Illuminating the Generation Gap: A Nostalgic Journey to Pre-Digital Childhood
The generation gap between those of us who grew up in the pre-digital era and today’s tech-savvy kids is becoming more apparent than ever. As I recently explained the process of burning a CD to my 10-year-old, his confused reaction followed by bursts of laughter made me realize just how different our childhoods are. Born in the early 80s, even though I’m not that old, it’s clear that our experiences couldn’t be more different. And honestly, thank goodness for that!
We, who were born between 1979 and 1982, find ourselves in a peculiar position, caught between Generation X and the Millennial generation. Our formative years were filled with pay phones, mixtapes that we carefully curated ourselves, live TV with commercials, pagers, and let’s not forget the Dewey Decimal System. We have lived through two distinct lifetimes within our relatively short lives: half analog and half digital.
Do you remember spending hours listening to top 40 countdowns on the radio, eagerly anticipating which song would claim the number one spot? We would call the radio station to request a song dedicated to our crushes. Our generation witnessed the shift from cassette tapes to CDs, and we would listen to our music on a magical little device called the Walkman that we could actually carry around with us. Our kids from Generation Alpha would be mind-blown by this concept.
We had captivating shows like Saved by the Bell, which they tragically tried to remake and failed miserably. What is this garbage? Nowadays, our children find entertainment in watching other people play video games like Roblox and Fortnite on YouTube. How does that even make sense? Back then, we didn’t have an unlimited library of content to stream, and if we missed a show, our best bet was recording it on a VHS tape. Yet, my kids still complain that there’s nothing to watch? Oh, the irony!
When the phone rang in our houses, we had no clue who was on the other end. We simply answered with a polite Hello? My kids can’t fathom a world where people aren’t glued to their smartphones 24/7, and texting isn’t a universal language.
Remember having to engage in polite conversation with your friend’s parents while waiting for your friend to come to the phone? Sometimes, we unintentionally spilled the beans during these conversations, only to have our friend come to the phone, fuming with anger. Those were the days.
I miss the simplicity of just knocking on a neighbor’s door to hang out. Now, playdates are organized through texts to their moms, and it has to be a whole production. I often don’t even know the mom’s real name; she’s just saved in my phone as Brynleigh’s mom.
FOMO (fear of missing out) wasn’t even a thing for us because we didn’t know where everyone was at all times. When we left home, we were truly off the grid. There was no internet to constantly update you on the whereabouts of everyone you knew. Yes, you may not have been invited to something, but at least it wasn’t constantly thrown in your face. The only solace was the answering machine waiting to retrieve all your messages when you got back home, that is if the tape didn’t get mangled in the process.
Do you remember the days when malls were the place to be? We would spend the whole day there, doused in CK One, visiting our favorite stores and searching for cute guys. Food court decisions were serious matters: Orange Julius, Wetzel’s Pretzels, or maybe just filling up on samples. And when we were done, we would find a payphone, scrounge up a quarter, and call for a ride home.
Ah, the best part of the mall: Glamour Shots. If you know, you know. If you ever experienced the joy of having ten pounds of makeup and self-tanner applied, your hair teased to the max, and donning a boa for a borderline inappropriate photo, then you are my people.
Back then, there was no GPS, which was quite problematic for those of us who lacked direction (pun intended). We would often drive aimlessly for hours, clueless about our whereabouts. The more organized among us would navigate with printed-out directions, all while avoiding potential accidents. For road trips, an actual map was our guide.
Processed food was the norm in our diets. Remember having Fruit Loops for breakfast, a Snickers bar and a Mountain Dew for lunch, and boxed Tuna Helper Casserole for dinner? Vegetables were practically non-existent. The notion of kale, quinoa, or clean eating was unheard of.
Our biggest concerns revolved around getting caught skipping school or slacking off, rather than the fear of violence. Our parents’ cars didn’t even have power windows, so we had to manually roll them down with a crank. I distinctly remember the awe and wonder I felt when we finally got a car with power windows. Witnessing the windows go up and down with the click of a button seemed like pure magic. Back then, we had dreams of becoming police officers, doctors, teachers, or firefighters. But for Generation Alpha, it seems their career aspirations lie in becoming influencers or YouTubers.
Those of us who grew up in the 80s and 90s have truly been through it all and survived to tell the tale. We like to believe that we’re made of tougher stuff, having experienced wonders like landlines and the unforgettable screeching noise of dial-up internet.
Looking back, our childhoods were truly the best, and I’ll forever be grateful for growing up during those magnificent years. Don’t you miss it too?
