And what is so different from then to now? How much have things changed, how has technology changed the way you live?
Thanks.
What was technology like when you were a kid?
The 1950s were a time of dinosaur technology -- no computers outside of government atom-bomb research laboratories, and the cars all had tail fins and got 10 mpg if you were lucky. The interstate highway system was still half dream, and television was worse than analog (it was black-and-white). Medicine still was primarily supportive -- doctors thought that penicillin would cure anything, even colds and the flu. Commercial airplanes still had propellers; many trains still were pulled by steam engines. There were no microwaves, VCRs, or CDs; many records were monaural. Air conditioning was a luxury (and we didn't have it). People shared phone lines (known as %26quot;party lines%26quot;), and the phone numbers consisted of a word abbreviation and 5 numbers (e.g., Kimberly 5-4321). Area codes or ZIP codes? What the hell were those?
But, my grandparents saw greater changes. My mother's mother courted in a horse and buggy on brick streets and lived to see men walk on the moon. Television overwhelmed my great grandmother, who never would watch it unless dressed in her Sunday best -- because %26quot;If I can see them, they can see me!%26quot;
You don't know how easy you have it.
What was technology like when you were a kid?
1. Analog TV - no such thing as cable. Color TV was the big thing.
2. 8 track stereos and vinyl records.
3. Landline phones run by the monopoly known as Ma Bell.
4. No VCR's, DVD's or way to view movies outside a theater or on TV main channels.
5. Media distributed by newspaper or on nightly news.
Now we have instant news, portable phones, access to movies ect...... not to mention the wonder of the WWW!!!!!!
Dial telephones.
Newspapers.
Black and white TV's, eventually color. All analog.
Vinyl LP's and turntables.
Cars had no electronics beyond a good radio.
Computers took up several square feet or a room.
Mobile phones were built into cars, and you had to go through a special mobile operator to make a call.
Far more than you think.
No TV. My folks weren't rich enough for that. We got one from a rich aunt, in the 70's. Black and white. 2 stations - there weren't any more. TV started at 1800, stopped at 24.00.
We listened to the radio a lot. 3 stations.
One phone.
No computers. I got my first box (Acorn Atom) when I was 19. It had a whopping 4 KILOBYTE interna memory, and that was a lot.
We had a record player. Mostly 45 rpm records (small ones) , later 33 rpm (big ones). We got a casette tape player later on.
Car: we didn't have one. Couldn't afford one, and didn't need one. I still haven't a car: I ride bicycle. If too far? I take the bus. My college was 30 km cycling. Every day, rain or no rain.
Holidays: we never traveled abroad. Nobody did. Only the very rich did.
Games: computers didn't exist, so computer games didn't exist either.
Walkmans, ipods etc: I never quite liked the idea of walking around listening to music. I tried a set of my friend when he got one, somewhere in 1980 or so. Found it not very safe in traffic. Those things were bloody expensive, broke all the time and you had to carry 6 spare batteries.
Video? Nope. not when I was a kid.
Safety: you were to get home when the streetlights went on. No mobile to call you. Or to track you.
If you hurt your knee in the playground: my mum would wack me for ruining a good pair of trousers, put jodium (that really hurts) on it and a bandaid. Suing the playground for 10 million? Are you sane? What for? You hurt your knee didn't you? Or did the playground do that?
Chlorine, caustic soda and other stuff was packed in normal bottles on the bottomshelf in the kitchen. No big deal.
And you know what? We had great fun!
