1 month ago
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Life sure is a lot different from how it was 50 years ago. Recently, we wrote a post that shared things people think are dying out with the older generation. People felt so passionate about it, that it inspired even more responses from the BuzzFeed Community. Here's what they had to say:
1. "Unsupervised children's sports. As in, neighborhood kids getting together on a weekend to play pickup games of basketball, football, baseball, soccer, and kickball. There are now only 'travel' or 'league' teams, and both cost a great deal of time and money and involve traveling across states or even flying to other states to participate. Kids are not allowed to play unsupervised any longer. The movie The Sandlot is actually a requiem for a way of life that once existed for kids, even in cities, where they could play 'stickball,' at least."
—Anonymous, 72, Delaware
2. "People just washing their hands. I see fewer people washing their hands, but at the same time, doing more gross and unsanitary things. I hate getting takeout from anywhere these days. But what really gets me is that people are getting sick at higher rates when something they can do that takes less than a minute would help immensely. You think we would learn from Typhoid Mary?"
3. "Critical thinking. The last few generations don’t know how to think through any problems; they just give up, let someone else take care of it, or just complain about it. I taught my kids to work through the problem, consider options, and figure out what needs to be done and in what order. Also, I always stressed that it is your choices and decisions that create your consequences. Think about things in advance and anticipate the outcome. Think about your life priorities when making decisions."
—Anonymous, 63, Tennessee
4. "Manners are disappearing in part because of Hollywood. I can’t count the number of times I rebuke the TV because someone didn’t say thank you or goodbye. Apparently, those few seconds just aren’t worth the time for the editors. It annoys me every time. Kids watch so much TV; they learn manners, among other things, from it. It would be nice if Hollywood could demonstrate good manners."
5. "Actually owning stuff and not just having a subscription for it. No wonder people are moving back to actual hardware, because then it's yours. It can't be taken away by some greedy company that's decided you haven't paid them enough."
6. "Dressing up for flights! I think it's a good thing if it disappears. Why not be comfy as you travel? If you're flying economy, it's enough of an ordeal already without being in a stuffy suit. Not gonna worry about that one."
7. "Fidelity in marriage. My wife couldn’t imagine why cheating was wrong or why it would hurt me. I forgave and hung in for 35 years. She’s now my ex. As I talked to more and more people, I’ve learned just how widespread cheating is, and how little remorse these cheaters feel."
—Anonymous, 68, Colorado
8. "Reasonable concert prices are a thing of the past. By the time you include the price of a ticket, parking and ANYTHING from concessions you’re up to about $200 per person if you’re lucky. Back in the day, tickets were $10 and parking was free!"
—Anonymous, 65, Indiana
9. "Double features and affordable prices. The days of going to the movies for the afternoon at a price that a kid could afford are long gone. And what happened to the short subject that was a lead-in to the feature film? All you get is 30 minutes of trailers and ads for stuff you don’t need now."
—Anonymous, 74, Chicago
10. "Parents being able to discipline (not beat or abuse) their own children out of love for them so they wouldn’t repeat the same action and harm themselves or others later in life."
—Anonymous, 68, Texas
11. "Neighborliness. Many people don’t know their neighbors, let alone perform neighborly acts, such as watching their house if they're away, borrowing something if needed, or just having a chat."
—Anonymous, 82 ,
12. "I miss getting the Sunday newspaper and doing the crossword puzzle. I would drink coffee, listen to music, and work on the puzzle. A perfect Sunday morning."
13. "Calling someone older than you sir or madam is a rarity. Calling someone by their first name without asking if it’s okay is disrespectful."
—Anonymous, 72, Arizona
14. "The art of debate without immediately descending into fallacies, name-calling, or insults."
15. "Inviting people over for dinner. Perhaps people no longer have cooking skills. "
—Anonymous, 76, Tulsa
16. "The ability to spell and correctly use our native languages (English, in my case)."
—Anonymous, 78
17. "Playing outside as kids and going to neighbors' homes to enjoy cultural food."
—Anonymous, 87, Virginia
18. "Not just driving a car, driving a car with a manual transmission."
—Anonymous, 68
19. "Family gatherings on Sundays are gone, and now holidays are just selected by invitation."
—Anonymous, 50, D emale, New York
20. "A person's word. 'Give me your word.' That verbal contract or bond agreement is extinct. People talk the talk and then walk away."
21. "Family get-togethers where everyone brings a ‘homemade’ dish. Doesn’t have to be fancy, but made with love and not from a store."
22. "Buying a new car without a heater."
—Anonymous, 82, Amarillo
23. "Common courtesy and respect for others, period!"
—Anonymous
24. "Handwritten letters…I think they have already died."
—Anonymous
26. "Empathy and stopping to help someone on the side of the road."
27. "Printed newspaper, magazines. Remember recipe cards? 😋"
—Anonymous
28. "Greeting cards for all occasions."
—Anonymous, 61, Kenntucky
29. "Writing a check to pay a bill."
—Anonymous, 83, Amarillo
30. "Reading books eagerly and loving the library "
—Anonymous, 84, New Hampshire
What's something you think is dying out in modern society? Let us know in the comments below or using this anonymous form.
Note: Responses have been edited for clarity/length.
English (US) 