Basic Skills From The '90s That Nobody Under 25 Can Do

Buzz Feed

6 days ago

Nostalgia is absolutely my game...like, I reminisce about the good ol' days an embarrassing amount. I also spend way too much time spiraling over the fact that the '90s ended over 25 years ago, and comparing what life is like NOW to how it was BACK THEN. You get me, don't you?
So to my delight, millennials on Reddit have recently been sharing the "trivial skills" they have that "others don't use anymore," and it's such a blast from the past! TBH, I'm pretty embarrassed I forgot about some of these things, yet simultaneously happy to be reminded of them now.
So without further ado, here's what people said:
"Burning a CD."
"Remember when we had to have a typing speed of at least 60 words per minute to be considered for an office job?"
And similarly: "I can text like crazy fast on a T9 keypad."
"My penmanship is trash, but my ability to read cursive handwriting appears to be a superpower to my younger coworkers."
"The ability to be alone with my thoughts for a few moments without losing my damn mind."
"I know the secret to recording over VHS tapes that weren't meant for it."
"Memorizing phone numbers."
"How to use a map, AND fold it back up the right way."
"I can unwind spiral telephone cords when they get a kink!"
"I used to be a projectionist at a movie theatre. Most theaters are all digital now."
"Keeping a Tamagotchi alive for more than 3 days."
"I can both write a check and I can address an envelope to mail it to you."
"Installing software via 10+ floppy disks. Anyone else install Windows 95 from a stack of floppies?"
"I can honestly say things like: 'I managed a video store,' 'I learned basic coding from making my MySpace page cool,' and the ever-popular 'I learned how to play the trumpet, French horn, and trombone in order to play in a ska band.'"
"The Dewey Decimal System."
"The 'double space after a period' muscle memory."
"Rewinding a cassette tape..."
"MySpace background layouts."
"I used to operate a keypunch card machine...back in the caveman days of the early 1970s."
"I can drive a manual. Still a thing these days, but they're very rare, and most people can't."
"I can use 'Save As.'"
"My high school computer teacher thought it was important for us to read punch cards. I can still calculate the ASCII code, and I still remember that 'A' is 65. Yeah, not really useful anymore."
"I almost always know which way north is."
"How to use an actual printed dictionary."
"Making a phone call without any type of anxiety."
"I used to dial my friend's phone number by tapping the hang-up buttons, which simulated a rotary dial phone."
"Cleaning out Super Nintendo cartridges."
"I know who Tom is and why he's my friend."
"I can tell the time using an analog clock."
"Counting change correctly. That's $3.64, out of $20? 36 cents makes four...(grab $1) five, (grab $5) ten, and (grab $10) ten makes twenty."
And finally: "Understanding a computer's folder system. I've met so many younger people who use technology 24/7, but don't understand computer file hierarchy at all, and it boggles my mind. Some don't even understand the difference between 'the cloud' and files they have on their computer."
Now, if you're 25 or older, I wanna hear from you: what's a basic life skill that no young adults seem to have nowadays? Let's get honest! Answer in the anonymous form here, or in the comments below.
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