You may not have been alive when they were used every day in every household, but you probably still know what a phone book is, right? According to a new survey, a lot of young people are clueless about this relic of the past. Believe it or not, 60% of them have no idea what the Yellow Pages are.
The poll of 2-thousand adults reveals a long list of things from way back in the 90s that Gen Z can’t identify.
- It finds that three-quarters don’t even know what dial-up Internet was.
- A lot of young people can’t identify a Walkman or the startup sound from Windows 95.
- Others had no idea people used to have to blow on computer game cartridges and some were even unaware of floppy discs and disposable cameras.
- Topping the list of old school items Gen Z didn’t recognize is Chunky CRT TVs, once a staple in living rooms everywhere.⠀
- Some young adults had no idea what VHS tapes or overhead projectors used in classrooms are.
- Pagers, Tamagotchis, Snap Bands, and even fax machines are more items from just a few decades ago that today’s young people don’t know about.
- Across all age groups, The Spice Girls are the thing most associated with the 1990s (71%).
- Blockbuster Video (55%) and Saturday morning kids cartoons on TV (42%) are also well known 90s throwbacks.
- Respondents of all ages say things were better in the 90s because there was less phone use (50%), more face-to-face interaction (47%) and playing outside (45%).
- About half of 25 to 34 year olds (53%) and 35 to 44 year olds (51%) think snacks were better back then, and 38% of Gen Z agrees.
- More than two-thirds (69%) feel the tech we have today is more convenient, but they say it’s less fun than it was in the 90s.
- That’s one reason that 49% say if they had the opportunity, they’d happily go back in time to live in the 1990s.
Source: Talking Points
Scott's Thoughts
- There was more to the 90s than The Spice Girls and Blockbuster, kids!
- I also remember the bigger more floppy - floppy disc!
- I hear the startup of Windows 95 in my sleep sometimes.