Blink and you'll miss it, but 10 years ago means 2015. Not 2005 or 1995 like we all want to believe.
But even through 2015 feels like yesterday, plenty of things are different than they were in the mid-2010s.
Here are 20 common things from 10 years ago that have silently gone extinct.
1
Toys
“Toys in cereal boxes.”
2
Home Buying
“Buying a home. For many young people it’s almost completely out of the question at the moment.”
3
Small Phones
“Small phones. Remember the pre-smartphone era when manufacturers raced to make phones smaller and smaller? Then the iPhone was launched and everyone thought it was too big. Now even that phone looks tiny.”
4
Free Internet
“The convenience and accessibility promised by the internet of the 2000s and 2010s. Replaced by ads, cookies, and subscriptions.”
5
Hardware Stores
“Small independent hardware stores. They used to be a small town staple, especially in the midwest. Now, they're all mostly gone and your only alternative is a big-box hardware store or ordering on Amazon.”
6
Childhood
“Traditional childhood. Childhood. As a parent I feel I’m fighting an uphill battle by keeping ours screen free. Kids need to be taught how to play, how to interact with other humans, and they don’t even go out to play with friends anymore, it’s all online.”
7
Ownership
“Really owning anything. Paying to borrow is the new normal.”
8
Cash
“Coins on the sidewalk.”
9
Middle Management
“Mid-career jobs. It’s called ‘The Great Flattening.’”
10
Critical Thinking
“Critical thinking and self-reflection. It’s really a struggle to engage with people these days who aren’t capable of putting their bias and personal beliefs aside to think big picture or critically about any issue.”
11
Online Spaces for Kids
“Online spaces for kids. When I was a child, we had several online places MADE for children. Now it’s just social media.”
12
Open 24 Hours
“24-hour businesses. Covid killed them and it seems a lot of them aren’t coming back.”
13
Customer Service
“A real live person answering a business telephone.”
14
Fireflies
“Fireflies. All insect populations are dwindling."
15
Cheap Fast Food
“Reasonable ‘fast food’ prices.”
16
First Hand Experiences of History
“First hand knowledge of the Roaring Twenties, and 1930s economic collapse.”
17
Fancy TVs
“3D and Curved TVs.”
18
Checks
“Physical checks as payment. I see less and less of those in my business. Cash was on its way out as well, but we have seen an increase in that.”
19
High Quality Clothing and Furniture
“Quality clothing and furniture. Everything is plywood and polyester.”
20
Public Services
“The general decline of public services. It's become normalised for public health, schools, and council run services to all be worse.”
