Canned croutons
My local mall
Video Stores
Value Meals at fast food places being under $8 in my area. They all are $11 now
Being able to buy a candy bar for 48 cents plus tax.
Pain free(physical) living.
Partying.
I miss things being built to last and also the way language was less homogeneous because we didn't all consume the same media - we didn't frequent the same social media platforms or read the same books or watch the same shows and movies or listen to the same music. It's weird because we have more variety these days, but people still seem to gather around the same fires to keep warm.
share"I miss things being built to last..."
They were not only built to last, but were designed to be repairable. I had a power surge burn out the control panel on my water softener (a must in my area because of the high iron content in the local water). The repair guy said it needed the motherboard replaced. I had two options: (1) replace the motherboard for $300; or (2) just replace the entire unit for $500. This guy, with whom I have done business for years and have always trusted, was talking about the days when he first got into doing repair work. If an appliance broke down, it was easy to fix it with replacement parts. Nowadays the companies design their products to require the purchase of a whole new unit; there are some that can be repaired, but the cost of the part, like the motherboard, is so outrageous that it is better to just replace the whole thing. This is exactly what these companies want... they can sell more appliances that way. Never mind the fact that this is wasteful and contributes to the landfills.
Consumers think they are getting a better deal by paying less for some cheap imported product. They don't realize that lower prices mean lower quality, and that the thing is most likely to break down after only a couple of years of use. They are paying more in the long run. There are two scenarios here: (1) pay $200 for a well-built, reliable appliance that will last ten years; or (2) pay $100 every two years because the newer product isn't designed to last and must be replaced. That's $200 vs. $500. How is this any cheaper, especially when you factor in inflation? In the long run you are paying $300 more for an inferior product.
People can't seem to grasp this. A lot of it has to do with buying on impulse. They see the cheaper price and grab the item without thinking. They still don't realize you get what you pay for.
Mostly agree - I mean, how could I disagree with facts?
Not to mention that "advanced technology" always seems to mean that companies are "improving" and remaking the same products over and over, so that even finding parts for a relatively new item can be really difficult regardless of ease of repair because they stop making them after a few years, forcing people to upgrade. I don't even think people are being fooled by the lower prices, they literally have no choice because it's often not an option to just buy a good quality product that's long lasting and easy to repair - they don't even exist in some markets.
That's the part where I think our opinions may differ: people sometimes pay more and still get an inferior product.
I am of the same opinion. I find it sad that people have fewer choices these days.
Yes, paying more doesn't always guarantee a better product; many "high-end" appliances now contain cheaply-produced components. And now manufacturers are adding this unnecessary "smart" technology, which is just another thing that can break down. I don't need some silly device telling me how to dry my clothes. This is contributing to the dumbing-down of our society. And increased laziness, too. People expect everything to be done for them with no thinking or effort involved. This will be our downfall.
Technology is there to make things easier and it's natural for people to want that. But telling us something is making life easier doesn't make it so - it's just a marketing tool that aims to give people the same thing they were already getting, but at a higher price because they're apparently getting something new and more efficient, while really giving them something less efficient and less reliable.
shareI agree. It's so frustrating to not even have a choice to buy something built to last and repairable. I'd gladly spend more for things, but only if they're actually much better quality. Too often you find that a certain item is more expensive but still made cheaply in China. We need to do a better job of reducing waste, and one way to stop this nonsense is to rethink how things are manufactured so they can be repaired at reasonable cost and not just tossed in the landfill. We also ought to get over the notion that we have to own the latest and greatest of everything.
share100%. Half the problem is much more people trying to keep up with the Joneses and half is not having the option to opt out of this. But as long as corporations own and therefore build everything, there's no real care in regard to landfills or affordable quality items so long as their profit margin keeps going up.
shareno pandemic
shareRoller Skating Rinks
Ice Skating Rinks
Couples-skate with Bee Gees How Deep Is Your Love
Bowling alleys. Just plain bowling alleys, no frills, just beers and bowling.
Elle Mae Clampett
Movies that make sense
Sanford & Son
My teeth
Coke Whores from the 80’s (Wildwood, NJ)
MTV (when there use to be music videos)
Good Ol’ Columbian Weed
A tomato that taste like a tomato
‘Northern Exposure’
Laura P. from high school
Size 38 pants
Hair
People not staring at and playing with their stupid phones everywhere, all the time :(
shareI would like to know what is so-o-o important on those screens that the phone zombies can't divert their eyes for even a few seconds, even when their own safety (and that of others) is at stake. I think it's ironic that they call those silly devices "smartphones" when they are contributing to the dumbing-down and the increase of laziness in our society.
share99.9% of the time it's nothing important, just bored minds looking for cheap entertainment that will distract their attention and stop them from living in their own heads for the moment. I'm Gen X and had a life before the whole internet and smartphone craze took off, so don't live on my phone like Millennials and Gen Z do. They were raised on the tech and phones (esp. social media) are almost a psychological necessity for them, just like air and water are biological requirements for everyone.
Spot on about the 'Smartphone' comment lol
I always refer to those ridiculous gadgets as "stupidphones" for the reasons I gave above.
And it's not just the Millennials or Generation Z who are doing this. I was in line at a restaurant and there were five people ahead of me. Four of the five had their stupidphones out and were staring at them. One was an older woman who looked like she was in her late 70s or possibly early 80s.
Social media is the other scourge of our society. I can see our downfall on the horizon.
Good point, no one of any age is free of the stupidphone pathogen lol! I do think that on average, Gen X and boomers aren't as addicted to their phone screens like our younger counterparts are though. And you're right, SM is the worst of the worst when it comes to it - easiest and quickest way to ruin your mood, by just jumping on FB or Reddit or wherever and reading some posts, esp. political ones haha
shareSocial media is for narcissists who think they are the center of attention and believe the whole world just can't wait to hear about it. "Oooh... look at what I did today. Look at what I just purchased. Look at the amazing number of phony "friends" I have on Wastebook! Me! Me! Me! The entire universe revolves around me!"
This constant distorted view of reality has contributed to an increase of depression cases for teens and others.
Social media has also made it possible for isolated fringe groups to link up and spread their hate messages around the globe in a matter of seconds. It makes them appear to be larger and more influential than they are in reality. And this is exactly what they want.
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