https://www.axios.com/2024/01/05/pre-internet-pay-phones-digital-online-cellphones-vintage-nostalgia

  • sooper_dooper_roofer [none/use name]
    ·
    6 months ago

    Boomers, Gen Xers and elder millennials are now the last people who remember what it was like to use a pay phone, a paper map, a typewriter, etc. — and they're being rapidly outnumbered by younger adults who don't.

    younger millennials and even elder zoomers remember those things, at least the pay phones if nothing else

    I'm a YM and I've used all of those things

    • iridaniotter [she/her, they/them]
      ·
      6 months ago

      Typewriters? I'm an elder zoomer and we had computer class and big personal computers to type on when I was a young kid.

        • s_s@lemm.ee
          ·
          edit-2
          6 months ago

          My Grandma had a Word Processor (hardware, not software) for years after she got a PC. She just liked using it and mailing personal letters to family.

        • Southloop [he/him]
          ·
          6 months ago

          An IBM Selectric is the last one I ever used. Meanwhile, I’ve had internet since ‘88 and a family computer in the home since ‘85. I’m described as elder Millinial, but I prefer Digitally Native Gen X frankly.

          • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
            ·
            6 months ago

            Damn you had internet in ‘88? We didn’t get it until around ‘94.. around 6th or 7th grade for me. Been hooked since!

            I think I may be the same age as you. I’m ‘82 but my 2000 graduating class was ‘81-‘82 kids.

            • Southloop [he/him]
              ·
              6 months ago

              I’m actually just a bit younger than you. We had it because my dad worked at Bell Labs and Scientific Atlanta way back when, so we could get the hook ups and build out whatever computing or network machinery we needed at the time. It was like sci-fi legos learning it as I grew up. It was great!

                • Southloop [he/him]
                  ·
                  6 months ago

                  StarTAC! Then I had a Nokia 5100 when I went to college with a blue airbrushed lighting faceplate so it looked like the cover of Ride the Lightning. I might have made three total calls between the two of them and never texted, only partly because it was 10 cents a text.

                  • ThirdWorldOrder@lemm.ee
                    ·
                    6 months ago

                    My friends all had pagers so my phone was the lifeline so they didn’t have to use a pay phone if we were out. I don’t think I ever texted until the iPhone came out.

                    Ride the lightning album cover is one of the best covers of all time! Also liked and justice for all cover too and master of puppets wasn’t bad either. They must have run out of ideas by the time the black album was released lol