Are you happy your childhood took place before technology?

Fyrefox said:
Modern technology was just starting to emerge when I was a kid. The first TV set I remember my parents having operated with vacuum tubes, and you had to wait for the set to “warm up.” When that set finally gave up the ghost, they bought a “solid state“ model that was much smaller and came on quickly, but still was B & W, and used “rabbit ears” for reception. There was only one TV set in a household back then, same as for phones, which were of course corded land lines.

With much ceremony, I was given an early model transistor radio as a Xmas gift in the early 1960’s; AM band only, of course!

When I was once gifted with a set of “Wally-Talkies” for my birthday, I thought I had a real treasure there!

Cell phones and computers in my childhood were the stuff of science fiction, used by Captain Kirk on “Star Trek!”
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Wally Talkies??
I remember them. They were HUGE in comparison to new technology now

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Are you happy your childhood took place before technology?

Thread title term is incorrect. "Technology" should be more narrowly "Internet" because at least early modern technology has been present from before any of us were born. Before smartphones and the Internet, 2 decades before the rest of you ever touched a computer, tech workers like this person were deeply involved in science and technology. And in fact, TV that rose in the 1950s is consumer technology, and AM radio was even earlier into my parent's era. In 1969, the USA put a man on the Moon. And it wasn't by peddling a mechanical bicycle.

As to whether I was "happy" about such long after the fact as in comparative reflection, no, have never thought about such in terms of my own childhood. And second, other than terse cultural news I rarely pay much attention to, and don't really know what later generations do or think although some news headlines point to their being too involved with technology devices, like tv, smartphones, and video games.
 
David777 said:
Are you happy your childhood took place before technology?

Thread title term is incorrect. "Technology" should be more narrowly "Internet" because at least early modern technology has been present from before any of us were born. Before smartphones and the Internet, 2 decades before the rest of you ever touched a computer, tech workers like this person were deeply involved in science and technology. And in fact, TV that rose in the 1950s is consumer technology, and AM radio was even earlier into my parent's era. In 1969, the USA put a man on the Moon. And it wasn't by peddling a mechanical bicycle.

As to whether I was "happy" about such long after the fact as in comparative reflection, no, have never thought about such in terms of my own childhood. And second, other than terse cultural news I rarely pay much attention to, and don't really know what later generations do or think although some news headlines point to their being too involved with technology devices, like tv, smartphones, and video games.
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I agree. My family had everything we considered to be technology of the day. Television, transistor radio, tape player and record players so that was our technology and we didn't feel deprived of anything. :love:
 
Also the technology we had back then improved every couple years. Black and white - color, 1 speed bike - 10speed bike, phonograph - console stereo, new model cars we got every 5 years or so, and dial - push button ( remember party lines ). The miracle device was the REMOTE control. :)

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CallMeKate said:
For the most part, yes. For education, though, I sure could have gone further with my career if I had the Internet's resources at my fingertips. I also would have loved to have worldwide friends instead of the circle friends from a small tri-county area. I'm answering only for Internet techology, though... all this other tech they're throwing at us... no way!
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Yes, for tackling essays or projects for homework I used to go to the library. I couldn't have dreamt of how information is now so instantly available.
 
I assume, two incomes would be necessary these days, in order to keep the family supplied with all the latest
technology .. individual cellphones, computers, etc.
 
Paco Dennis said:
Also the technology we had back then improved every couple years. Black and white - color, 1 speed bike - 10speed bike, phonograph - console stereo, new model cars we got every 5 years or so, and dial - push button ( remember party lines ). The miracle device was the REMOTE control. :)

Zenith-Space-Command-TV-remote-Feb-16-1959-750x974.jpg
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I don't remember that remote.
....but there is one on eBay for $494.00 plus shipping of $44.00.....hurry!!
 
Was I happier being born "before" technology? No. Today, kids are able to use technology way better than we can do. And really the 1950s & 60s were not like the 1600s, we had electricity, phones, radio, TV, and satellites. We weren't driving around in ox carts and using candles. We didn't have idolized, warm memories of "rural", simple childhoods, we used the available technology just as today's kids.
 
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We have a little five year old girl next door. Her parents are in their thirties, both teachers, she has every cool thing money can buy.

Her fleet takes up one whole section of their three-car garage: jeep, truck, Barbie car, Pink ice cream truck, three wheel "motorcycle", scooter. She tools up and down our dead-ended street every evening with her mother walking behind. That's all great.

But in her big back yard is the most marvelous, play house/tree house, combo structure -- never touched. I have not once seen her in it.

If I had, had something like that at her age, I would have lived in it. All my dolls and stuffed animals would have been with me and we would have played school and store and house and my brothers would have come by to kidnap my children and there would have been screaming and chasing. We would all have spent the whole day, every day in the summer.

I think all this technology has left kids with very little imagination. They have to have an animated screen in front of them or motorized vehicles. They can't seem to make up their own stories with only a few props the way we did.
 
Pinky said:
I assume, two incomes would be necessary these days, in order to keep the family supplied with all the latest
technology .. individual cellphones, computers, etc.
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Oh yes Pinky, they must have all the expensive gadgets and downloads, essentials, and holidays. Then they moan that they are hard up and unable to pay the household bills and want more money. I remember when we got our first phone and that took a few years after buying our first house, as for carpets, are you kidding?
 
There was always new technology for the particular year. Before cars there were TWO HORSE buggies which were more superior to one horse buggies. Before buggies there were only horse drawn carriages and before that there were only horses or camels.

Weapons of war have always been advancing. Today nuclear bombs have made it disadvantageous to make wars. Both sides would be badly destroyed. In the days before guns conquests were what made a nation. Today we have personal computers none of which even existed before the 1980's.

When I was a kid (I'm 88 now), trains were the big thing and airplanes then were very dangerous. Cars were the hi-tech way of travel back then.

Guns have improved as well. One AR-15 could mow down dozens in one burst. Back then a machine gun was the equivalent but very expensive and only used by the military.

When I was a kid, a personal computer would have been deemed total fantasy. "Twilight Zone" was a Sci-Fi show and never once showed a personal computer. Back then there were no electronic watches. Today everyone wears them.

One thing which has NOT changed is life expectancy. Most folks today die before age 100 just as they did then. Only 1 in 6,000 reach age 100 today and that is a pity. It appears that DEATH HAS NEVER CHANGED!
 
I was a kid in the 40’s. Back then technology was a phone, a radio, and a record player that played 78 rpm records. Once in a while I got to go to the movies. In the mid 50’s we got a black and white TV with a 10 inch screen.

But, I think the main difference for kids now is not the new gadgets. Rather, it’s the way they are being raised. My parents were willing to accept risk. We were free to wander at will and make our own fun. They didn’t hover over us or organize our activities. Sometimes we got hurt, maybe broke something. It was just part of growing up.

Kids now are closely monitored. Parents are afraid to let them out of their sight. They set up play dates for them. We never had play dates. You just walked or biked to your friend’s house and knocked on the door. No wonder kids now spend all their time with their nose in a computer. A parent today who let their kids do what we did would probably be arrested for child endangerment.

This is me with my first bike. Notice the size difference and lack of training wheels or helmet. I learned to ride on that long dirt driveway. Shoes? We didn't wear shoes to play in. My Mom never could hold a camera steady.

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