The older I get the more I appreciate the little things. Enjoying the sun and my morning coffee a hike in nature, looking at a beautiful tree, planning my native garden, walking with friends etc ..
As a 53-year-old and lover of music, I can relate to this. I worked at and managed a Sam Goody record store in the 90's and back then Tuesday was new release day. On Monday's we would receive boxes and boxes of new releases. It was Christmas every Monday and it was MY job to go through every single box to check them in. And except for maybe the lead single from an album, it was all unheard. You bought a record or CD in anticipation of what it sounded like. We had so much fun at the store, we had a huge staff and we all got along. On Tuesday mornings people would rush in looking for the new releases, not to mention the free music we got from record company promos, and we were allowed to open ANY CD we wanted to play over the store system, because that's how we made more sales, as you couldn't sample records online at the time. I could go on ...I miss those days.
Worked at Licorice Pizza (before Sam Goody took it over 😉) in the late 80’s. Tuesday new releases were always exciting. I even kept the New Release chalkboard after the takeover. It was only 3 yrs, but so many great memories - a great job! Remember when CDs came on the scene, and when we started renting videos; that blew us up!
Ahh the bliss of walking in a shop to order a pizza and browsing the movies next door while it’s made… Walking around a packed mall with your friends… the serendipity of “running into so and so…”funny to think how these mundane experiences were the bedrock of our humanity.
YES. You literally answered all my questions about why life has felt so dull. I told my husband I’d like for us to not go out to eat as much, and save those nights for special occasions or just time with friends. Not only does it save us a ton of money but it makes those experiences way more enjoyable!
Yes! I grew up in the 1970s, so I understand all these experiences that you related - and then some. Everything is instantaneous now. The joy of anticipation is gone. And you don't even have to leave the house to do anything any more. I am so glad I grew up in an earlier era. My childhood was fun.
The hunt -- the quest -- was part of the fun. Tracking down obscure music or unique clothes. You couldn't just go online and order it. You could find music in used record shops or clothes in boutiques or second-hand stores. And in a way, the "hunt" for things that you enjoyed meant that you also found your tribe.
Born in '71. She's right, nostalgia is a drug! I've been thinking of my past, and the past in general, a lot since my late 40s. So thankful I grew up listening to 8-tracks, B-sides and FULL albums and just, lived in a happier time for me. I hope my outlook on life will get lighter when I'm 70 or something, I dunno.
Everything you said is so true. I feel so thankful to have grown up before smartphones, internet, etc. I'm 65, grew up in the 60's-70's. We played outside, rode our bikes, played kickball in the street, always surrounded by friends doing stuff together. We went to movie theaters, bowling alleys, roller skating rinks, record stores, concerts. Everything was a fun and exciting experience. We actually had a childhood that most kids today don't seem to have. I fell bad for the new generations.
Parents are too controlling today. Everything is a planned activity, where mommy drives you to sports, dance, or some other activity. I have nieces who don't even know the kids across the street, because their life is planned, and their parents drive them to their school across town.
I’m also 65 and you just described what my life was like too growing up in the 60s and 70s. I loved it. There were so many exciting things to do that didn’t involve staring into a screen of some kind (well, maybe the TV but we only had three channels back then).
I've noticed this too. I feel bad for the new generations growing up with social media. Who knows what impact this will have on society in the long term! I feel privileged to have grown up in the 90s!
I was born in 78 so many of my best memories are through the 80’s up til maybe the mid 90’s. Everything really started to change drastically after that. Technology was creeping in and then went full steam ahead in everything. The fun that was associated with tech was short lived for me and very expensive when I think back on it. Over the past couple of months I have really sunk into a depression over how miserable things are now that everyone is glued to screens, instant gratification, and accumulating “likes” to brag about your worth. Today I went out for a walk. I’ve been outside for almost three hours now by myself but it still isn’t as fun as it used to be. Every car passing me has a person on the phone. Every store I pass has print advertisements telling everyone to download their apps and get special “online only” deals. I want a deal in store because I don’t want another app and I have cash in my hand. It’s all just a mess and we are headed for a big dystopian nightmare I’m afraid.
