Technology has made life easier and more comfortable. You can ask Alexa to perform some tasks as you chill on the couch, browse for information online, or automate a robot vacuum to clean your floors. They also come with their complexities, as awesome as these conveniences are. Many adults reminisce about when life was simpler.Â
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See Stars at Night
Older adults have memories of star gazing and watching constellations at night. One poster says, “I grew up in a very rural part of Europe, and I remember important people in my life showing me constellations and stars of interest with myths behind them.”
Due to light pollution in many cities and towns, one can only view a handful of stars.
A Sense of Community
In the past, people knew each other in their neighborhood, fostering a sense of community. Sadly, this has changed due to people moving, modern-day technology, and social networking.
“I’d like a sense of community,” confesses a user, “but don’t want neighbors inviting themselves over, keeping tabs on how often we do/don’t go out, or stopping me mid-yardwork or dog walk to chat.”
Job Hunting
You did not need “employment agencies, background checks, drug tests, or second interviews” to get a job back then. Today, however, job hunting has become tedious and exhausting.
A job applicant lists the stages he went through before receiving a job acceptance offer, “Submit application, video interview, questionnaire after passing the video interview, group assessment, role play and listening in on some calls, and background checks.”
Cost of Living
Also, “things used to cost a lot less.” However, education, college, health insurance, mortgages, and travel costs have skyrocketed. Some people attribute this to inflation and the high number of middlemen, while others point to “the inability to automate” some industries.
Getting A Raise
Getting a raise back then was easy as companies rewarded employee loyalty. Now, most people are forced to look for jobs at different companies and negotiate better pay since their current ones offer “little to no raises, no benefits, and no vacation.”
Privacy
The beauty of pre-internet and social media is that people can truly live a private life. One poster says, “I’m hoping there’s some social media uprising in the future; a lot of personal info about me is out there without my consent due to siblings and parents. And the worst part is that having no social media can make people think you’re suspicious.”
User Reparability
A user writes, “(Back in the day) it was possible to fix your car yourself. Today, cars and farm equipment are being slapped with ‘proprietary software’ and other restrictions that make it harder for regular people to fix their equipment.” Phones, laptops, and other electronic gadgets also have limited user reparability.
Sense of Optimism
Adults who lived in the past 50-70 years were truly optimistic about a better future. They envisioned amazing technological advancements and a “civilization of peace and wealth.” Unfortunately, climate change, nuclear weapons, and terrorist attacks have replaced optimism with negativity and cynicism.
Housing
“My grandparents paid 75k for their home about 40 years ago,” writes a user, “The same house is about 230k now, even with a flood risk being added years later.” In addition to their high prices, these new buildings are “ugly” and “basically boxes for humans.”
Education
Also, college and university education was affordable, unlike today, where you incur huge debts from student loans. A poster says, “People used to work a summer job to pay tuition, leave college with zero debt, and the degree raised an eyebrow during job interviews.”
Clothing
Finally, clothes back then were made of quality fabric and perfect seams to last years. All you get is “cheap plastic fibers that don’t feel good on your skin, and sewing skills have vastly declined.”
Source: Reddit
Featured Photo from Shutterstock
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