Those of us who were around when it was a big deal to get your house's first cordless phone might want to buckle up for this one. In an era that has largely left landlines in the past, it's easy to forget that our generations are keepers of dying knowledge.
With all of the advances in technology from the last twenty years, it's a little dizzying to keep in mind the generation of kids born in the early 2000s never lived a life before the internet was commonly in everybody's household and before most people had access to it at all times via mobile phones.
And then when you see it in action, you really feel how upsetting it is.
Old fashioned dial telephone *SOUND ON*pic.twitter.com/rhE9rDP1Q7— Jo-Anne Burrow (@Jo-Anne Burrow) 1641119243
I love how they keep trying to \u201creboot\u201d it by picking up the receiver and then dropping it lol— Hilary Pugh (@Hilary Pugh) 1641341818
I need more!! Do they ever succeed?— Emily Johnson (@Emily Johnson) 1641132806
Omfg!!!! This is hilarious!!!— Saint Hubbins \ud83d\udc5e \ud83d\udc60 (@Saint Hubbins \ud83d\udc5e \ud83d\udc60) 1641509979
In the video, two teen boys are wrestling with an old style rotary phone, trying to figure out how it works.
They're given four minutes to dial a single phone number.
They spend most of that time figuring out how to input a single number into the phone.
Anyone over 40 should watch...it's hilarious. I'm https://twitter.com/lalaburrow/status/1477587318680731651\u00a0\u2026— Mrs Heather Henton (@Mrs Heather Henton) 1641509122
I didn't realise how difficult it was ;)https://twitter.com/lalaburrow/status/1477587318680731651\u00a0\u2026— Iain Wolstencroft #FBPE (@Iain Wolstencroft #FBPE) 1641396710
K I am laughing waaaaaay too hard at thishttps://twitter.com/lalaburrow/status/1477587318680731651\u00a0\u2026— Hilary Pugh (@Hilary Pugh) 1641341699
"What does zero sound like?" \n\n\nPriceless! \n\nI give them credit for trying!— Compassionate Friend (@Compassionate Friend) 1641509538
Rotary phones are an even older piece of technology than regular old landlines.
Rotary dials, in particular, were first patented in 1892. It was the dominant style of dial until the 1970s, when push-button phones became more popular.
Nowadays, smartphones don't even have buttons, but respond to taps and swipes.
So cute and hilarious.https://twitter.com/neillowenthal1/status/1480268137148805122\u00a0\u2026— Roan (He/Him/They/Them) (@Roan (He/Him/They/Them)) 1641896686
That they keep lifting the receiver & hanging up to "start over" dialing the number, but never think to put it to their ear, has me rolling https://twitter.com/NeilLowenthal1/status/1480268137148805122\u00a0\u2026— \u262dCommie\u262dAngel\u262d\u267f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfb\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf5 (@\u262dCommie\u262dAngel\u262d\u267f\ud83c\udff3\ufe0f\u200d\ud83c\udf08\ud83c\uddf5\ud83c\uddf8\ud83c\udde8\ud83c\uddfa\ud83c\uddfb\ud83c\uddea\ud83c\uddf0\ud83c\uddf5) 1641882633
This is too funny. I'm like screaming pick up the receiver. This would be a great game show.https://twitter.com/NeilLowenthal1/status/1480268137148805122\u00a0\u2026— Jatashie Johnson (@Jatashie Johnson) 1641789199
As time goes on and technology continues to change, more and more of these videos will likely show up around Gen Z and Gen Alpha, their successors.
It's only a matter of time before we see videos of someone trying to work an iPod from 2008.