I was born the same year as you, 1978 and my assessment is similar. You're right, I always had the sense that the world changed drastically around 1995/96. To this day I kind of separate my life into two phases, before 95 and after. To people our age, it was like we really had the experience of living in two completely different worlds. The 90s in particular seemed like such a long decade in retrospect with the most change. The early nineties (1990-1994) felt radically different than the late 90s (1995-1999).
it feels good to know that im not the only one who just craves a normal human experience. our addictions made us worse. but the other day, i felt good because i hung out with my family members(cousins my age). we got ice cream, went to the movie theaters, ate out. we ate ice cream outside sitting in the trunk of our suv with the trunk door open at night. so chill
Born in 83 and I agree with so much of this. Soooo thankful I had the childhood I did mostly free of technology. I went to get my hair cut the other day and just sat in the waiting room people watching. The other six people waiting didn't even realize I was there. Not one of them looked up for even a second from their phone and all of them had headphones in. Now we have Apple's Vision Pro and that's just the next step into this digital hellscape. One I refuse to take.
Going to rent a movie on a Friday night as a teenager. Smelling the popcorn as I opened the door, rushing to the Newly Released section, the place was packed. People stood around talking about what movie they wanted or what was good or not. Now that building is a boring cell phone store.
This is so true. II just turned 70. When I was around 16, I remember the thrill it was to go to a store and listen to music. You sat in a kind of bar chair and asked for a number of music. Earphones, the environment, everything was different from home. I was babysitting to afford an e.p and I bought second hand books at a lovely store. The owner of the store was always sitting reading in the middle of huge stacks of old books. Sometimes, he didn't even notice you. He often had a book or two for me on hand, because he knew my taste. - A lot of human contact has been lost with everything being so easy to get without even leaving your home. - From a dane living in Denmark. Love your videos, Nicole!
So true. Now I'm married with a toddler and our family loves ice cream. We've now made a choice to stop buying ice cream from the grocery store and go out to an ice cream shop and just buy one scoop each. Trying to make it a fun little moment and happy memory for our child
I am a late 70s-80s kid and everything you say was even more true then. Bookstores, record stores, malls, shopping districts, movie theaters, small concert venues, bars and restaurants were so much better before smartphones! Life had openings for novel things like you said talking to someone new.
To anyone who is a music fan, I strongly urge you take up an instrument, any instrument. RUclips is a goldmine of information. Talent is not required. Now, go have some fun, like it’s the ‘90s all over again. 🥳🥳🥳
I don't use food apps either. Blockbuster was fun, like you said. I try to make my granddaughter's life spontaneous. We go the library, the park, play games, go for walks, etc. I want the next generation to love life!!
I still remember getting store catalogs at home. Like 300 pages long! And you’d circle things or tab the pages and save up to get something. And when the day came to get that item you’d drive to the store to get it or you would use your rotary dial phone and talk to someone and order it. Then there was the wait for that item in the mail. There were no confirmation emails and tracking numbers. When it got there, it got there.
I still remember getting the *Christmas catalogs* every year as a 70s kid. I would have it worn out in about a week. My parents kept one from *Sears from '69* that I put out and flip through *every year ;-)* I can still remember how it felt to dream about those toys etc ...
I remember my mom would get the call recording saying her package was ready for pickup. Either that or an actual notice in the mail. It was a HUGE deal to go to catalog pick-up to get your order.
Everything you said Nicole is so very true. I’m 80 years old and I totally appreciate your maturity about things and how you see the world and what’s going on. I love watching your videos even though I’m old, I can relate to a lot of the things you say.
So true Nicole. I'm just 50 yo and remember how much fun it use to be as a child. We spent most of our time on the outside finding fun stuff to do. Now these kids appetite/taste has elevated and they feel entitled with too many options.i prefer things slower and more intentional.
Millennial here.. and I remember the days of Blockbuster! You are so right.. we are just chasing for more and more and more because we arent living life with intention anymore, we're just living for INSTANT gratification- so all the "little things" (which are really the big things) just aren't as exciting anymore. I really enjoy your videos, they really inspire me to think deeper.
