How are things better or worse now than the good old days?

[Phoenix84]

I know it's kind of a odd & vauge question, but just hear me out.

How are things better or worse now compared to when you were younger, or the "good old days." 

For example, my understanding was "in the good old days" pretty much everything was closed on Sunday, but now everything is open on Sunday.  Is this better or worse than what you remember?  Are people nicer or meaner now compared to when you were younger?  Are cell phones and the internet the greatest things since sliced bread, or the worst things to happen to humankind in generations.  Were movies better or worse before CGI effects.  Are cars really safer now, and do they last longer?

[busymom]

It's a mixed bag.


Frankly, I liked stuff better before cell phones.  Last Christmas, a couple members of DH's family were checking their cell phones, rather than talking with family members that they only see once or twice a year.  But, I do like having the cell with me for emergencies. 


I liked it when most businesses were closed, or had shorter hours on Sundays and holidays.  Now there is less family time.  And I hate it when family has to work on a holiday.  I think DH has missed more holidays over the years, than has been home for them.


For my kids, I think the Saturday morning cartoons were much better when I was little, rather than the stuff that's on the air now.  (Can you say "Warner Brothers"?)    The only quality cartoons are the ones in the movie theater now.  (I'm thinking movies like the original "Cars", or "Despicable Me").

[mmhmm]

I think a lot depends on what you, personally, do with what's out there.  I don't own a cell phone and don't want one.  My land line serves me just fine and I've got OnStar in my car, in case of emergency.  I don't go to movies, but I never did care for them.  I also don't watch television.  I'd rather read.  Here, a lot of places are still closed on Sundays; however, whether or not one goes to the places that are open on Sundays is up to the individual.  Family time is something one has to make for oneself.  We always took a drive on Sundays when I was young.  Now, with the cost of gas, you'd probably be better off staying home and playing games together.

I'm a seeker.  I've always got something in mind I need to learn more about.  The internet, for me, is a playground and a fount of information.  I find it difficult to imagine not being able to Google my latest quest target and wandering through all the sites available to let me learn.  There's a great deal out here to enhance the education of children, as well.  They just need to be directed, and there are a lot of interactive sites parents can access to share with their kids.  To me, the internet is a magical place when used correctly.

[Phoenix84]

For my kids, I think the Saturday morning cartoons were much better when I was little, rather than the stuff that's on the air now. (Can you say "Warner Brothers"?) The only quality cartoons are the ones in the movie theater now. (I'm thinking movies like the original "Cars", or "Despicable Me")."

I kind of think that too.  But maybe every generation feels that way about their cartoons they watched as a kind.  It's hard for me to believe anything kids watch these days is as good as the shows I watched growing up.  How can the shows be as good as the golden era of disney cartoons?  Shows like Duck Tales, Rescue Rangers, Tale Spin.....

Another thing, it looks like all the animated movies in the theatres these days are CGI.  They don't seem to do hand drawn animated films anymore, which makes me kind of sad.  I remember classics like Aladdin, Lion King, Beauty and the Beast ect.  Though to be fair, I think a lot of Pixar movies are pretty good.

[Phoenix84]

You know mmmhmmm, back in my day, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we didn't have no fancy internet like you young'uns today have.  We had to go to what's called a library if we wanted to research something, and get these things called books and read them.  You don't know how good you have it!

[happyscooter]

I think I am tired of seeing people cursing on TV, adults acting like the kids run the house and people just not having any respect for themselves anymore.

I go to the grocery store and I see women in t-shirts with no bra or a white racer t-shirt and a regular black bra.  If you are going to wear that kind of shirt, wear the right kind of bra.  Women with tats all over their body and they dress so you can see EVERYONE of them.  Guys that think the more piercings they have, the more they look 'cool'.  And again, they dress so you can see the nipple piercing.  I don't think people need to dress up to go to McDonalds, but I wonder if people no longer have pride in themselves.  Bedroom shoes, clothes 2 sizes too small (spandex can only stretch so far and I don't want to see your cellulite) guys with half of their boxers showing, etc...

