin. I remember setting the auto correct on Word to change “and” into “chickens” and nobody could figure out how to change it back, so they just said you can’t use that computer for Word anymore.
We still had tapes and a black and white tv. Reading Rainbow in black and white was so sad. Born in ’84.
Microsoft Encarta.
I used to go out by myself starting at like 8 years old after school, ride my bike about mile, hang out with friends with whom I’d ride all over town and meet up with other people at parks and such, then come home by dark or 7pm for dinner. That was pretty normal. At the very least I think that’s heavily frowned upon now.
A little outside millennials but always thought how hard it would’ve been living through the Cold War and fearing complete nuclear annihilation. Never knowing if it could be everyone’s last day on earth.
I know it’s an outdated way of looking a nuclear war but that was what they thought at the time.
Tons of places didn’t accept card and were cash only, and more people carried loose cash on them. Now the reverse seems to be true where many places are card only, and less people seem to carry cash on them.
Just a weird thought.
There is so much I miss, though. Everything seemed more simple. I miss Blockbuster.
I still remember having to ask for a non-smoking table at a restaurant.
Pre-Internet.
Mario and Mavis Beacon taught me how to type
Ebaumsworld 🌎!!!
We had a notebook of phone numbers next to the phone.
Aids and crack epidemic