People Who Lived In The 1900s Had To Do These 11 Ridiculous Things No One Has To Do Now
The '90s made life as we know it possible, but there were some really ridiculous things we had to do then.
Eliza Alves from capturenow via Canva It may feel like the 1990s were just yesterday, but the decade was long ago. The 90s have shaped our pop culture. Friends continues to be one of the most popular TV shows, Nirvana’s impact on music can still be found in current bands, and the fashion will never die. It’s exciting to see younger generations pay tribute to such a powerful time period. While there is so much to miss about the decade, thankfully, there are a few things we no longer have to worry about.
From the struggles of landline phones to constantly having to print things out from our brick computers, technology was advancing, but nowhere near what we experience now. While the glorious World Wide Web was invented during that time, we didn’t get to experience its full advantages then. Some ideology was also different then. What was once considered acceptable work attire has changed, and the way we learn in the classroom has been completely reshaped. The '90s were magical, but let’s just be thankful we no longer have to do some of these ridiculous things.
People who lived in the 1900s had to do these 11 ridiculous things no one has to do now
1. Get off the phone so someone else could use it
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Landline telephones are a thing of the past now. However, I bet most of, if not all of us, grew up with at least one in our homes. Growing up, my friends and I would talk on the phone for hours before cellphones became popular. The worst part, however, was being kicked off the phone line when someone else needed to use the phone.
A landline phone relied on phone lines. Unlike the cell towers we are used to today, our phones were plugged into the wall. Typically, most homes had only one phone line. That meant that only one person could use the phone at a time. If someone else needed to use the phone, you had no choice but to get off the line.
2. Wear pantyhose to work
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The '90s had a rather strict dress code when it came to the office. Nowadays, office culture is hard to dissect. What can you wear to work? It turns out that navigating a dress code in the workforce is more difficult now than ever. Each company has its own requirements. In the 90s, things were a bit easier.
Everyone wore pantyhose to the office in the '90s. If you watch the show "Friends," picture every outfit Rachel Green would wear to work. Skirts were mandatory, and wearing pantyhose underneath was a non-negotiable. Now, you’ll catch me wearing pants to the office before you’d ever see me in pantyhose.
3. Stand in line to buy tickets
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Ticketmaster and other online buying platforms have become the enemy of the people in recent years. Scalpers buying up tickets and reselling them have made seeing certain artists in concert nearly impossible. This annoying resale culture has made some younger people envious of the days when the only way to snag a seat at the best concert in town was to wait in line at the box office.
In the '90s, you had a few options to grab tickets. Some venues required the purchase of tickets in person, on-site. If you couldn’t make it to the venue, some record stores had ticket boxes where you could stand in line to buy them. You could also score tickets at grocery stores.
“I used to go to the Ticketmaster counter at the local Kroger to get tickets. Crazy,” said one commenter on Reddit. Buying tickets from the comfort of home was unheard of.
4. Bang erasers together to get the chalk off
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Chalkboards have made a comeback. You can find them in most restaurants and even in some homes. In the early 2000s, chalkboards were an ancient relic. While they may have a chalkboard in their kitchen that keeps a running score of recipes, kids these days will never understand the impact chalk had in the classroom.
While teachers are no longer smacking erasers together to rid them of chalk, '90s kids have happy memories surrounding the days of chalkboards.
“I was born in '77. I used to love getting picked to take the erasers outside and clap them together against the brick exterior of the school. Inhaling huge amounts of chalk dust was totally worth GETTING OUT OF CLASS for even a few minutes. Chalk. Do they even make that anymore?” wrote a nostalgic user on Reddit. Another added, “At my school, there was a special tree for hitting the erasers on. Considering that I've been asthmatic all my life, I'm surprised I got given that duty from time to time. I survived it, though, and it was a lot more fun than sitting in class!”
5. Print directions
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Oh, MapQuest. There was something so exciting about printing out the directions to the place you were just dying to go to. Printed directions bring back journeys to amusement parks and concerts in the city for me. However, now, I couldn’t imagine going back to that way of driving. I am so dependent on my phone’s GPS.