[mmhmm]

Jun 24, 2013 1:10:30 GMT -5 Phoenix84 said:

You know mmmhmmm, back in my day, when dinosaurs roamed the earth, we didn't have no fancy internet like you young'uns today have.  We had to go to what's called a library if we wanted to research something, and get these things called books and read them.  You don't know how good you have it!

ROFL, Phoenix!  Now, ain't that the livin' truth?  I can remember takin' the covered wagon (through the snow, uphill both ways) to cart home them books!

Born in 1942, I haunted the library from the time I could talk my dad into taking me.  That wasn't hard, as he haunted it, too.  My family were avid readers, so I grew up with it and read from an early age.  We got our first television in 1950, but I wasn't particularly interested in it, much to my parents' chagrin.  Once the "new" wore off, I was back to my books.  Even with the advent of the internet, where YouTube and pictures prevail, I still seek out the written word.  I guess I just prefer the pictures I draw in my mind to the pictures others provide.  Yet, I appreciate the instant availability of so much information about everything under the sun (and then some).  To me, it's truly magical.

[Deleted]

You can always find specific examples of things that are better or worse, but overall, we are so much better off today than in any time in history.

[Deleted]

We tend to forget pain, both physical and emotional. And doubly so if it wasn't our pain. The past is always going to be the good old days. 20 years from now this will be the good old days.

[swamp]

Back in the days, I wouldn't have had the educational and athletic opportunities that I did.

[Tennesseer]

Ooh ooh. Title IX.

[Deleted]

For example, my understanding was "in the good old days" pretty much everything was closed on Sunday, but now everything is open on Sunday. Is this better or worse than what you remember?

It's certainly more convenient. Way back when we did all of our running around on Saturday & Sunday was a day of work (because you couldn't do a lot of stuff on Sunday.

Are people nicer or meaner now compared to when you were younger?

As far as nicer or meaner I think they are about the same. 

Are cell phones and the internet the greatest things since sliced bread, or the worst things to happen to humankind in generations.

As with almost anything, they can be taken too far by certain people. Cell phones are the new morphine in that people can get hooked on them & go overboard. They can be either a huge benefit or huge waste of time depending on the person. In general I think the internet is good for people (what guy would argue against free porn ) but I think that we have gone way to far with emails. I wouldn't mind a 10 cents charge on emails because it would cut the garbage that I get down.

Were movies better or worse before CGI effects.

To be a block buster movie you have to have wonderful graphics. Kind of the same thing as the old days in a way (huge war scenes to add depth or lots of Indians in the attack, etc.). It's hard to compare the story lines because way back when there were a lot of "B" movies that people have forgotten about. I think that maybe movies now days are a little to quick to get into "action" at the cost of the story but that's just me.

Are cars really safer now, and do they last longer?

The worst car on the market today is better than the best car on the market 40 years ago. Also back then cars were designed to survive (built like tanks). Now they are built to die in a crash BUT to keep the people in the car alive. They last longer and at a much lower cost in repairs. On the other hand they cost a lot up front.

People even in the last 40 years have changed a lot. Their values are different & what's justifiable to them has changed a lot. EX: I once loaned someone $2,000 (a LOT of money back then) on a handshake. I didn't worry about being paid back because we shook hands. I wouldn't loan someone today $100 with a handshake, contract, while the police were filming the whole thing. Now days it's Ok to make choices on paying someone back & it has to be convenient for you the borrower.

[mmhmm]

Jun 24, 2013 7:47:28 GMT -5 @lonewolf said:

Yes, the Internet is a wealth of information and if you're the type that is benefiting from that knowledge, then it's good.
However, I've found that it can also be a harmful, addictive distraction that is isolating many from their loved ones and wasting a lot of time.
To me this would cause stress.


 

If people aren't willing to control themselves, lonewolf, anything can be addicting.  It's up to the individual to use his/her time wisely.  Leisure time should be used in ways enjoyable for the individual, IMO.

[Gardening Grandma]

Medical care is so much better.  Of course it's also more expensive.

Cars are safer.  I'm pretty sure that vehicular deaths have decreased.  Of course cars cost more too.

