Time continues to march forward and the world around us changes, whether we like it or not. While some change is nearly instantaneous and powerful, other is so gradual and subtle that it’s barely noticeable. And before we know it, the things that we took for granted might have become just a memory.Redditor u/isawillmakeyouhappy sparked an intriguingonline discussionafter asking people about all of the things, from technology and products to trends, that have “disappeared silently” over the years. Scroll down for a blast from the past and to see what might have gone away without you noticing.Bored Pandawanted to get to grips with why we feel nostalgia for the technology of the past and whether it’s possible to guess what kind of products will stay relevant in the future, so we got in touch with consumer psychology specialist Matt Johnson, Ph.D. He is the host of themarketing psychology blogand the author of‘Branding that Means Business.‘Be sure to check out our interview with Johnson below!This post may includeaffiliate links.
Time continues to march forward and the world around us changes, whether we like it or not. While some change is nearly instantaneous and powerful, other is so gradual and subtle that it’s barely noticeable. And before we know it, the things that we took for granted might have become just a memory.
Redditor u/isawillmakeyouhappy sparked an intriguingonline discussionafter asking people about all of the things, from technology and products to trends, that have “disappeared silently” over the years. Scroll down for a blast from the past and to see what might have gone away without you noticing.
Bored Pandawanted to get to grips with why we feel nostalgia for the technology of the past and whether it’s possible to guess what kind of products will stay relevant in the future, so we got in touch with consumer psychology specialist Matt Johnson, Ph.D. He is the host of themarketing psychology blogand the author of‘Branding that Means Business.‘Be sure to check out our interview with Johnson below!
This post may includeaffiliate links.
The middle class.
“Research in the psychology of memory has found that our recollection of previous events is generally positive. Overall, memory is kind—especially of distant times like our childhood. This is one of the reasons why nostalgia is so powerful—it’s the warm glow of the past, being conjured up into the present moment,” Johnson, the host of themarketing psychology blogand the author of’Branding that Means Business,‘told Bored Panda.
The prizes in cereal boxes.
My faith in humanity
This isn’t the only approach, however.Johnsonexplained that another subtle method that brands and sometimes even politicians use to harness the power of nostalgia is portraying things as reminiscent of the ‘Good Old Days.’
Lifetime licenses….everything is subscription now.
The rest of the product in bags, jars, and containers. Damn shrinkflation. Everything is slowly reducing in size and going up in price.
He explained: “There’s a reason, for example, that the biggest, oldest, and most globally recognized brands have this kind of appeal. For example, Coca-Cola is aligned with ‘happiness,’ Nike is aligned with ‘individual excellence,’ and Apple with ‘innovation’ and ‘think differently.’ These are perennial themes that could be popular anywhere, anytime, and to anybody,” the author of’Branding that Means Business’shared how these approaches have given these brands longevity.
“This is in contrast to more niche products and brands with a smaller, specialized target market. So while we can’t be completely certain, understanding the universal appeal of the brand’s associations will be a strong indication of its enduring power.”
Pleasantly uncrowded tourist destinations.There’s just too many people, every damn where. I don’t want to go anywhere.
Privacy
Fear of consequences for actions, common sense and being outdoors without havimg to have an activity.
This post might make you pay more attention to what tech and product trends are going out of fashion around you at this very moment. For instance, most of us probably know deep in our hearts that 3D cinema was a bit of a failed experiment. However, it wasn’t until we were reminded that it existed that we realized just how long it’s been since we’d gone to a 3D movie.Similarly, pay phones and phone books used to be ubiquitous around homes and towns pretty much everywhere. But the odds are that very few of us noticed the moment when they were finally phased out. Of course, they still exist in some areas of the world, but elsewhere, it’s hard to compete with easily accessible smartphones and the internet.
This post might make you pay more attention to what tech and product trends are going out of fashion around you at this very moment. For instance, most of us probably know deep in our hearts that 3D cinema was a bit of a failed experiment. However, it wasn’t until we were reminded that it existed that we realized just how long it’s been since we’d gone to a 3D movie.
Similarly, pay phones and phone books used to be ubiquitous around homes and towns pretty much everywhere. But the odds are that very few of us noticed the moment when they were finally phased out. Of course, they still exist in some areas of the world, but elsewhere, it’s hard to compete with easily accessible smartphones and the internet.
Catalogs, phone books, and checks, designated smoking sections in restaurants.ETA: Does anyone remember the coin operated horses outside of grocery stores? Because I was trying to think of other things that just went away and I suddenly realized those are no where to be found now.
Pay phones.
Paid lunches. The term 9-5 used to be 8 hours including lunch. now most jobs are 9-6 with no paid lunch. but people still use the term nine to fives
What our childhoods were like islikely to influencehow we feel about certain things, from products to technology. If someone had a difficult childhood, for instance, they might not remember their past environments with fondness.On the flip side, someone who had a very happy and wholesome upbringing might associate those feelings with the things that surrounded them back then.That’s why someone might miss the aesthetics or technology of previous decades: they’re artifacts of happy (or happier) times when they had fewer responsibilities and more time to spend with the people they love.
What our childhoods were like islikely to influencehow we feel about certain things, from products to technology. If someone had a difficult childhood, for instance, they might not remember their past environments with fondness.
On the flip side, someone who had a very happy and wholesome upbringing might associate those feelings with the things that surrounded them back then.
That’s why someone might miss the aesthetics or technology of previous decades: they’re artifacts of happy (or happier) times when they had fewer responsibilities and more time to spend with the people they love.
Kids playing outside.I grew up playing outside and I just don’t see that anymore….
