Around No More
You may have fond memories of your childhood, but if you look around today, you'll notice that things are very different. Kids these days are growing up in an entirely different generation, full of new things that couldn't even be conceived of back then. To prove that we're living in a different era, here are five things you grew up seeing that you won't really see around anymore.
1. Payphones
Though payphones used to be everywhere outdoors, inside malls, banks, and more, you likely won't see one anymore these days. Thanks to the advent of smartphones, you can easily make a call whenever you need, on your very own device. They've essentially run payphones out of business!
Maarten van den Heuvel on Unsplash
2. Cereal Box Toys
Remember those days when cereal boxes would do limited edition sales that had cute toys inside? These days, all you'll get is maybe a QR code for something digital! We miss those days when little surprises like these would put an instant smile on our faces. Technology has certainly made a massive improvement on our daily lives, but it's small things like these that make us miss the old days.
3. Paper Maps
Given how handy Google Maps is, when would you ever need to use a paper map when you've got a phone on hand? Our digital devices have certainly made navigation a whole lot easier; we can't imagine what it must've been like going on a road trip in the past without them! Not to mention, there never seemed to be enough space to fully open one of these physical sheets without accidentally wacking someone in the face.
4. Kids Playing Outside
Now that every child has either a phone or iPad to play with, you often see less kids playing outside than in the past. The days of drawing with chalk on the pavement and playing tag at the park are more or less gone; many kids prefer digital entertainment over physical ones these days.
5. CD Players
Remember when burning a CD for someone was the ultimate love letter? Instead of being able to browse thousands of songs from your fingertips, you were stuck with the same dozen, meaning you really had to love an album to buy it. Listening to music was a lot different back in the day, but there's something nostalgic about physical copies, and all the effort you had to put in just to enjoy the songs.