Movies (mostly) seem to rely more on special effects than on plot developement and good writing.  And they are ridiculously expensive.

Technology is a mixed blessing. I use and enjoy my iphone, ipad and the internet.  But there seems to be less social connection - especially among the young.  

swamp already touched on it.  Women have so many more doors open than they did when I was a young woman.  But there still is a long way to go.  A female has yet to become president.  And I believe that women work harder than ever, juggling family and career.  I do think men are more involved in child rearing and that is a good thing.

And as patstab pointed out, there is more acceptance of the disabled.  That seems to be true for those who are different.  I'm happy that divorce has lost its stigma

[Tiny]

Better things:
My unmarried neice can have a baby and there's not quite so much 'shock' and 'horror' invovled. She's 27 that may have something to do with it.

Coming out of the closet doesn't seem so horrible for today's teens - yeah - it's tough and weird and there's the risk of alienation, but not one of the teens/college students I know who came 'out' in the last few years has been disowned by their family or told they couldn't possibly be gay, in fact it was like "ok. that's cool. so, when do we meet your boyfriend/girlfriend" and then it was family business as usual. Not at all like some of the awful things that happened to my teenage friends back in the 80s when they came 'out' to family or even society .

Divorce doesn't seem so horrible. There's grief that a marriage ended but then it's ok to re-start one's life. It's not like a permanant 'end' and then having to live in 'limbo' for the rest of your life.

Worse things:
Everyone pays more attention to their handheld devices than they do to Real Life. It's like if you don't video/take endless pictures/text during any big life event - that live event didn't happen. I wonder if they'll eventually figure out they don't have 'any actual memories' of life events other than taking video/pictures/texting... I find that kinda sad.

Hooking up and friends with benefits. Yeah, it fun, and sometimes an ok 'relationship' of sorts for a while, but they both leave you (either partner) potentially in a kind of 'limbo' if you persue/continue them for too long. They are like a 'bad habit' you eventually need to stop.

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I can't be fired because I am pregnant/married.  

I have access to birth control and control over my uterus. 

My husband cannot beat me and have it be perfectly legal as long as he doesn't leave visble marks (Think Ricky spanking Lucy in I Love Lucy, it's not just comedy that was perfectly acceptable in 1950).

If something happens to DH I am not expected to get married again ASAP so I can remain respectable.  In this scenario if I had sons they would not be expected to leave school to work.  My grandfather only had a fourth grad education because when his father died he was expected to leave school to work and support the family.

He did really well don't get me wrong for only having a fourth grade education but I think he got lucky.  Imagine what he could have done with a full formal education.  I don't want that for my children.

[thyme4change]

Jun 24, 2013 0:32:03 GMT -5 mmhmm said:

I think a lot depends on what you, personally, do with what's out there.  I don't own a cell phone and don't want one.  My land line serves me just fine and I've got OnStar in my car, in case of emergency.  I don't go to movies, but I never did care for them.  I also don't watch television.  I'd rather read.  Here, a lot of places are still closed on Sundays; however, whether or not one goes to the places that are open on Sundays is up to the individual.  Family time is something one has to make for oneself.  We always took a drive on Sundays when I was young.  Now, with the cost of gas, you'd probably be better off staying home and playing games together.

I'm not really sure how pointing out that you live mostly like everyone lived 30 years ago really answers the question.  

[swamp]

If I get cancer, it's more likely to be treatable. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

Your cancer gets treated but you suck up more of my tax money by living longer.

[Deleted]

Well I'm happy that I was able to marry a white man without any stigma.  I'm also happy that I was allowed to go to school (college even) and work side-by-side with non-blacks (and males for that matter).

I am NOT happy that the 24/7 news cycle has created a generation of computer chair- and couch-dwelling kids because their parents are too scared to let them out of the house.

[swamp]

Jun 24, 2013 12:31:59 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

Well I'm happy that I was able to marry a white man without any stigma.  I'm also happy that I was allowed to go to school (college even) and work side-by-side with non-blacks (and males for that matter).

