Sonia
It is funny how things that are relevant today can become irrelevant tomorrow. Some might bring back memories or sound like ancient history, depending on which decades you lived. Let us keep going and see what other blasts from the past we can uncover.
Video Rental Stores (like Blockbuster)
Do you remember the Friday nights at Blockbuster? People wandering around in search of a weekend movie to rent. It was almost ceremonial. However, streaming services such as Netflix and Hulu made it super easy to watch movies without returning discs the following day. No more late fees or hunting for movies to buy on rent.
Public Payphones
Back then, you needed a payphone to call someone while out and about. Yes, you would collect coins for that purpose only. Since people now own mobile phones, payphones no longer exist in any significant number. It is hard to believe that there was once a time when finding a phone in public was important, especially during emergencies.
Floppy Disks
With their black color and thin body structure, floppy disks were once used to store and transfer files between computers. These small square-shaped objects had 1.44 MB of data capacity, less than one MP3 song file today! With technological progress, CDs, USB drives, and cloud storage began giving users more space and reliability; poor floppy disks just could not catch up with the pace of change.
Paper Maps
Before GPS and smartphones, paper maps were needed during road trips. There was something alluring about stretching out a big map and using a highlighter to trace the route. But it also meant that sometimes, one would get lost and needed to fold the map, which wasn’t easy. We now have digital maps on our phones showing us directions at every turn and updating us on traffic in real-time.
Dial-Up Internet
The unique noise of dial-up Internet connecting through phone lines is unforgettable. Also, it made it impossible to use the phone parallelly, leaving you patiently waiting for websites to load bit by bit. Today, the internet makes surfing, transferring, and looking up information online easy, and has impacted our work, education, and leisure activities.
VHS Tapes
VHS tapes were like video rental stores, synonymous with home entertainment. One needed a VCR to play these bulky cassettes, which required rewinding after watching them from the beginning again. However, as DVDs came, followed by Blu-rays, and finally streaming took over, VHS became a thing of the past!
Telephone Book
There was a time when every home had a gigantic telephone book. If you needed a number or an address, you would turn pages of these thin and crispy papers. However, the old phonebook is out of use since almost everything about anyone can be found on the Internet or in searchable directories online.
Handwritten Letters
Writing letters by hand was the main form of communication even 30 years back! It was considered personal because people put in careful thought while selecting stationery, wrote thoughtfully, and sent it through the mail. Emails and instant messaging have taken advantage of this art with haste, but some still treasure receiving a note written in ink.
Cathode Ray Tube (CRT) TVs
Remember those huge box-like television sets that occupied half of your living room? They were heavy and bulky CRT TVs with curved screens that gave a unique viewing experience. Conversely, today’s flat-screen technology has improved picture quality and preserved space, hence making CRT TVs extinct.
Pagers
Before mobile phones took over, pagers were quite common, especially among doctors and other professionals who were always on call. You could expect to get a beep followed by a number, after which you would find your way back to them using telephone calls.
Incandescent Light Bulbs
These old-school bulbs were once used as light sources in all homes. They were not very energy-efficient though. Now CFL and LED lights, which are energy-conserving and take longer to burn out, have taken their place. This is good for our economy and for the environment.
Typewriters
Before computers were as common as they are today, the typewriter was hugely popular in businesses. Its robust build with sturdy keys were the precursor to printing technology. However, as word processors and printers became more available to people, typewriters gradually started being phased out.
Cassette Tapes
In the mid-20th century, cassette tapes served as a popular music medium, even before the VHS tapes and floppy disks. You could make mix tapes out of songs recorded from radio stations or just enjoy flipping over each side. Some homes still have these remnants of our musical past.
Film Cameras
The Kitenograph was the first film camera. It was invented by Edison. The Kitenograph used celluloid film, invented by George Eastman, to create the first film back in the last 1800s. We have come a long way since them. You can still find remnants of early film cameras in homes of the early 20th century, which are now precious collectibles.
Arcade Halls
Hustling game lovers knew arcades as their hotspots. Back then, home consoles did not have the social gaming feel the arcades brought forth. Due to technological advances and the affordability of gaming systems like PlayStation and Xbox, the traditional arcade hall began experiencing dwindling numbers, turning into nostalgia for many.
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