Yes going to Blockbuster was an event for me and my kids. Something we would look forward to on Friday nights . I'd let them pick out a kids movie (PG-G) and I'd pick out a "mature" one for Mom and me. Simple times, yet fun family entertainment.
You made something click in my brain, that I couldn’t reach by myself. I knew something was deeply wrong, but I couldn’t get to the core of it. So I watched this three times back to back. You’re right. You’re absolutely right.
I've cut so much social media, I do more stuff with my hands, talk with my neighbours. Everything is so convenient now, you don't need to anticipate anymore. Anticipation can be so satisfying, as well as great memories. Letter writing, on the phone with a family and friends. It's mostly visual now. No novelty -- so true.
Also a 90s kid, and 100 percent agree with you. In a way, it’s why I embrace frugality and minimalism. I do my best to leave out the things that don’t bring me value so I can make room for the ones that do. For example, I value watching movies and listening to music, so I still buy physical media (vinyl and criterion collection movies). It’s exciting for me to research, hunt down, and collect these items in moderation. Another place that gives me the sensation of new discovery is the library. I love going in there without a list and seeing what books and movies I find.
Living in the countryside and farming, with a monthly income of around $300, in a small country Serbia in the heart of Europe (but not EU).. my wife and I never had an opportunity to get bored, haha. No TV for more than decade, nor car, just phone, internet and nature. And yes, we live the same similar life as any other people - hanging with our friends, going to buy everything else that we can't grow in the field, and we have our big events, like sitting on a bench with cookies and soda when we go into town to run errands and buy essentials. Life is good. Minimal and frugal by default.. 🙂 .. and we don't need anything more. Nice videos and topics, Nicole.
All so true!!! I think that all these conveniences are keeping us apart! The fact that I only sit with my kids to have a meal together is maybe around Thanksgiving ! Because my wife doesn't want to force them to leave their room! So they're all on antidepressant drugs ! What a huge difference from my childhood!!! Thanks Nicole!!!
I'm in my 50s and couldn't agree more. All the younger generation does is order online! I don't order food out and like you said, prefer going out for special occasions and dressing up. I have really been thinking about minimalism living more seriously. Love your channel
I have a full-time job sometimes working up to 58 hours. Same goes for my wife. We now for fun work part-time as security guards. Last night We pulled security for Eric Johnson ( Grammy winning guitarist) in Austin. Everyone around me paid hundreds for tickets I was in the first row and getting paid.
Gen X here. You are so right! Nothing feels special anymore when it's around you 24/7. Ah the good old video store days. My now husband and I had no money when we started out, so going to the video store was an event in itself. It was a Friday night thing. We found a discount video rental place, so we'd spend a while looking through the videos, put our 79 cents on the counter and then go home and watch.
I totally agree with you about the music thing. I used to get a new album and POUR over the liner notes listening to every single song like five times until I picked my favorites. Now I'll just scan through to the songs that catch my attention. I've been trying to be more cognizant of that recently (like taking walks all week when the new All Time Low album came out and making myself listen to the whole thing all the way through before I picked my faves). But yeah, music still gives me that sweet sweet dopamine hit 🤣🤣🤣
I understand the music one. My new car we got in January doesn't have a cd player. I was driving it after I got and got a little sad. I was sad bc I no longer could buy a cd and put it on in the car and listen to it while driving. It dawned on me that I have nothing to listen to cds on any more😔
Honestly, I avoid Amazon at all costs. I prefer to buy things locally or direct from brands I trust online and that's only after I can't find it 2nd hand somewhere. I wasn't always like this though. It took a major life event that left me in a lot of debt before I was able to shed the haze of consumerism and convenience that is so prevalent in our privileged society and start living more mindfully and correct the course I was on. Thanks for another great video, Nicole.
It doesn't help that that company sets a new low standard for how poorly they treat workers. I think it's mainly the boomers that love Amazon. I don't like to hate on a generation but there's seriously something wrong with that one.
This video really struck a cord with me. I had so many adventures growing up in the 90s too. I feel like nothing is even allowed anymore. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but - really - three cheers for spontaneity.