I"ve always wondered how black people felt when white people rambled on about the good old days, knowing that your life wouldn't have been so good.

[thyme4change]

Jun 24, 2013 12:27:58 GMT -5 swamp said:

If I get cancer, it's more likely to be treatable. 

Yeah!  Good one.

Although, according to someone, everything gives you cancer now, and that didn't used to be true (let's just ignore facts about DDT and whatnot.)  So, you are gaining a worse and a better at the same time.  

[Deleted]

Jun 24, 2013 12:34:51 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jun 24, 2013 12:31:59 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

Well I'm happy that I was able to marry a white man without any stigma.  I'm also happy that I was allowed to go to school (college even) and work side-by-side with non-blacks (and males for that matter).

I"ve always wondered how black people felt when white people rambled on about the good old days, knowing that your life wouldn't have been so good.

I think I read on Twitter that someone met a hipster black kid who said he wished he lived in the 1960s....


I don't really think much of it.  While there is a lot of racism in US history, I'm sure there were some pretty good things about life in the past.... if you were a white man.

[swamp]

The only reason we have more cancer now is because we are living to 90 safely ensconced in bubble wrap, so the infectious diseases and accidents don't get us first.

[Phoenix84]

Jun 24, 2013 12:34:51 GMT -5 swamp said:

Jun 24, 2013 12:31:59 GMT -5 @moneyjenny82 said:

Well I'm happy that I was able to marry a white man without any stigma.  I'm also happy that I was allowed to go to school (college even) and work side-by-side with non-blacks (and males for that matter).

I"ve always wondered how black people felt when white people rambled on about the good old days, knowing that your life wouldn't have been so good.

I haven't seen too many people "ramble" on about the good old days.  But I think it's something you need to look at objectively.  Obviously there was racism, and that was unfortunate, but you can't look at that and unilaterally declare everything about a certain period of time worse than today.  There was some things that were better and a lot that was worse.  In my opinion, overall, we're better off now.

I have mixed feelings about this whole "divorce has lost it's stigma" thing.  On one hand, I think it's a good thing in the sense that marriage is not the end all be all, and you don't have to be married to be "respectable."  And divorce is hard enough without having society judge you.  On the other, I do find it concerning how many out of wedlock births there are.  I think two adults in a committed, stable relationship is an ideal situation to raise a child.  But I think single parenthood can work out okay IF the single parent is established in a career before they have kids.  So I guess my problem isn't necessarily with divorce, but having kids before you're ready to support them.

[thyme4change]

If I have to listen to my frickin' husband prattle on one more frickin' time about how when he was a kid, corn was 10 for a dollar out of old man whathisname's truck I will put a toothpick through my cornea.  I have started to just roll my lips over my teeth and say "Back in my day, movies were a nickel, and I walked up hill both ways to school, in the snow, in Phoenix, without shoes."  He lived in farmland - of course it was easier to get corn off of a pick-up truck.  We live in the middle of a city, and no, it does cost more than a dime now - shocking, given that 35 years has past.  Inflation is this crazy concept, isn't it.

[Tennesseer]

Jun 24, 2013 13:50:12 GMT -5 thyme4change said:

If I have to listen to my frickin' husband prattle on one more frickin' time about how when he was a kid, corn was 10 for a dollar out of old man whathisname's truck I will put a toothpick through my cornea.  I have started to just roll my lips over my teeth and say "Back in my day, movies were a nickel, and I walked up hill both ways to school, in the snow, in Phoenix, without shoes."  He lived in farmland - of course it was easier to get corn off of a pick-up truck.  We live in the middle of a city, and no, it does cost more than a dime now - shocking, given that 35 years has past.  Inflation is this crazy concept, isn't it.

Why take it out on your eye when it's your ears you should puncture.

[swamp]

or his cornea

[swamp]

but I think Thyme and I have the same husband.  You'd think he's 90 the way he prattles about the good old days.

[thyme4change]

True - maybe I should just pinch him.  I think I will stick with the emotional damage of calling him an old man, and telling him to move back to the farm if that is really important to him.  Those two are worse (to him) than me losing an eye.