Our Times Obsolete?

We all love to look at photos or see artifacts of items from our ancestor’s past – equipment, products, household devices, entertainment, etc that was common in our grandparents’ day. However, with rapid technological advances, especially in the 21st century, many of what was common products and devices for us only 5 to 20 years ago are NOW OBSOLETE!

Say it isn’t so, but it is. Here are some examples. Bookstores, where you go to the store and hold a printed book, are closing down. With so much now digital and online, even the ordering of a print book online, the long time bookstore is nearly obsolete.

Then there is the telephone book. With names of people and business found on a quick search online, phone books are not being printed. Sometimes you might find the ‘Yellow Pages’ but the familiar white and yellow with people’s names, addresses and phone number are gone.

Remember when the VCR recorder and player came out – wow you could record a television program and see it anytime later you wanted – that is totally outdated. With streaming video online you see programs as many times as you wish.

Many people have done away with their telephone landlines and only have a cell phone. The main problem here is in a storm and you have lost electrical power for hours or days – you can’t recharge the cell phone, whereas the regular landlines will still work.

Computers have really changed in the last 10 years. No longer are the large desktop computers used by most people. Of course no one was unset to see that big, heavy monitors go and be replaced by the lightweight, slim and larger monitors – that was good. Desktop computers are being replaced by the laptop, tablet, and smartphone.

Everyone having their own cell phone has totally killed the public payphone and phone booth. When as the last time you saw a working phone booth? Even the traditional large red booths in England are now being replaced if they needed repair – they are history!

Photo developing stores are gone, with everything done in digital, no need to have a roll of film developed.

Using road maps is nearly unheard now. With GPS, who needs a printed map?

Movie rental stores are closing down with Netflix and Video on Demand via the Internet, renting a DVD or before that a VHS tape of a movie is just not done anymore.

Record / CD stores are nearly out-of-date and disappearing because with all the online methods to download the newest songs and even the old vintage music can be downloaded.

So adjust to the newest and latest, it will continue like that. Your grandparents saw many changes in their lifetimes, maybe not as fast.

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