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‘Essential Skills’ From the 1990s That Are Completely Useless in 2024

May 8, 2024
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Life in the ‘90s was marked by the rise of the Internet and personal computers. Communication and entertainment technology also saw dramatic advancements. From pagers to fax machines, these relics of the past have been replaced by newer tech, streamlining our daily lives. Let’s take a look back at the everyday objects used in the ‘90s.

Using a pager

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image credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Back in the ‘90s, having a pager clipped to your belt signaled that you were important and always reachable. Nowadays, smartphones have rendered these devices obsolete. It’s hard to imagine a time when receiving a simple numeric message was the height of technology.

Logging into AOL

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image credit: NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock

You’ve got mail! This phrase was music to the ears of anyone dialing into AOL using a noisy modem. Today, instant access to multiple email accounts from a smartphone makes the drawn-out process of connecting to AOL seem ancient.

Renting videos from Blockbuster

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Friday nights once meant a trip to Blockbuster, where choosing a VHS tape to watch was a serious decision. Streaming services have made video rental stores outdated. Gone are the days of late fees and rewinding tapes.

Reading a paper map

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image credit: frantic00/shutterstock

GPS technology now guides us turn by turn, making paper maps more of a novelty than a necessity. Map reading is becoming a lost skill, replaced by smartphones with digital maps.

Using a film camera

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Loading film, snapping pictures without the ability to preview them, and then waiting to develop the roll was a labor of love. Digital cameras and smartphones have transformed photography into an instant gratification experience.

Burning CDs

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Burning a mix CD was a thoughtful way to express yourself or create a personalized gift. With music streaming services, creating playlists that are easily shared online has replaced this once-popular hobby. The meticulous process of selecting the perfect song order is now streamlined.

Looking up information in encyclopedias

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Pouring over volumes of encyclopedias to gather information for school projects was a common practice. Search engines have made this method of research nearly extinct. Finding information is now faster and more efficient than ever before.

Writing checks

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image credit: Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

Electronic payments and online banking have almost eliminated the need for writing physical checks for everyday purchases. The ritual of balancing a checkbook is also fading into history.

Using a fax machine

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The whirr and beep of a fax machine once symbolized cutting-edge office technology. Scanning and emailing documents are now standard practices that offer quicker and clearer transmissions.

Creating HTML websites from scratch

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Early internet users often learned HTML basics to create their own web pages. Website builders and content management systems have simplified web design to drag-and-drop simplicity. This has made detailed coding knowledge optional for many.

Playing solitaire with real cards

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Killing time meant shuffling a deck of cards and laying out a game of solitaire. Digital versions of the game are now just a click away on any device. Physically handling cards has been replaced by swiping screens.

Using a typewriter

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image credit: Caterina/Trimarchi Shutterstock

The click-clack of typewriter keys was the soundtrack of many offices and homes. Modern word processors have made typewriters mostly obsolete, except for nostalgic or decorative purposes. The immediate digital editing and printing options are undeniably more convenient.

Developing film in a darkroom

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The red light of a darkroom and the smell of chemicals were once part of the magic of photography. Digital photography allows for immediate image viewing and editing, sidelining the need for darkroom skills. This process has turned into a niche hobby.

*Dialing 69 to return a missed call

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If you missed a call and didn’t have caller ID, dialing *69 was the way to find out who it was. Caller identification and mobile phones have eliminated the mystery of missed calls. The feature now seems quaint in the age of constant connectivity.

Saving files on floppy disks

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Floppy disks once carried our most important data, from school papers to software. USB drives and cloud storage have replaced these disks with far superior storage solutions. The limited space and fragility of floppies make them inefficient by today’s standards.

Memorizing phone numbers

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Memorizing a list of phone numbers was essential for keeping in touch before cell phones stored all our contact information. Most people now struggle to recall even their closest contacts’ numbers. The reliance on digital memory has made this skill largely unnecessary.

Handwriting letters

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image credit: wrangler/shutterstock

Writing letters by hand was a personal and thoughtful way to communicate. Email and instant messaging have replaced this time-consuming practice with instant, typed correspondence. The rarity of receiving a handwritten letter today makes it even more special.

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image credit: Ground-Picture/Shutterstock

Ancient navigation techniques, like using the stars, were once taught as valuable skills. GPS technology has replaced the need to understand celestial navigation in everyday life.

Changing TV channels manually

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image credit: Dean Drobot/Shutterstock

Walking up to the TV to change the channel or adjust the volume was once commonplace. Remote controls and voice-activated devices have made this an obsolete practice. The convenience of controlling our devices from the couch is undeniable.

Making mixtapes on cassette

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image credit: Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

Creating a mixtape was a labor of love, carefully timing each song as you recorded. Digital playlists have transformed this creative endeavor into a few simple clicks. The personal touch of a mixtape is now captured in digital compilations.

Understanding DOS commands

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image credit: GaudiLab/Shutterstock

Command line inputs in DOS were essential for operating earlier computer systems. Graphical user interfaces (GUIs) have made these commands largely unnecessary for most users. While still used by IT professionals, this knowledge is no longer required by the average user.

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