Nostalgia can be a powerful thing.
Have you looked at any of the movies to come out in the last year or so?
While nostalgia can be a fun trip to go on—letting you live in the past and feel like you did when you were younger, the lights were brighter and the sugar didn’t quite hurt your teeth as much—it can be damaging to the present. If your eyes are on the past, you’re not looking at the now.
That being said, there is a strange idea that what you went through in your youth might never be replicated now. After all, life goes on, and we’re never going back to dial-up internet service.
Thank goodness.
Reddit user, incrementaler, wanted to know what some kids might have missed out on when they asked:
“What is something your generation got to experience that no other generation will be able to experience?”
Never Forget
“Going up in the cockpit to meet the pilots. Thanks terrorist, ruined it for everyone.” ~ paksman
“You’re right. In flight it’s a no-go for the vast majority of airlines that all fall under certain TSA regulations.”
“However it’s no problem while boarding, unless we are busy with something. Just tell the flight attendants right when you step on that you’d like to say hello to the pilots, or that your kid would.”
“The flight attendant will check with us really quick then let you come say hello. Usually it’s children and they get pictures etc…, but I’ve also had the occasional nervous passenger or curious individual.” ~ duprass
Pics, Or It Didn’t Happen
“If something bad happened to you, there was no video of it.” ~RoriksteadResident
“We would have absolutely ended up in jail had there been smartphones & social media when I was in high school.” ~ Jealous-Network-8852
“When good moments would become memories, instead of desperate attempts to whip out your phone and document every moment” ~ Guava_
What Are You Up To?
“Walking over to a friend’s house because of boredom and knocking on the door. Them coming to the door to see who is knocking and discovering it’s a friend who dropped by unannounced and being happy.” ~ LurkJerk55
Let’s Go To The Mall, Everybody!
“Malls being the town hub. They were always really crowded.” ~ Ohsoeasy
“I remember going up to the mall to ‘hang out’ in high school. Friday nights the mall was packed with teenagers walking around, hanging at the food court, smoking ciggs out the main entrance, skateboarders out back.”
“Today’s kids buy everything online. Totally different world.” ~ PrincessPeach1229
Pay To Win
“Video games that required cheat codes rather than credit cards to unlock features.” ~ Leesider1
“I remember when my mom figured out from a magazine we got at the library that you could cheat code Bill Clinton into NBA Jam on SNES. How 90s is that?” ~ iStealyournewspapers
Is It Clear?
“Changing the channel on the TV and having to go outside and turn the antenna until my older sister yelled ‘OK!’.” ~ NagromTrebloc
No Winging It On Hangs
“Having to schedule things with your friends that either A, was well planned out in advance with very agreed upon meeting times, or B, waiting around the house to get a phone to call to set up the aforementioned plans.”
“Also knowing all of your friends and family phone numbers in your head so you could call from pay phones” ~ febreeze_it_away
But Not Streaming. Imagine That.
“Not that big of a deal but I got to go home from school knowing there would be new episodes of Are You Afraid of the Dark, Ahhh Real Monsters, Rockos Modern Life, Ren and Stimpy, Cow and Chicken, TMNT, Mighty Max, Street Sharks, Kenan and Kel, All That, Angry Beavers…” ~ SimpinOnGinandJuice
Seriously. This Was A Thing.
“Porn mags hidden in the forest” ~ blindsniperx
“We were on a weekend Scouting trip and were hiking uphill on a paved road. We were fortunate that the Scoutmaster was up ahead and out of sight because I spotted something over the hill behind a tree.”
“We went down to check it out and discovered porn and pints of Iron City beer. Some of us ended up having an especially fun time that weekend. I suppose that we violated several tenants of The Scout Law.” ~ NagromTrebloc
To See It Evolve From Both Sides
“Being a kid and a teenager without social media.” ~ paksman
“I’ll add too growing up along with the internet evolving. When I was a kid there was no social media and basically no internet.”
“Around my late middle school/early high school years AOL became a thing. So we experienced the anonymous internet.”
“Everything was through user names. You connected with people on themed message boards.”
“Then came the personal but still a little anonymous part. Programs that let you connect with people you know but still in a semi private way. Things like ICQ, AIM, Xanga, LiveJournal, etc…”
“About halfway through high school came the first modern social media: MySpace. Learned a lot about connecting with people, music, etc…”
“It was opening the door to internet that was connected to your actual person. And all the top 8 drama that went with it.”
“When I went to college my first semester I couldn’t get on Facebook because my college had not registered with them yet. Spring semester they had.”
“It was a great way to connect with others in my college and stay in touch with friends at other schools.”
“Then we got to watch it all grow and become more sinister and become the influencer culture with instagram and tiktok. Also all the data collection and lack of privacy that seems unimaginable when I think of the early days of anonymity.”
“It seriously feels like I grew up along with the internet and got to go through all its phases too.”
“It’s been a unique perspective being on both sides of the internet revolution.” ~ dont_blink_angels
The old days might have been fun, but they’re gone.
Don’t forget to love and live in the present.
You might find it’s just as good as things used to be.