I was born in 76. What you say is so true. Technology is really good for some things like medical advances but it’s negative for other things. I wish my kids had the opportunities that I had back in the 90’s
I'm 58 and an Australian, I love your channel! I have french and Italian heritage and from the food, traditions and philosophy on life I have absorbed a slow, mindful way of living. My enjoyment of what some may call mundane everyday activities has changed the way I think about my home, my career, the BS I no longer allow in my life and this has made for far more peace and quality in my life.
Well said. I totally agree (also as a 90's kid). I really miss Blockbuster & the other cozy video stores. Hanging out at the mall with friends. Riding our bikes to go get ice cream/go borrow books at the library. We would play outside carefree (no phones, no social media existed) just kids 100% enjoying ourselves. Summers lasted FOREVER because we anticipated them and when Summers came, we enjoyed them to the FULLEST and lived every moment present!
80's kid here. Even when I was too poor for a new CD, I would head downtown and buy a used CD. My friends and I had fun window shopping at the mall and going to movies. We would just chill out at each other's house on the weekend. My niece is 13. Her friends literally never hang out together unless they are in school, or if their moms plan a date. It's so weird. I was with my friends any chance I could when I was her age. I hear other parents saying that their kids just stay home with them too. It must be so depressing. I feel sorry for these kids. I have a 3 year old. I'm hoping I can show him excitement, and hope that he has friends like we had in the 80's and 90's.
Agreed with everything you said here! Cultivating the life you want has much more meaning today. I have an am/fm radio that is the only electronic running 24/7 in my house. I don't have cable or wifi. Once a week we go to a local thrift story or the library to find a movie for my husband's day off. Or we drive to the beach to watch the sunset. I do enjoy my turntable when home by myself. Which is usually my reward for getting house work done on the weekend. Although my son is now an adult, I raised him this way and I'm happy he plans to raise his kids similarly. Not all hope is lost. Have a great week Nicole!
You’re 💯 percent right. People today just seem bored with everything. Back before all this technology life was fun. I miss being a kid, I was outside from morning until night. Always had friends and found things to do, never got boring. Life was good 😌
As a person born in 1965, I can 100% agree with you. How I miss going to the record store! And we don't have a bookstore where I live - I order all my books online, but it just isn't the same.
@@pennynickels5216 Tiny town in Virginia....closest bookstore is a 50 minute drive (which isn't bad, but my 20 year old car doesn't appreciate it much.) But I am hoping to move to Vermont in the next few years....Vermonters love their bookstores :)
@@seltzermint5 We do have a really good public library system, and they can get you just about anything you want; not the same as going to a bookstore and browsing, though. The small bookstores used to have people who really were experts in their field. A lot of bookstore employees opened my eyes to writers I may have otherwise never heard of. (And tbh, even though I am out of room, I really love owning the books, lol.) I think the "browsing" is a big part of it - you can get lost in a good bookstore for hours. Great way to pass a rainy afternoon. :)
This is sooo true! The act of going to a CD store or video store was half the fun. It was an event in and of itself. While in the video store, I was picking what to watch but also anticipating the movies I would rent the next time. There's none of that now with everything available all at once. My wife and I don't even like the same things so now we watch our shows in different rooms. The digital age has created mass isolation. :(
I always have thought about this in terms of music as well; even if you bought an album that you end up not liking much, you would still KNOW it, because you spent money on it with the intent of appreciating it, and listen to the whole damn thing a bunch of times still. I believe there's still more value in having an intent of appreciation and not liking it in the long run than scanning through spotify or whatever and listening to the first 10 seconds of something to see if you like it. As a musician myself as well, gaining the knowledge of what you don't like about something is a pretty valuable tool to have in my opinion!
Sometimes you end up loving those albums you thought you didn't like because you gave them a chance. Nowadays, if people don't like the first 20 seconds of a song, they skip it. You entrenched yourself in the music because it wasn't such a commodity as it is now, it was a luxury.