Believe it or not, some people still look to MapQuest for printed directions. Google Maps even offers a print option online. For those who are in need of some serious nostalgia, try getting to your next destination with the help of a printed map. I do think we would have an issue with safety if everyone went back to staring at paper while driving, though.
6. Print presentations on transparency paper
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Computers were coming of age in the '90s. Microsoft was creating PowerPoint, but the technology was not yet used in the classroom or office. Instead, you’d print out your presentation on transparent paper to show on an overhead projector. I remember being so obsessed with the one in my classroom that my dad, who worked in the moving business, was able to get me one for our house. I was the queen of projecting random words onto our walls.
Commenters on Reddit loved sharing their favorite moments from the translucent paper projected on the walls.
“When the teacher would spray it with cleaner and you got to watch all the colors run,” said one user. Others were not as impressed. “Oh man, I vividly remember, and not in a good way, an algebra teacher who would use this thing, lick her fingers, wipe off the plastic sheet, and then write more. She would do this through the whole class and by the end would always have marker all over her lips and chin.”
7. Get up to change the channel
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Remotes were one of the greatest inventions ever made. Unfortunately, the 90s were grim in the sense that the channels had to be changed manually. That meant getting up and walking over to the set, if you can imagine that.
Instead of pressing buttons on a remote, you’d have to approach the TV. As the years advanced, so did the technology. Some TVs, like those from the 1950s, required the most effort. They had large knobs you had to turn to change the channel. Later, the televisions eventually had little buttons for channel selection. By the 2000s, thankfully, remotes became more popular.
8. Type out essays and work documents
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Home computers were not as popular in the '90s. For most, the only access they had to one was at the library. When homework was assigned that needed to be typed up, kids would often write it by hand on paper, then visit the library, where they would type it into a document and print it.
The same was done for business documents. Without access to in-home computers, the process of creating documents was more complex. Not only would you have to type it all up, but you’d have to do so from the handwritten pieces you made at home.
9. Rewind tapes
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Be kind, rewind. That was a slogan we grew up hearing. Kids these days will never get to experience the joy of going into a Blockbuster and picking out a VHS to watch for family movie night. Unlike DVDs or streaming, it wasn’t easy to get back to the beginning. Before you returned a VHS to the rental store, you had to rewind it.
“Back in the day, if you returned a movie without rewinding it, you’d get a fee. Blockbuster didn’t play around,” wrote a Reddit user. “It’s such a small thing, but I still remember rushing to rewind tapes before heading back. No streaming, no continue watching, just rewind and hope no one else rented it before you. Simpler times, but kind of stressful too!”
10. Cut out coupons
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To get the best deals at the stores, you’d have to physically cut out coupons. Today, we don’t have to worry about coupon clipping. Some apps find the deals for us. All we have to do is type in, or better yet, copy over the coupon code. It’s so much easier to shop frugally now.
“Clipping coupons can be a real drag. Not only do you lose some of your savings to the time it takes to find them, but it's also decidedly last century. But you don't have to cut coupons to start getting big savings today,” says Nicholas Pell for The Street. We have come a long way, with nearly all coupons converted to digital.
11. Lick stamps and envelopes
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Stamps and envelopes today have adhesive that allows them to stick to things. However, in the 90s, they relied on saliva. That’s right, licking them was the only option. Thankfully, that is a thing of the past, as there may have been some health risks.
“Technically, the raw materials used to produce envelope gum are not harmful to your health when just one envelope is licked. Most gum formulas include blends of corn or potato starch and synthetic resin emulsion (e.g. Elmer’s® glue),” wrote Erin Moloney for Tension Envelope and Print’s blog. “However, it is always recommended for end users to wet the seal for closure with a moist sponge versus licking it, especially when there’s a lot of envelopes to be sealed and the risk of ingesting too much glue increases. Break away from those inner first-grade urges.”
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
