The Future Has ArrivedWhat did we think the future would look like? How has it really turned out? What's next for humanity and the universe? What have we done? Lists to keep you up at night, quaking in your moon boots.
Vote up the dated practices you're not looking forward to explaining.
Millennials will have a lot to explain to their kids. Society keeps changing, and it's rather hard to keep track of all the things that no longer exist. Certain activities that every kid did in 1990 were totally dated by 2000. In fact, some objects from the '80s and '90s already seem completely alien to younger generations.
Millennials typically feel pretty modern, but they aren't so removed from certain outdated occurrences. For example, every millennial had to wait eons for the internet to connect. Payphones used to be on every corner. Video game controllers used to have cords. But all those things have changed.
Indeed, the more that technology advances, the less familiar the world seems. Millennials should really start preparing themselves for the future. It's likely that even more products and practices will get replaced.
In fact, millennials are on the track to being as outdated as baby boomers; it's a scary reality.
Most millennials first got online thanks to dial-up internet – you know, the system that used your phone line to connect. It was incredibly slow, surprisingly noisy, and inevitably made your parents mad when your need to chat made them miss an important call.
By the mid-2000s, broadband technology made dial-up go the way of the dinosaur in most areas.
Reading 'TV Guide' To Check On Television Show Times
Now, viewers turn on the television to see what's on television. The collective reliance on onscreen TV listings led to the demise of paper listings. TV Guide, for example, was the gold standard, mixing black-and-white newsprint schedules with glossy magazine interviews and profiles. As of 2018, TV Guide is still around, but someday soon, the periodical will likely only be a memory to the millions who needed TV guidance.
Video stores loved charging late fees. If your movies weren't returned on time, you would surely have a bigger bill the next time you tried to rent. It was customary for people to rush to the video store to ensure their tapes got into that dropbox before the cutoff. While video stores are practically dead, there are still some desperate hangers-on still in business. If you want to experience the adrenaline rush of getting a video back to the store before closing, check out one of the last remaining Blockbusters.
Once upon a time, you took a photo with a camera, dropped the film off at a lab to be developed, and waited to get your pictures back. And it was always a crapshoot. You never knew what the photo would look like beforehand because the technology to preview an image didn't really exist. You just trusted that everything would turn out okay, and it usually did. But disposable cameras are not totally obsolete. Use 'em before we lose 'em, folks!
Ah, the good old video cassette recorder. Someday, you're going to have to explain to your kids that you used to record your favorite TV shows on VHS tapes. Programming a VCR to record was often a frustratingly complex feat. But millions did it so as not to miss their daytime soaps or favorite sporting events. RIP, dear VCR.
Before GPS was a staple feature on most smartphones, people depended on MapQuest to get them where they needed to go. And it wasn't exactly the smoothest experience in the world. First, you had to print the directions off the internet. Then, you had to switch your focus between the road and the printed directions as you drove. At the same time, you had to mentally keep track of how many miles you were going. Incidentally, MapQuest is still around, but few people use the service.
