Was telling the boys how rough we had it as Gen X.

[Duncanpup]

We would have been grateful for spotty internet service and not bitch about it.

[Walleye]

1. And I can tell youngsters how are used to have to go in the dark and put film in liquid chemicals

Just to get negatives of photos which then had to be printed in the dark. They’ll never believe me. Course I guess I could tell them how girls used to have to get abortions illegally, but they know about that now, unfortunately

[Lochloosa]

2. Explain what a beeper was.

Only drug dealers had them in HS. They kept confiscating mine.

[Duncanpup]

11. 😂

[EYESORE 9001]

3. Thankfully, we didn't even know what we were missing

I kinda knew what was coming down the pike, but I had no idea what shape it would take. Disappointing that commercial interests ensured that WE would become the product.

[jimfields33]

4. What a complete nightmare Covid would have been in the 1970's or 1980's.

We couldn’t go outside, only 3 channels to chose from for tv. Couldn’t imagine. Yes Covid wasn’t a picnic but a few decades back and it would have been hell.

[OldBaldy1701E]

9. Umm...

Back then the population in general was more capable of entertaining themselves instead of having it hand delivered to them. So, I doubt that it would have been as bad as you say. Plus, back then even the loonies seemed to be more understanding of science, so there is that as well.

[jimfields33]

13. I don't agree with the first part. Going outside was a big part of childhood

The second part you are correct since our country grew to more then half what it was with a whole lot of different views on things.

[OldBaldy1701E]

23. The idea was to stay away from other people.

No one said you could not go outside. I guess for those who live in dense populations, going outside was an issue, but for the rest of the nation, it was just that one had to stay away from other people. Remember, the CDC recommended distance was 6 ft.. When one has three acres, that is pretty easy to do and still have that little bonfire in the backyard every evening during the warmer months while the kids ran around chasing bugs.

[Unwind Your Mind]

25. Yes and

I spent time in the dog park all through Covid. We just stood away from each other and carried sanitizer. I don’t think anyone got sick from that.

[Polly Hennessey]

21. Believe it when I tell you we read books back then.

We knew how entertain ourselves. We would have been fine can’t say the same for our moms.

[Unwind Your Mind]

22. We played board games

And card games endlessly

[OldBaldy1701E]

24. Exactly!

I must remember to ask my own mother about that the next time I chat with her. I already know her response, but it would be interesting to hear her take on it. (She would have put us to work is what she would have done. That house would have been pristine... freaking pristine. And, anything else would have been dad making us help him. The parents would have been able to take shifts. My brother and I? Not so much...)

[Ray Bruns]

10. I read on the internet that back in the olden days, people had these things

Called bukes or books or something. Apparently, they were able to use them without anything more tha some light. How primitive.

[Phoenix61]

5. And the old dial up modems.😂😂😂

[nebby70]

8. ...I kinda miss the 'music' of bygone days...

...I liked the sound of dial up...
... and the clack of phones...
... and the clack/cachunk of a typewriter...
... and love all the noises the old lever and gear voting machines -- especially the swish of the curtain....

[judesedit]

16. And the slot machines, too. lol

[DEbluedude]

6. Think you had it rough? What about us boomers?

Walking to school in the snow.

Uphill.

Both ways!

[nebby70]

7. grew up in Pittsburgh -- and it WAS uphill both ways....n/t

[samnsara]

12. in dresses!!!

[judesedit]

17. And not allowed to wear pants. I remember how chapped my knees and legs were from the biting wind

[RevBrotherThomas]

15. and you were THANKFUL for it!

[RevBrotherThomas]

14. Cue AOL logon static beeps.... nt

[edbermac]

18. I used to write computer code on punch cards.

And God forbid if you ever dropped a stack of them after coding.

[Ilsa]

19. Been there. Done that.

Fortran.

[IronLionZion]

20. As long as you listen to the dial up sound and wait forever to download an illegal mp3

which would get cut off if someone needed to make a phone call. Kids these days.

I don't believe it but I've had nieces and nephews claim nobody shleps textbooks around anymore since it's all online and they just pull it up on their laptops or tablets.

Oh well, there were very few mass shootings when I was in school.