Anyone born after the new millennium will never experience the technological marvels of previous years. Back in the day, there were a bunch of breakthrough items like disposable cameras and Game Boys that seemed way ahead of their time. If you lived through this era, you’ll often sit back and reminisce about the good ol’ days when you could carry your Boombox to the square and entertain your pals with the latest hip hop music.
Modern tech has made most of the older tech obsolete. The smartphone, in particular, has taken away the need for a lot of gadgets because it is highly versatile. Nevertheless, today’s generation should learn about the older gadgets to truly appreciate what they have today.
Game Boy
Portable gaming gadgets have come a long way and seem to converge into the modern smartphone. However, the Game boy was a true gaming gadget even with its apparent faults. Back then, you could exchange your games with your mates and play Mario until the battery died. Even with their sentimental values, these gadgets were quite big, and you needed to turn on the lights to see the screen.
Floppy Disk
Nobody uses a floppy disk anymore, but its icon is still prominent on our computers. One of the major reasons for the floppy disk going obsolete is the constant development of computer tech. There were smaller storage needs in previous years, and floppy disks were normally around 160 KB and rarely crossed 1.2 MB. Nowadays, however, a single .jpeg image could fill an entire floppy disk. Most teenagers today need several gigabytes’ worth of storage to preserve their selfies.
Boombox
Nowadays, minimalism is the in-thing. Mobile phones are getting sleeker, and everyone is ditching the clutter. In previous years, most people preferred making a statement over functionality, like owning a Boombox. The contraption is big and loud so that your buddies can enjoy the latest hits at the square. Also, hauling a Boombox on your shoulder was a surefire way to join the neighborhood’s all-star crew.
Payphone
The biggest shift in communication occurred when mobile phones became mainstream devices. People could now carry them wherever they went and use the nifty devices for different things. Back in the day, payphones were a standard communication tool since you couldn’t haul your landline around town. However, even if you didn’t have any change and wanted to ask for a ride home, you had to dial 1-800-COLLECT so that your mom would come for you.
Disposable Camera
Disposable cameras weren’t designed to shoot professional photos. However, these plastic boxes did capture memorable moments that most people preserve until today. The viewfinder was hardly discrete, and you had to manually adjust the film before snapping away. If you ever experienced that clicking sound, you would appreciate the photography capability of modern smartphones.
Today’s kids aren’t privileged to have experienced the challenges of growing up before convenient technology became the norm. That is why it is easy to take for granted modern consumer tech. However, we should always remind them of where we came from because, in the near future, today’s gadgets will also become outdated.