Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

People Break Down Things That Were Normal When They Were A Kid That You Don't See Anymore

Landline phone
black rotary dial phone on white surface
Photo by Quino Al on Unsplash

The world is ever-changing.

One need only look at the evolution of home entertainment.

First, we had to go to the video store to buy or rent video cassettes, then video cassettes were wiped out by DVDs until video stores became obsolete owing to streaming services.

Making the one-season failure of the Netflix series Blockbuster painfully ironic.

However, those of us who grew up rushing to Blockbuster, hoping the last copy of Jurassic Park will still be there, can't help but wish we could relive the experience.

On the other hand, we are glad to see other things from our childhood have become extinct.


Redditor AnalysisFrequent was curious to hear about things that people used to see all the time in their childhood which have all but vanished leading them to ask:
"What was normal when you were a kid, but you never see anymore?"

Honestly... Rude then, Rude Now!

"Showing up to someone’s house without a text or call."- lpkrew

Walking In Season 2 GIF by FriendsGiphy

Before There Was Bluetooth...

"Cassette tape innards strung out along the highway, glimmering in the sunlight."- bigolfurryhead

No More Second Hand Smoke!

" Parents smoking in a car with kids with the windows rolled up."- WonderfulEmergency77

"Everybody smoked everywhere. At restaurants, the office, airports, everywhere."

"There's a picture of my grandma holding me as a baby in one hand and a cigarette in the other."

"Nobody thought that was the least bit strange."- MeghanFI

mothers day smoking GIFGiphy

Now We Have Google!

"Using a set of 20 y/old encyclopedias as reference for my homework."

"JFK is president!"- ResplendentAmore

It Got Them Off Shelves...

"Toys in the cereal box"- NightDreamer73

How Sad...

"Fruit bats."

"There used to be a *ton* of them in my neighborhood as a kid and every evening you could look at the sunset as twilight set in and see flocks of bats flying around."

"Apparently, around the time I was in middle school, a fungal disease ravaged the local bat population and they never recovered."

"You never see them anymore."

"Funnily enough though, at the time, a local high school girl had this huge campaign to set up bat feeders to help bolster the local bat population and help them survive the fungal disease by giving them easy access to food."

"Said local girl has since become a federal Park Ranger as an adult and currently works for a state fish and wildlife service."- DoctorWatchamacallit

Now They'll Just Send Them A Text...

"Moms yelling from the front door to their kids to come home for dinner."- sflogicninja

Depending On Your Circle

"People talking about the Bermuda Triangle."- GarconMeansBoyGeorge

Best Not To Give Them Bad Ideas

"Candy Cigarettes."- Mechhammer

They're a dying breed indeed...

"Pay phones and answering machines."- Mondayslasagna

phone call mall GIF by South Park Giphy

Even Printers Are Uncommon, Thanks to PDFs...

"Computer paper filled with lightly printed numbers and it had tear-off sides."

"My dad used to bring lots of it home for us kids to draw on."- reverendgrebo

...what were you watching?...

"Quicksand in movies and TV shows."- kzab81

Well That's Poignant

"Fireflies."

'I swear I saw them every year, in our back yard or when we went camping etc."

"Now I never see them no matter where I am, except for a few nights in the summer of '21 after I moved to a new house."

"It was so nice to see them again."- ModernCivilWar

North America Lights GIF by BBC AmericaGiphy

Sadly, Not Because People Started Reading Maps...

"Printing out directions from Map Quest."- Keone_710

To think there was actually a time when we couldn't say "I'll text again when I'm close" and had to ask a friend to record a movie or tv show we wanted to watch.

Simpler times...

More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Melania Tump at event with Israeli hostages
Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

Melania Ripped After Using Event With Freed Israeli Hostages To Promote Her New Documentary

First Lady Melania Trump was criticized after she used an event at the White House with freed Israeli hostages to promote her new documentary Melania, which follows her in the 20 days leading up to President Donald Trump’s second inauguration following the 2024 presidential election.

Amazon MGM paid $40 million for the distribution rights and reportedly poured another $35 million into marketing. The film beat box office predictions to earn more than $7 million over the weekend but will need to generate much more box office to break even.

Keep ReadingShow less
A woman staring out into the ocean
a woman standing on a beach looking out at the ocean
Photo by Cosiela Borta on Unsplash

People Divulge Which Things Scream 'This Person Is Insecure' Without Them Saying A Word

Be it our bodies, our clothes, our jobs, or our personalities, everyone has some insecurity.

Of course, some people's insecurities are easier to notice than others.

Keep ReadingShow less
Tianna Graham stands beside her ice-encased 2016 Honda Civic on North Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood.
@tiannag444/TikTok; @NBCPhiladelphia/TikTok

Philly Woman Goes Viral With Her Totally Chill Reaction To Her Car Being Completely Frozen In Ice

While the Northeast battled winter weather, the internet was captivated by a Philly-based TikToker documenting how her car turned into what she jokingly described as a Snowmaggedon popsicle.

Last week, Tianna Graham shoveled out her 2016 Honda Civic and drove out after a snowstorm, took it to work, and parked it in the same spot she’d left it before: next to a water main. By the time she returned, her vehicle was completely encased in ice on the 1000 block of North Front Street in Philadelphia’s Fishtown neighborhood.

Keep ReadingShow less
Letter from Redditor Fit_Bowl_7313
u/Fit_Bowl_7313/Reddit

Dad Sparks Heated Debate After 'Nice Note' He Left For Wife And Kids Before Work Trip Sets Her Off

When a person becomes a parent, much more will change in their life than they anticipated.

But that transition can be especially hard when a person feels like they're losing themselves to their role as a mom or dad—and that feeling is made even worse when their partner hyper-fixates on their new role.

Keep ReadingShow less
Luke Granger; memorial for Renée Good
C-SPAN; Scott Olson/Getty Images

Renée Good's Brother Shares Emotional Testimony On Capitol Hill To Condemn ICE In Viral Clip

On Tuesday, House and Senate Democrats listened to testimony from United States citizens who were assaulted, injured, shot, or otherwise adversely affected by the administration of MAGA Republican President Donald Trump through Kristi Noem's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) via employees of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Their Republican colleagues were invited, but none chose to attend.

Keep ReadingShow less