Common courtesy.Culutre has tilted toward selfishness and your own experience.Phrasing like “This is my truth” would be commonplace otherwise. Or an emphasis on niche concerns of the individual.
Colors of restaurants and fast food. Did anyone else notice how bland McDonald looks now and some other restaurants?
However, it’s far from healthy to constantly think about the past. If you’re always reminding yourself how much ‘better’ things used to be, then you’ve gotten stuck in a nostalgic rut. It’s a warped view because we’re only focusing on the positives.This can make you blind to genuinely good life opportunities and relationships in your present. Nostalgia is best enjoyed in small amounts when you need to quickly boost your mood and help you get through some tough moments.Worrying about how everything was so much better a few decades ago, however, is exhausting and can make you less likely to embrace genuine improvements in tech. Being grateful for what you do have is an antidote to this. And if you have the patience and willingness to learn new skills and adapt to an ever-changing world, you might find that the present can be pretty darn great, too.
However, it’s far from healthy to constantly think about the past. If you’re always reminding yourself how much ‘better’ things used to be, then you’ve gotten stuck in a nostalgic rut. It’s a warped view because we’re only focusing on the positives.
This can make you blind to genuinely good life opportunities and relationships in your present. Nostalgia is best enjoyed in small amounts when you need to quickly boost your mood and help you get through some tough moments.
Worrying about how everything was so much better a few decades ago, however, is exhausting and can make you less likely to embrace genuine improvements in tech. Being grateful for what you do have is an antidote to this. And if you have the patience and willingness to learn new skills and adapt to an ever-changing world, you might find that the present can be pretty darn great, too.
Actual ownership, of anything. It’s all sold as a service now a days.
All the phone numbers I had locked in my memory.
Mechanical credit card machines that took an imprint then you had to sign.
The happiness we had in childhood
Ringtones
Being able to purchase even the most simple things, without having to give up all your personal info..Hell, they at least ask for a name when you want a nasty burger from any fast food joint..
Original screenwriting
Rock radio stations. I live in a town with 1m ppl and there isn’t a single rock station that isn’t classic rock
US Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s massive gambling debt
Garage sales, and a local newspaper that lists where they are on.There was a time a furnished half my house and filled my kitchen from garage sales.
See Also on Bored Panda
Yo-Yos
Missing people on milk containers.
Bugs, especially on the car windshield. I’m somewhat horrified thinking about how much bug juice was on the car’s windshield and grill when I was a kid, but today my own vehicle is very clean.
Cigarette lighters/ashtrays in cars
A customer came to pick his car up from the shop last week and asked if we took checks. I’m like…nah dog. He was bitching about it, but then pulled his debit card out that’s attached to the same bank account and swiped it no problem. Like…why?
Laundry detergent ads talking about how the detergent was good at removing grass stains from children’s clothes.
Ronald McDonald apparently.
Freestanding newspaper stands
VCR tape rewinders.
Courtesy to film horizontally
AOL messenger (and ICQ). I used to love having people pop in and message me on these apps. ICQ was great because it allowed for people on AOL, yahoo, MSN, etc. to communicate. Sad that it just disappeared. I met so many great people.
The plastic caps on the bottom of 2 liter soda bottles.
Play places at fast food establishments. There aren’t that many that still have them.
Voice overs in movie trailers.At this point I associate it more with Honest Trailers and was even wondering if that’s what made me assume they were a thing but I even remember when Chris Pine was presenting the award for best cinematography at the 2013 Oscars and he made a joke about how all trailers started with “In a world…”. There was even a movie called “In a world…” that came out in 2013 about a woman trying to make it as in Hollywood doing voiceovers for big movie trailers but for some reason I can’t think of when exactly voice overs in movie trailers died out, I just remember that they were a thing and then they weren’t.
Lay-a-way plan. Which I’m sure was due to the rise in credit cards, but still
St. Bernard rescue dogs with little barrels of brandy attached to their collars.
Single-topic blogs. Remember things like Regretsy, Stuff White People Like, Look at this F***g Hipster, Cake Wreck, People of Walmart, FML, St My Dad Says, Awkward Family Photos, etc.? Those were everywhere from about 2007-2013. And then suddenly they went away.I suppose some of them survive in the form of subreddits now.
The horrible and terrifying migrant caravans from a few election cycles ago.It seems like every election season, they think of a new thing to get everybody all distracted and scared so they don’t have time to discuss more important issues.
Picture-in-picture as a television feature. You don’t hear about that anymore.
LMFAOTo people who don’t know, they are the guys who made Party Rock. Haven’t seen them ever since.
Pagers. I remember thinking “who’s going to page you at school, and how are you going to call them back?”
The “I’m feeling lucky” button on Google.
Modal closeAdd Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Modal close
Add Your Answer!Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add sourcePublish
Not your original work?Add source
Modal closeModal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Modal closeOoops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.UploadUploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermarkChangeSourceTitleUpdateAdd Image
Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
Upload
UploadError occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermarkInstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermarkFacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
Error occurred when generating embed. Please check link and try again.
TwitterRender conversationUse html versionGenerate not embedded versionAdd watermark
InstagramShow Image OnlyHide CaptionCropAdd watermark
FacebookShow Image OnlyAdd watermark
ChangeSourceTitle
You May Like30 “Cheap Versions” Of Things That People Swear Are Better Than The “Luxury” OnesMindaugas Balčiauskas30 Very Well-Designed Products That Are Almost Guaranteed To Last You (Almost) A LifetimeDenis Krotovas37 Of The Most Random Items People Always Carry - From No Reason At All To Surprisingly AdorableMonika Pašukonytė
Mindaugas Balčiauskas
Denis Krotovas
Monika Pašukonytė
Curiosities
