Time seems to be moving faster than ever. It felt like everything was the same from medieval times until, like, 1994. Now, things change so quickly that my smartphone from 2014 feels downright prehistoric.
If you want to feel old, even if you’re not really that old, check out these pics.
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1. Things have changed even more since.
In 1983, Star Wars was all about George Lucas and his sensational scale models.
In 2005, it was all about George Lucas and green screens.
In 2012, Lucasfilm was bought by Disney and George Lucas retired to count his money.
In 2018, it’s all green screens.
2. This is actually no joke.
About a year ago, I started showing my cat videos of squirrels and birds on my tablet. Now she’ll stare at the turned-off tablet for minutes at a time waiting for something to happen.
I’ve turned my kitty into a screen junkie.
3. Well, your sister’s phone doesn’t have wheels and a face, does it?
I’m so glad I had one of those dumb wheel phones when I was a toddler. Without it I never would have picked up the relevant and useful skill of using a rotary phone.
4. Earmuffs by Dre.
In the ’90s, when it came to music on the go, there were basically two options: either a yellow sports Walkman or a CD player that skipped three times a second.
The headphones these days may look ridiculous, but they’re better than those uncomfortable plastic ’90s earbuds.
5. The more things change…
Pics like this prove that social anxiety, and the need to bury your head in something to avoid all forms of human interaction, are really nothing new.
6. 1917 guy looks like he belongs in a 1997 ska band.
What is once classy eventually becomes campy, and then irrelevant. And what is now classy…really doesn’t look that classy at all.
7. Who needs an identity when you’ve got fandom?
This is truth, right here. Kids become obsessive about stuff. It used to be weaned out of them but now everybody carries their childhood obsessions well into adulthood.
8. But is there a headphone jack?
This really makes me feel old, because I used to view Apple through the lens of those gigantic colorful iMacs. Now I see them as the bringer of weird adapter types.
9. He’s clearly gotten better with age.
I’m glad that I grew up on the newer, friendlier Big Bird — not the nightmare bird who’s clearly been awake for four straight days on a birdseed bender.
10. Tragedy + time = lulz.
One of the worst maritime tragedies of its age, more than 1,500 people died horrible deaths on the Titanic . But that was a long time ago, and Burger King has whoppers to sell.
11. Floppy disks were the worst.
In the late ’90s, I remember saving school assignments on these stupid disks. Each one was only capable of holding, like, two of my poorly-crafted essays about turtles.
12. Wardrobe game on point.
A lot has changed since the fall of the Berlin Wall, but this pic proves that a denim jacket and blue jeans (aka the Berlin Tuxedo) will never go out of style.
13. Eyyyyy
Is that reference too old? I mean, the Fonz was before my time, but he’s still a part of pop culture, right?
…right?
Well, what about Arrested Development ?
…oh man, that was over a decade ago. God, I’m old.
14. This is what aging looks like.
When you’re young, you’re like the ’90s version of Nickelodeon’s headquarters: bold, brash, and totally unique.
Eventually, though, the world beats it out of you and you’re like a drab 2010’s Nickelodeon HQ.
15. 40 years living on some godforsaken rock on a forgotten planet will do that to you.
Mark Hamill may be pretty grizzled now, but at least his hair is on point.
16. Some things never change.
The rest of the world may have tinkered endlessly with car designs, going from boxy to sleek to sleeker. But Russian manufacturers clearly don’t want to mess with success.
17. Honestly, I dread both email and snail mail.
When was the last time you got something other than a bill or a credit card scam in the mail? Maybe a Christmas card? That said, a real letter would be nice.
18. Well, when you put it like that, it seems like an awful idea for a business.
Luckily, Uber is a well run, established, controversy-free enterprise that is in no trouble whatsoever.
19. See, it’s still a good policy to not trust people on the internet.
Can we go back to the times when fake news was obvious on its cover and only available at the grocery checkout? I miss rigorous editorial oversight.
20. Anybody else remember the days of waiting for your film to be developed?
You never know how amazing progress is until you delete 18 pics of your dinner that once would have been a handful of blurry snaps that cost you $15.
21. To be fair, the tablet can have all those magazines on it.
Assuming they’re still being published, of course. But the mags will never run out of batteries while your legs fall asleep on the throne.
22. Growing up does some strange things to you.
Who knew your folks were on to something when they spent the weekend bingeing Property Brothers and House Hunters International? There’s a timeless joy in watching how other people live.
23. The Titanic versus a modern cruise ship.
The finest luxury liner of its day never had a chance to become a floating buffet/casino/water park, and we’ll never know if the passengers ever got to share the same case of ptomaine poisoning.
24. Adventure isn’t what it used to be, and that’s just fine.
There’s a good reason why video games and their systems cost more than they used to, and honestly, having played both, the progress is well worth it.
