12 Incredible Life Lessons From 90’S Technology

Before everything was automatic and the click of a button or the tap of a screen became the answer to every single question, the world was a different place. Technology has deeply penetrated our society to the point of no return and it’s safe to say there’s no going back. However, modern technology has nothing on its wiser predecessors which require skill to operate. The glorious technology of the 90’s and early 2000’s offered many life lessons that can be carried on into the current technological era – life lessons that some younger generations will never, ever understand. But we will never forget.

I am confident to speak on behalf of everyone in saying that the 90’s were the best decade – No Doubt, Michael Jordan and Lisa Frank? Let’s be serious. The use of technology during that time was no less awesome. Here are the lessons we’ve learned from enduring 90’s technology and how to apply them to modern day life:

1. The hot air technique – that is, blowing as hard as you possibly can into the cartridge to remove dust, dirt and whatever other aliens might be lurking in there When things aren’t going as planned, the answer isn’t always available at the click of a button. Don’t give up. Persistence and a little thinking outside of the box can go a long way.

2. Downloading songs and immediately enjoying them wasn’t an option. We had to await the deadly suspense that was ripping the plastic off a cd case Patience is a virtue. The ability to wait for something without getting angry or upset is a valuable quality in a person. This also takes some serious self-control. If you lost control, the plastic began coming off in tiny pieces and only made the process more arduous and time-consuming, therefore causing even more frustration and less patience. The ability to maintain self-control while participating in a suspenseful activity is a commendable trait.

3. Memorizing your friends’ phone numbers, addresses, etc. Before Google and digital storage of contacts at our fingertips, there was memory. Working to memorize numbers and other information offers constant training for the brain and it is incredibly important to keep those juices flowing for the brain to function as best possible.

4. What life was like when AIM was the best way to keep in touch with friends outside of school It isn’t necessary to maintain constant connection with everyone in your network at all times. There is beauty – and privacy, for that matter – in not knowing what others are doing 24/7 and not feeling obligated to share what your plans are. If you happen to connect, then great. If not, you will at a later point. Enjoy this moment, instead, and cherish it. Initiating an “unplugged rule” is actually pretty liberating…try it.

5. Speaking of AIM, the amount of time we spent creating away messages Crafting the perfect email, text message or automatic OOO reply takes skill. Writing a clear and concise message that doesn’t lack thoughtfulness and originality isn’t easy and the task shouldn’t be overlooked. Take pride in your writing, whether it is a novel, a text, or simply 140 characters.

6. Hoping and praying that the video store still had remaining copies of the new movie to rent – otherwise, the night was ruined. Guess we’ll just get Flubber…again Don’t procrastinate – think ahead! Always plan for the worst and hope for the best. “You snooze, you lose,” was no joke. That shit is serious. Trust me.

7. The “HELL YEAH!” feeling when you turned on the TV Guide channel and it cycled to channel 2 so you wouldn’t have to sit through it Sometimes, you just get lucky.

8. Printing doubles or triples of a disposable camera film so your friends could have copies Always be considerate and mindful of others. Whether you’re doing a favor for a friend or coworker, or simply helping someone out with his or her bags at the grocery store, thinking of others and giving back offers a sense of self fulfillment and meaning, as well as appreciation and respect from others. Even the smallest of friendly, helpful gestures can go a long way. Plus, you never know when one day you might need a favor! You’d want your friends to be there for you, just as you were for them.

9. Frustration when the 3-way call on the landline gets dropped The ability to improvise is essential. Sometimes, technology can be difficult. It doesn’t always work the way you want it to and occasionally, technological mishaps just can’t be explained or fixed. You have to work through them and perhaps find a way to get a similar result, without following your original plan. How do you think people gave presentations before PowerPoint and Prezi were invented? Hello… poster board and an easel.

10. Creating mix CDs With limited storage space on blank CDs, designing the perfect mix cd taught us decision making skills. The ability to choose the item that is the perfect fit for you, despite many other options, is one that not many people are blessed with. Critical thinking, making judgment calls and trusting your gut are skills required in all facets of life. Not to mention, if you’re the person who can’t decide between a chocolate and a strawberry milkshake, you’re THAT friend.

