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There was a time when childhood smelled of fresh-out-the-box VHS tapes, sounded like dial-up internet struggling to connect, and felt like pure freedom without a single notification buzzing in the background. The world wasn’t better, but it was different. Here are 10 everyday experiences that once felt normal but now seem like relics from another lifetime.
1- The TV Channel That Played Music Videos All Day
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Before Spotify and YouTube, discovering new music meant waiting for it. You’d turn on the TV to Melody Hits or Mazzika, hoping they’d finally play your favourite song. And when it did? You’d crank up the volume and feel like the main character in a music video. Now? We skip songs after five seconds because they “don’t hit right.”
2- Waiting for the Film to Be Developed
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Taking a photo used to mean something. Every picture was a risk. “Did you blink? Did someone move? Was your hand shaking?” You wouldn’t know until you picked up the photos from a Kodak shop days later, hoping at least one came out right. Today, we take 50 selfies, delete 49, and still don’t post.
3- Playing Snake on a Nokia
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There was no Candy Crush, no endless scrolling, just a tiny pixelated snake that kept getting longer and longer. The goal was simple: Don’t crash into yourself. It was frustratingly addictive, and yet, that tiny game kept people entertained for hours. Now, we have thousands of games in our pockets, yet we still say, “I’m bored.”
4- Playing Outside Without Phones
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Back then, fun wasn’t something you downloaded; it was something you created. The neighbourhood was our playground and our parents’ only rule? “Be back before dark.” There was no GPS tracking, no texting, just pure adventure. Now, kids “hang out” on voice chat, never leaving their rooms.
5- Calling Landlines and Asking, “Is [Fulan] There?”
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If you wanted to talk to a friend, you had to call their house phone. And the real challenge? Making it through their mum’s interrogation before they handed the phone over. Now, a single “wyd?” text is all it takes (if they even reply).
6- Memorising Phone Numbers
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There was a time when you actually knew your best friend’s number by heart. Your parents’ numbers? Your crush’s home phone? All stored in your brain. If you got lost, you could call someone. Now? If your phone dies? Tough luck, buddy. We barely know our own numbers, and what do we do? Panic!
7- Waiting for Your Favourite TV Show to Air
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There was no “skip intro” button or “watch later” option. If you missed your show, you missed it, and there is no going back. You had to wait a whole week for the next episode. Now, entire seasons are available instantly, yet we say, “I’ll watch later,” and never do.
8- Visiting Video Rental Shops for DVDs and Laptops
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Friday night plans? It used to be going to the video rental shop, picking out a DVD, and hoping the last copy wasn’t taken. And if you wanted an exclusive movie, you’d rent a laptop just to watch it. The thrill of choosing the perfect film was half the fun. Now, we spend an hour scrolling through Netflix, pick nothing, and end up rewatching Friends for the 100th time.
9- Playing Pretend with Friends and Siblings
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Before Roblox and Minecraft, if you wanted to build a restaurant, a farm, or a kingdom, you had to imagine it. You and your friends would turn the living room into a fancy café, the backyard into a jungle, and the staircase into a castle. No screens. Just creativity. Now, kids build virtual farms but don’t know how to plant a real seed.
10- Life without Instant Answers
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Once upon a time, if you had a question, you had to ask a real person, go to a library, or just stay curious. You didn’t have Google to settle every debate. Sometimes, mysteries stayed mysteries, and that was part of the fun. Now, we Google things we already know, just to be sure.
Back then, we weren’t living in the “good old days.” We were just living. And maybe, just maybe, the best memories weren’t the ones we captured on camera but the ones we simply lived.
