From 3D Televisions to Google+ becoming the next big thing, there have been many things to come and go. Here are many things that have disappeared without anyone batting an eye.
1. Song Fade Outs
Do you remember when they ended songs by fading out? It was frequently used when artists didn’t have a proper way to end the song. And to shorten the length of radio airtimes. No one knows precisely when that practice — faded out — but it is long gone.
2. Fidget Spinners
Fidget spinners exploded in popularity in 2017. You couldn’t go anywhere without seeing people, children and adults alike, playing with fidget spinners. They were big in my household. My husband still has a Batman fidget spinner. Still, they seemingly went away quietly without anyone noticing.
3. Public Trash Cans
There was a time when you could walk in any direction and quickly find a public trash can. But that time is not today. Now, even large department stores put fewer cans out, and they are almost always overflowing.
4. Public Water Fountains
Public drinking fountains have disappeared from public spaces, including parks, stadiums, and schools. Water quality and contamination concerns caused a decline in public water fountain use. Today, people opt to carry around bottled water.
5. Acid Rain
As a kid, hearing about acid rain all the time, living in Seattle was not a good time. I remember being terrified by it. After The Clean Air Act was passed, regulating all sources of air emissions, it slowly disappeared without anyone noticing. Although, it’s not entirely gone. Science reports, “The impact of acid rain still lingers in New York, Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine.”
6. Sending Thank You Cards
Convenient communication through texting, chats, and emails has all but eliminated the practice of sending thank-you cards. Today, people crave the attention of public thank-you posting on social media versus writing, stamping, and mailing a handwritten thank-you card. I remember writing them every Christmas and birthday to my grandparents.
7. Physical Buttons
No, not the ones on your button-up shirt. Buttons that control electronics and appliances, including car stereos, car temperature, microwaves, and printers, have disappeared into touchscreen alternatives. Giving up the home button on my iPhone is when I began to recognize this shift. I held onto my iPhone 7 until Apple finally forced the upgrade. Man, I miss buttons, especially in a car.
8. TaB Soda
Do you remember TaB soda in the pink can? I was never a fan. However, it was a diet cola that Coca-Cola put out in 1963 and discontinued in 2020.
9. Planking
If it weren’t for the show The Office, I wouldn’t know what “Planking” was, but I am okay with it being gone. Planking was when people lay in a face-down position, often in an unusual or incongruous location. It was a big deal in 2011 but was gone in 2012.
10. Phone Calls
Long gone are the days of sitting in the kitchen on the phone with an extra-long cord — glued to your ear for hours of conversation. Nowadays, you need to ask via text if it is okay to call someone before dialing. Almost everyone texts. My parents were the last people in my life to call me. Now that they are gone, if the phone rings, I know it’s a scam likely.
11. Remembering Phone Numbers
In conjunction with not dialing phone numbers on the telephone anymore, people memorizing phone numbers have quietly gone away without people realizing it. With the introduction of smartphones, the younger generations have likely only ever learned their parent’s numbers — if that.
12. Red Strings To Open BAND-AIDs
Once upon a time, long before the adhesive pull-apart, you had to pull a tiny red string to open up a BAND-AID. Those went away in 1992, and no one has said anything.
13. Toys in Cereal Boxes
From Light-Up Saber Spoons to the Dragnet whistle to the Cap’n Crunch computer game, cereal used to come with incredible toys. Do you remember digging to find it? My dad insisted that we eat our way down to the toy. But I am pretty confident my sister and I bypassed that when he slept in during Saturday morning cartoons.
14. Red Eyes in Pictures
Something that was once a big deal that is a rarer occurrence today is having red eyes in photos. Nothing was worse than waiting to get your film developed only to have one or two pics where your eyes weren’t glowing bright red.
Most flashes today last much longer than they used to back then, so the pupil has time to contract, and the light doesn’t reflect back, causing the red eyes. That and cell phone cameras rarely require a flash.
15. Flash Mobs
While not entirely gone, flash mobs have seemingly gone by the wayside without people realizing. I have never seen a live show, but I have seen it done in rom-com films.
16. Public Phone Booths
Long gone is the need for public pay phone booths on every corner. Nowadays, everyone has a cell phone. Even people who don’t like the technology of smartphones carry flip phones in their pockets.
17. Phone Books
Do you remember when you would find a phone book on your doorstep annually? The internet has made the need for them obsolete. Some people still get magazine-sized phonebooks. But those encyclopedia-size ones are gone.
18. Insects
While I detest all things creepy-crawly, I know insects are essential to God’s design. Unfortunately, the number of bugs has significantly declined over the last several decades. Places that used to be lit up by fireflies are now questioning: “Where are the lightning bugs?”
The 22 Most Successful Lies in the History of Humanity — Did You Believe Them?
We live in a world full of hard truths and easy lies. Some lies have been so successful that some people still believe them. Others have been debunked despite initially being a massive success. Let’s take a look.
15 Real Things Men Confessed They Want More Than Anything
Are you confused or curious about what men want? Then, we got you covered (ish), right? Of course, not all men can be stereotyped as a monolith. I know that, and you know that. However, after someone surveyed a men’s online forum, asking what they desire, these are the most discussed confessions.
15 Things You Do That Signals to Everyone Around You That You’re Insecure
Are you able to pick up on signals from people that indicate their insecurities? You’re not alone. Someone recently asked a popular online community for …
25 Real Reasons People Have Turned Their Back to Religion and Church
Recently, I encountered an interesting (and sad) discussion about what ruined religion for people and why they turned their backs on the church. The answers range from abuse to science denial.
15 Signs That Deep Down You Are a Terrible Person
According to the internet, some undeniable signs signal to others when you are a terrible person. Someone asked a popular forum, “What are signs someone is a horrible person deep down?” And here is how the online community responded.
Elizabeth Ervin is the owner of Sober Healing. She is a freelance writer passionate about opioid recovery and has celebrated breaking free since 09-27-2013. She advocates for mental health awareness and encourages others to embrace healing, recovery, and Jesus.