20 Boomer Habits That Are Rare Today
Life was different when Boomers were growing up. Here are things they did every day that feel completely out of place now.
1. Waiting for the Mailman to Deliver Actual Letters
Remember when you had to wait days, even weeks, to hear back from someone? Boomers lived in a time when the mailman was the ultimate messenger, delivering letters like they were golden tickets. Today, a message that takes more than 2 seconds to send feels like an eternity.
2. Using a Map That Wasn’t on a Screen
Navigating meant unfolding a giant paper map that never quite folded back the same way. Boomers had to figure out routes without the soothing voice of a GPS telling them to “turn left in 300 feet.” Now, if it’s not on a smartphone, does it even exist?
3. Watching TV Shows When They Actually Aired
The concept of “appointment TV” is lost on the streaming generation. Boomers had to plan their lives around TV schedules, making sure to be in front of the screen at 8 PM sharp. Today, missing a show’s airtime is a non-issue—just binge it all later.
4. Calling Someone’s House and Hoping They’d Be There
Before cell phones, reaching someone meant calling their home and hoping they weren’t out. If you got the busy signal, it was game over. Now, constant connectivity means there’s no escape, not even in the bathroom.
5. Flipping Through Encyclopedias for School Projects
Google was just a gleam in the eye of someone who wasn’t even born yet. Boomers had to lug out heavy encyclopedias and flip through hundreds of pages to find information for their school projects. Today’s students might struggle to understand the concept of “manual research.”
6. Getting Film Developed to See Your Photos
Taking photos was a commitment—you didn’t know how they’d turn out until you picked up the developed film days later. Boomers didn’t have the luxury of deleting and retaking until perfection. Nowadays, if your selfie doesn’t get enough likes, it’s deleted before anyone else notices.
7. Listening to Music on Vinyl Records
Music wasn’t always in the cloud. Boomers had their tunes on vinyl records, and playing them required a turntable and some serious care. Now, music lives in your pocket, and the thought of flipping a record to hear Side B seems like ancient history.
8. Having Only Three TV Channels
Boomers were grateful to have three whole channels to choose from. And if you missed your favorite show, tough luck until the reruns. Today’s world of endless streaming services and on-demand viewing would have blown their minds.
9. Sending Postcards from Vacation
Updating everyone on your vacation meant sending postcards with a brief message and a nice picture of the beach. Boomers didn’t have Instagram to instantly broadcast their beach bodies. Now, if you’re not sharing every second of your trip online, did you even go?
10. Renting Movies from a Video Store
Friday nights meant a trip to the local video rental store, hoping the movie you wanted was still in stock. Boomers had to make decisions on the spot, with no previews or reviews in sight. Today, it’s all about scrolling through endless options and still spending an hour deciding.
11. Using a Phone Book to Find Someone’s Number
If you needed someone’s phone number, you had to flip through a giant book filled with names and numbers. Boomers had their own analog version of a search engine, and finding a number required some serious detective work. Today, phone books are relics, replaced by the all-knowing Google.
12. Playing Outside Without Parental Supervision
Boomers grew up in a world where playing outside meant hours of unsupervised fun. They’d disappear until dinner, roaming the neighborhood on bikes or building forts in the woods. Nowadays, kids are more likely to roam Minecraft than the great outdoors.
13. Using a Typewriter to Write Papers
Typing wasn’t always as forgiving as it is now. Boomers had to use typewriters, where every mistake meant starting over or dealing with messy correction tape. The backspace key is something they could only dream of, while today it’s just a light tap away.
14. Making Phone Calls from Payphones
If you were out and about and needed to make a call, you had to find a payphone and hope you had the right change. Boomers carried quarters like they were life essentials. These days, the payphone is more of a museum piece, with smartphones making it obsolete.
15. Waiting for Your Favorite Song on the Radio
Want to hear that new hit song? Boomers had to patiently wait for the radio DJ to play it, hoping they’d catch it from the beginning. Today, it’s all about instant gratification, with every song just a click away on your favorite streaming service.
16. Buying Everything in Cash
Before plastic took over, boomers handled money in its physical form—cash. They carried bills and coins, and buying something meant actually handing over paper money. In today’s cashless society, wallets are slimmer, and transactions are just a tap or swipe away.
17. Wearing a Watch to Tell Time
Boomers had a simple relationship with time: they wore it on their wrists. A watch wasn’t a smart device; it just told time. Now, a wristwatch can track your steps, monitor your heart rate, and maybe even answer a phone call, if you’re into that.
18. Writing Checks for Everything
From paying bills to buying groceries, checks were the way boomers moved money around. They had to manually write out each check, with a certain level of trust involved in the process. Nowadays, if you’re writing a check, it’s probably because the recipient hasn’t caught up with the times.
19. Using the Library Card Catalog
Finding a book in the library wasn’t as simple as searching online. Boomers had to use the card catalog, flipping through tiny drawers filled with index cards to locate the right book. Today’s digital catalogs make it easy, but some might argue it’s less of an adventure.
20. Sending Physical Invitations for Parties
Inviting someone to a party meant sending an actual invitation in the mail. Boomers had to rely on the postal service to gather their guests, with RSVPs trickling in slowly. Now, a few clicks on social media, and you’ve got an event with all the bells and whistles, minus the wait.
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