What do WWII battles, ballistic missiles, and the deadly brown tree snake have in common?
Without Facebook and other social media platforms, it was normal for people to lose touch with old friends and family members.
If you were away from home and needed to make a phone call, you would have to locate one of these. And of course, you had to always carry coins with you, just in case.
To capture photographs, a camera was needed. Cell phones didn't yet have camera features, so forgetting the camera at home meant no photos of your holiday or events.
You didn't know who was calling until you picked up the phone, so you couldn't really ignore or reject a call.
While the Global Positioning System (GPS) was introduced in the late 1970s, it didn't become readily available to drivers until several years later. Traditional paper road maps were the norm for road trips and navigating new journeys.
A 3.5-inch floppy disk offered an impressive storage capacity of 1.44 MB. For a gigabyte of storage, you'd need 711 of these disks!
To start a conversation with someone, you had to call their home, talk to the person who answered the call, and ask to have a conversation with the person you wanted to speak to. Weird, right?
The term "personal computer" was slightly misleading in the past as most households had only one computer for the entire family to share.
When the tape became detached from a cassette - a frequent occurence - the solution was to use a pencil or pen to put it back into place. They were also depended on to rewind the tapes.
Deciphering others' handwriting could be challenging, similar to how some people find contemporary Internet slang incomprehensible.
In the past, online shopping was non-existent. If you wanted to make a purchase, you actually had to wait for the specific store to open.
If you were a fan of a song but didn't want to buy the single or album, there was only one way to get it. You had to patiently wait for it to be broadcast on the radio, then hit record as fast as you could, to copy it onto a cassette tape.
To play a game, you had to wait for it to load. It was a time-consuming, noisy process that sometimes ended in failure. Which then meant having to start all over again.
If you wanted to watch a film in the comfort of your own home without buying it, you could borrow it from a video rental store. You also had to rewind the tapes prior to returning them.
This cell phone's advanced technology enabled users to enjoy 'Snake' for extended periods. Its long-lasting battery could go days on end before it needed charging!
Without the help of Facebook reminders or smartphone notes, forgetting a birthday was all too easy. To counteract this, you could mark it on a calendar.
Getting in line to purchase tickets for a show? Absolutely, and depending on the popularity of the act, you could spend hours on end waiting in the line.
A CD with scratches was a sad situation. It was fortunate if only a few songs were affected, but just a couple of scratches could make the entire CD useless.
Purchasing secondhand VHS tapes had its risks. If part of the tape was damaged, an entire scene that you were excited to see might be unwatchable.
If you needed the services of a plumber or electrician, you had to browse through the the yellow pages directory.
Before the existence of Wikipedia, encyclopedias were relied upon for conducting research. This meant spending substantial amounts of time at the library.
Before digital radio, listening options were limited to available AM/FM stations.
Using a typewriter required skill, and rectifying errors wasn't simple. The absence of a "delete" button added to the difficulty.
In many countries, access to between only one and three channels of television was the norm.
Before digital photography, developing photos meant waiting. Plus, you had no idea what the quality of the photos would be until after prints arrived.
The Walkman transformed how we listened to our favorite music. Later, the portable audio player market saw the introduction of the Discman. However, it wasn't the most pocket-friendly item.
Ice makers were not widely available, so ice cube trays were common. But you had to remember to refill them or else wait a few hours to enjoy the refreshing, chilled beverage you wanted.
Ordering a specific size online is a breeze. In the past, in-store was the only option and it could boil down to luck. Employees might inquire with other stores for you, but without computerized inventory systems, the process could entail several phone calls and weeks of waiting.
To get around the storage limit with MP3 players, you'd have to delete some songs before you could add new ones. Today, this problem has been solved by music streaming services.
See also: Facts you couldn't have imagined about Thomas Edison
Advancements in technology have made our lives a lot more convenient. This newfound ease, however, may not fully be appreciated by Gen Z; they simply haven't had to face the same pains in adulthood as earlier generations.
Ready to feel nostalgic? Click through the gallery to remember life before music streaming, online shopping, and movies on demand.
Things from the past that Gen Z will never understand
The struggles that today's generation will never have to endure!
LIFESTYLE Generations
Advancements in technology have made our lives a lot more convenient. This newfound ease, however, may not fully be appreciated by Gen Z; they simply haven't had to face the same pains in adulthood as earlier generations.
Ready to feel nostalgic? Click through the gallery to remember life before music streaming, online shopping, and movies on demand.