15 Things Boomers Did That Today’s Generations Don’t Understand

Boomers grew up in a world with payphones, paper maps, and vinyl records, doing things that make today’s generations scratch their heads. From the quirky to the downright baffling, boomers had some habits and experiences that are relics of a different time. Here are fifteen things boomers did that might leave younger generations asking, “Wait, why?”

1. Memorizing Phone Numbers

Once upon a time, boomers could recite the phone numbers of friends, family, and even local pizza places by heart. If you were out and needed to call someone, you had to know their number. Today, thanks to smartphones and speed-dial, the only number most people know by heart is their own.

2. Writing Checks for Everything

Boomers weren’t shy about whipping out a checkbook for everyday purchases, whether it was groceries, a movie ticket, or a pack of gum. And yes, they’d write the amount, sign it, and then record it in the check register like a financial diary. The thought of balancing a checkbook in today’s tap-and-pay world? Almost unthinkable.

3. Using Encyclopedias for Homework

Before the internet, boomers had a massive set of encyclopedias taking up prime bookshelf space, ready to be flipped open for every school assignment. Research meant digging through these alphabetized tomes, hoping the information wasn’t already outdated. Google may have replaced them, but boomers remember a time when information was finite and encyclopedia salespeople were a thing.

4. Collecting S&H Green Stamps

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Back in the day, boomers could collect S&H Green Stamps from grocery stores and gas stations, which they’d paste into little booklets. Once they had enough, they’d redeem them for actual products, from kitchen gadgets to furniture. Today, loyalty points are digital and effortless, but boomers were doing loyalty rewards old-school—one sticky stamp at a time.

5. Waiting a Week to See Photos

Instant photos were a dream that belonged to the far-off future. Boomers would finish a roll of film, drop it off at the drugstore, and wait for days (or a week!) to see how the pictures turned out. Sometimes, they’d get a whole roll of overexposed mess or a thumb in front of every shot. Instagram generation, try to imagine the patience.

6. Hitchhiking as a Normal Thing

Boomers often hitched rides with complete strangers, and it wasn’t seen as a wild idea. Hitchhiking was a casual, cheap way to travel before rideshare apps—or even public transit in some places—were widely available. Today, most people wouldn’t dream of thumbing it on the highway, let alone getting in a car with someone they just met.

7. Owning Encyclopedic Record Collections

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For boomers, a vinyl record collection was a point of pride, and it took up a lot of room. They’d spend hours flipping through bins at record stores, talking about the “warmth” of analog sound and debating album covers. Today’s music lives mostly in our phones, but boomers had to put in some serious lifting to listen to their tunes.

8. Smoking… Everywhere

Boomers grew up in a world where smoking was not only common but nearly unavoidable. People smoked in restaurants, on airplanes, in offices, and even hospitals. The smoke-filled rooms and ashtrays on every table are nearly inconceivable today, but for boomers, smoking was just part of the ambiance.

9. Getting the News From a Newspaper

While today’s generations are used to instant updates on their phones, boomers had to rely on the morning newspaper for their daily dose of news. There was no endless feed to scroll through, just ink-stained fingers and yesterday’s headlines delivered fresh each morning. For boomers, the sound of a newspaper hitting the driveway was as close to a news alert as it got.

10. Arranging Blind Dates Without Social Media Stalking

Imagine going on a date with someone you’ve never seen a photo of and know almost nothing about. That was boomer dating. Friends or family would set them up, and they’d have to just show up and hope for the best. No social media to check out their hobbies, favorite bands, or high school prom photos. It was mystery and spontaneity at its finest.

11. Using Map Books for Road Trips

Long before GPS, boomers would break out hefty map books or foldable paper maps to figure out road trips. Getting lost was almost a rite of passage, and “navigator” was an actual job for passengers. They didn’t have a soothing voice saying, “Recalculating,” just a lot of squinting and maybe a pit stop to ask for directions.

12. Waiting in Line to Buy Concert Tickets

When a concert was announced, boomers would camp out in line for hours—sometimes overnight—to get tickets. There was no clicking refresh on a Ticketmaster page; it was about showing up, waiting, and hoping for good seats. Concert tickets were truly earned back then, and it made the show even more of an event.

13. Talking to Operators to Make Calls

If you wanted to reach someone far away, you’d dial “0” and ask the operator for assistance, or you’d place a collect call, where the receiver would pick up the tab. It wasn’t just dialing and connecting instantly; sometimes, the operator had to manually patch you through. Imagine a time when your call wasn’t always a private, one-step affair.

14. Setting TV Schedules Around Favorite Shows

Boomers watched TV when shows aired—no streaming, no on-demand, just appointment television. If you missed a show, you simply didn’t see it. There was no going back, no replay. Thursday at 8 p.m. was Thursday at 8 p.m., and commercials were non-negotiable.

15. Sending Letters and Waiting Days for Replies

Boomers relied on snail mail for long-distance communication, penning letters and sending them off with the hope of a response within a week or so. Written correspondence required patience, thoughtfulness, and a few stamps. Instant messaging was the stuff of science fiction, making a letter in the mail an exciting moment.

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