11. Waiting for your parents to get off the phone so you could get online on the family computer in the living room. Depending on others in order to complete a task isn’t always fun but it is the key to successful teamwork. Learn to wait on others before moving forward on a project without developing feelings of frustration or impatience. Your teammates have requirements and needs, too. Respect those and wait your turn.

12. The giant booklet of CDs shoved in plastic flaps Structure and organization came from sorting those CDs alphabetically or by release date, whatever floated your boat. Without the automatic sort of an iPod or a contacts icon on your phone, it takes some serious organization to get information, so much information, under control. Organization makes life ten times easier without wasting time searching for one piece of information or one item.

Every decade has its lessons. The 70’s taught us about political conspiracies and feminism. The 80’s hosted the War on Drugs and great hair. The 90’s didn’t come up short and with the rapid development of technology during this decade, Gen Y has had the privilege of experiencing the best of both worlds, unlike many other generations. It is important – and fun, quite frankly – to look back on those days and understand how advances in technology have affected our behavior and views on everyday life. As seen on HonestyforBreakfast.com .

Parents: Make Them Suffer! How to Raise a Mature Kid

I could spend time thanking my parents for buying my first car, assisting in my college education, or taking me to Six Flags hundreds of times. That would be perfectly acceptable. Those things were awesome.

On the other hand, I could also spend time thanking my parents for things that totally sucked. I imagine it isn’t easy for parents to make these tough decisions and put their kids through what they’ll act like is a living hell. I imagine those years of complaining, retaliation and complete stress make parents wonder is it worth it? Is it worth the constant battle? The tears? The sleepless nights?

To that I ask, is it worth creating a successful, functioning adult? Is it worth hearing, “you must have done something right!” from your peers? Is it worth an honest “thank you?” from your child? I’m no parent, or even close to it, but I’d say its worth it. They’ll fight you, kicking and screaming, but in the end, its worth it.

Here’s a round of applause for my amazing parents who made everyday decisions that made me who I am today.

1. Forcing Me to do the “Boy” Chores, too

My brother and I had the same chores. No girl is too good to take out the trash or cut the grass. Get a little dirty! It’s fun. Fun tip: Google “kids doing chores” and see what you find! Hint: boys are washing cars and girls are doing dishes. Surprise, surprise!

2. Making Me Clean My Own Room

The mess didn’t make itself! If you’re capable of wrecking it, you’re capable of cleaning it. This taught me responsibility, pride in my own things, and most of all, accountability. After all, what kind of pride could I take in my things if I couldn’t even find them half the time?

3. Not Letting Me Wear Makeup Until I was 15

What did I need make-up for? It seems some young teenage girls feel insecure without make-up and that’s just sad. We need to teach out preteens and teens that inner beauty comes first.

4. Teaching Me How to Cook

You’d be surprised how many adults struggle to boil hot dogs. You’d think cooking is rocket science to some people. Instead, they’d rather spend money on eating out than open a cookbook or have to deal with the dishes afterward. Eating out regularly is a total bank buster and skipping out on cooking because of dishes is just lazy. Cooking can be adventurous and therapeutic at the same time!

5. Saying “Because I said so”

I’m all for reasoning with kids. After all, they need to learn the reasons why things are done certain ways. Sometimes however, there is no specific answer and that is just fine. Answering “because I said so” may be a little authoritarian but it worked and I respected it. I still do. “Because I said so” meant end of discussion. Period.

6. Making Me Listen to Your Music

It may have been torture but now when I talk to fellow coworkers or people of different backgrounds, I can relate and I feel more aware. Equally, it helped me realize that the world didn’t revolve around me. Sometimes I got what I wanted. Sometimes you got what you wanted. And that was okay. I understood you had interests, too!

7. Giving Me a Curfew

Life is all about time management. Get to work on time. Get back from your lunch break on time. Make sure you eat dinner before How I Met Your Mother comes on. A curfew reinforced the importance of time. Not to mention, kept me in check!