16 Thinks Baby Boomers Had That Today’s Kids Don’t Understand

grandma playing with grandkid with crowns on

Life today is worlds apart from the 1960s, when the baby boomers were growing up. Back then, there were no smartphones, no internet, and technology was delightfully simple. The economy was also booming, and life had a charm that feels almost like a fairytale now. Fast forward to today, and kids are growing up in a completely different reality that baby boomers probably couldn’t have ever imagined. Let’s take a trip down memory lane with these things that were totally normal in the 60s but seem almost unbelievable now. You might just find yourself wishing for a time machine to go back to those simpler times!

Unstructured Playtime As Kids

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We spent countless hours playing outside, inventing games, and exploring the neighborhood. Without smartphones or tablets, our imaginations ran wild, and friendships were forged in backyards and local parks. Today’s kids are often scheduled to the brim and glued to screens, missing out on the freedom and creativity of unstructured play.

A Tangible Music Collection

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Remember the joy of flipping through a record collection or carefully selecting a cassette to play on a road trip? Our music was something we could hold, with album covers that told a story. With digital streaming, the physical connection to music has largely been lost, and the excitement of owning a cherished album is a thing of the past.

Face-To-Face Socializing

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Before the era of social media, we connected with friends and family in person. We shared laughs over coffee, enjoyed long phone conversations, and attended community events. While today’s digital connections are convenient, they often lack the depth and warmth of face-to-face interactions we cherish.

Affordable College Tuition

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Many of us remember when college tuition was a fraction of what it costs today. Higher education was accessible without the crushing burden of student debt that many young people face now. The ability to graduate without financial shackles gave us a head start that is harder to come by these days.

Dinners Without Any Distractions

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Family dinners were sacred times, free from the interruptions of cell phones and constant notifications. We engaged in meaningful conversations, catching up on each other’s lives without the distraction of screens. This quality time fostered stronger family bonds, something that’s often disrupted in the modern digital age.

Handwritten Letters

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There was something magical about receiving a handwritten letter in the mail. Whether it was a note from a friend or a love letter, the personal touch and effort behind each word made it special. While instant, today’s emails and texts don’t carry the same sentimental value as those cherished letters we once exchanged.

Job Security And Pensions

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The nature of the workplace has undergone a significant transformation. In the past, many enjoyed the benefits of job security and the prospect of a pension after dedicated years of service. Nowadays, the younger generation workforce frequently engages in gig economies and freelance opportunities, facing fewer assurances and more instability in their career paths.

Privacy

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We grew up in a time when privacy was taken for granted. Our lives weren’t constantly broadcast on social media, and we had more control over what personal information was shared with the world, let alone the internet. Today’s constant connectivity can feel invasive, and the concept of privacy has evolved significantly.

Safe Neighborhoods Where Kids Could Roam

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The streets and neighborhoods where we grew up felt safer, and it wasn’t uncommon for children to roam freely until dusk. This sense of security and community that we felt as kids, and surely our parents felt, is something today’s parents might hesitate to allow, given modern concerns about safety and supervision.

Simple, Homemade Meals

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Many of us remember growing up eating the meals our moms made the family for dinner from scratch. Our food was simple and wholesome, free from the over-hyped fast food industry and the processed dishes that are so prevalent now. The tradition of family recipes and cooking together is a nostalgic treasure.

Affordable Housing

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In our youth, purchasing a home was more achievable and a much more attainable dream. The housing market was not as competitive, and property prices were accessible to numerous working families. Nowadays, the soaring real estate prices make homeownership difficult for many young individuals.

The Thrill Of Analog Entertainment

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From playing board games to tuning in to our favorite radio shows and playing our favorite record, our entertainment was often more engaging and participatory. The tactile feel of a game piece or the anticipation of a weekly TV episode starkly contrasts the on-demand, digital entertainment of today, which can sometimes feel overwhelming and less personal.

Postcards

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How many kids nowadays get to write and send postcards when they are on holiday with their parents? Not many. This is because we can now send hundreds of pictures and texts with our smartphones that will be delivered instantaneously. Despite this, certain people still love sending postcards to their relatives and friends whenever traveling to a foreign country.

The Advertisement Break

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Do you remember those five minutes of advertisement before your favorite movie started again? When Netflix still had to be invented, people used to make the most out of the advertisement break to rush to the toilet before one of their siblings would shout from the living room, ‘It’s starting!’ Streaming platforms nowadays have eliminated this exciting race against time from our lives.

Manual Transmission Cars

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Baby boomers all learned how to drive a car with a manual transmission engine. There were no automatic engines that shifted for you as you drove. Things are clearly different today! Most cars are automatic, meaning the driver has to do very little work when they go from 0 to 60. Plus, most cars these days don’t even use keys! Don’t even get us started on self-driving cars. Now, that is something a baby boomer may never understand.

Paper Checks

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If you wanted to buy something back in the 60s, you could write out a paper check and hand it over as payment. Today, almost no one carries checks. They are a thing of the past, and even paper money is on its way out. Now, everyone pays with credit cards or through digital payment platforms on their phones. A paper check is almost like paying with toy money! Some stores won’t even accept checks anymore, a policy that would definitely appall any Baby Boomer at the cash register.

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