It’s difficult to imagine a past without technology. Imagine having to survive a day without internet access. What about traveling by car without using Google Maps? Or purchasing presents quickly without Amazon? All of it undoubtedly seems practically impossible now. However, we did it a few decades ago, and some of us even yearn for those less complicated days.
We managed to do just as much, just slightly in a different way. It’s simple to take for granted the comforts of today, but it’s crucial to consider how far we’ve come. Francine Cefola, co-author of the brand-new book Tell It to the Future, cites the adage “If we don’t know where we come from, how can we know where we are going? “I am a strong believer that we learn from the past, and if we disregard things we can’t conceive because they appear too antiquated, sluggish, or unproductive, we lose understanding of how we got to where we are now,” the author says.
Here’s a look at how different the world was in the 20th century in case you don’t remember life before technology took over and made everything “easier.” Also, see This Is What Dating Looked Like Additional Than 50 Years Ago for more information on how far we’ve come.
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1. Before GPS, we used atlases to get us around.
In the twentieth century, Google Maps wasn’t a common travel companion. We were forced to travel with our atlases instead. These atlases were spiral-bound and slightly over 160 pages long; they included highway and road data for each of the 50 states. But getting from A to B was still challenging. Additionally, the information wasn’t always correct because the atlases were only updated once a year.
Peter Dalbis, 76, of Oak Park, Illinois, recalls traveling alone and just using his occasionally reliable Rand McNally road map. Roads would occasionally be absent, according to Dalbis. “Or a road that appeared on the map but wasn’t actually there. But we would work things out. With an atlas, you can’t be careless like other individuals who just rely on their GPS. I’ll tell you this much: we never drove a car into a swamp because Rand McNally advised us to.” Dalbec claims that if an atlas ever lacked crucial directions, he would stop at a visitor’s center.
They would be aware of any impending development and the precise amount of change required for tolls, he added. “Simply hearing another human voice could be enjoyable after a long day of driving. Additionally, they had maps. No cost maps!”
2. Before e-mail or texting, we wrote letters.
Before the year 2000, you had to write a letter to someone if you wanted to communicate with them without actually speaking to them. Yes, a handwritten letter using paper, a pen, or a pencil. Then, in order to purchase stamps, you had to travel to the nearby post office. Many people believe that the messages required a bit more effort and were sent in a healthy manner.
While asked about the letters he used to write to his wife Bobbi in the early 1990s, Mike Stouffer of Wausau, Wisconsin, told CNN that they were “always a great way to remind someone when they are gone that you’re thinking about them.” They had a major role in the growth of our relationship. “E-mail can never replace the excitement and thrill of receiving and opening a personal letter,” Florida resident Uf Tukel told CNN.
3. Before Wi-Fi, we used a phone line to connect to the internet.
Dial-up internet connectivity was the only option for online access long before Wi-Fi became a reality. New Jersey’s Margaret Weiss, a life and financial coach, reflected on the early days of the internet on Quora. You would require a conventional landline, which you would then remove from the wall socket and attach to your machine, the author explained. A monthly internet subscription would also be required. And an unlimited connection to AOL would have cost you $21.95 per month in 1998. Software developer Christopher Burke from Seattle posted on Quora about the difficulties of dial-up internet.
If you just have one phone line in your home, you must ensure that no one else picks up the phone to dial while you are online or your connection may ‘drop’ and you will need to dial in again. “In some cities, there were only one or two dial-up lines, each of which was linked to a switching system and sometimes tens or even hundreds of modems. As a result, if it’s a busy time of day, you might not be able to connect to the internet at all as everyone else is using the modems.” Everyone also recalls the sounds you would make when you dialed in.