@@crichards1986. Many albums were structured carefully to create a narrative. Listening to one track out of sequence could disrupt that flow. Growing up with limited funds, I would never buy new albums, but wait until something turned up in a second-hand store. Often the tracks that had instant appeal, became irritating after a few plays, and those other tracks that were less accesible, have become fiavourites. I suppose that as much of the streamed music has to fit a narrow, but strict framework of what is deemed 'audience friendly', the excitement of stumbling over something unexpected has diminished...the algorithm decides what we are now supposed to like. Online shopping and instant gratification with 'cashless payment' will be our downfall, as we sink deeper and deeper into personal debt.
I’m a kid of the 80’s and I remember getting excited when certain magazines would arrive. We’d get excited at movie trailers or mtv music videos. So much lost now.
I think you described the process of growing up. As an adult life is repetitive, mundane, disappointing, suffering, and death. Everything else is gravy. I'm not quite sure why we have 2 mass school shooting a week in the US though. Unheard of when I was a kid , and walking 2 miles to school in the rain or snow or riding a bike without a helmet...lol
Gosh this was so interesting. Ive been feeling all these things lately. I remember when I was 15 my mom bought me the first Panic at the disco album and I didnt even care when she left me in the car to listen to it for over an hour while she ran into the store. I was so excited to sit there and listen to it and take it all in. Lately I've been just feeling so nostalgic for the past.I just feel like all I do is work and nothing is exciting anymore. Ever since the pandemic and then inflation I've just felt like what is the point to even get ready and go out. I cant afford to go out much anyways anymore and i'm frugal and trying to save money. Thankfully I've always been introverted and a homebody so I'm sure it affects other people even more than me. anyways....just the thoughts of a 30 something year old lol.
I believe you hit a major point here. People aren't getting enjoyment out of life due to the overload of incredible ease of access to basically everything. I'm 63 and I loved going to the record store when i used to collect vinyl or even CDs. Music at your finger tips is just weird although as a musician , it has one advantage and that is ease of publishing your own music. But yes, I agree that things seem to have lost something until now I couldn't quite put into perspective . The world I grew up in is basically gone in many ways and I miss the fun in these things. Fortunately playing live music in the venues I play at is till basically the same.
Gen X here. I remember in the 90's in Southern California big bands would play at giant outdoor amphitheaters with huge lawns. You could get dirt cheap to free (with a canned food donation) for the lawn.
Hello- New Subscriber -Old Person Your perspective is very grounding. You are wise beyond your years. You have encapsulated what it has taken me over 60 years to really incorporate in my life in your short one. You chose to have a life of quality-which is refreshing. I hope you are proud of yourself. I wish your approach did not seem as novel as it apparently is, As I stand on the precipice of retirement I resolve to embrace the important things in one's life. Live slowly and purposefully. Find joy in the quiet moments and reflect. Enjoy your solitude. Thanks for the refreshing Sunday chat.
Recently, I walked the isles of a 99 cent only store to check for sales as they are going out of business. I wondered as I took in some of the items why I had never bothered to look in the past. I always just go in for some gardening supplies a couple of times a year, check their produce section and out again. I think that sometimes we are so busy with life that we are not "in the moment" anymore. It was fun to shop. I actually picked up a few items that were not on my "need" list. They were just quirky and made me smile. I don't enjoy online shopping, it is a lonesome experience. Going to nurseries and looking at new plants that make me pull out my phone to google them for more info is fun. I have to stop and use all 5 senses when something is new- can't do that with electronics alone. I think it is the engaging of ALL 5 senses that makes things real, in the moment, enjoyable.
I know the feeling...as I age...many of the friends who had get togethers have moved or passed away...at my age...81...this is becoming an issue. The pandemic has destroyed many of the thrift/antique stores, estate and garage sales...gone! I lost two close lady companions...both who loved these places...may they RIP! I'm home more than ever before. I have no family left, as I was a single offspring...never married. Thankfully, I have great memories of the "good old days"!!
I totally agree with you. I think it all leads to a lazy society because everything is convenient. Nobody wants to work hard for what they need and want. Nobody wants to put in the effort to accomplish things
I understand what you mean, I think a lot of it has to do with age in general. I'm 44 and yes, I can recall when doing things like going to a video store or other mundane things (especially shopping related) like going down to the US to shop, etc seemed to matter. As things like Amazon and online shopping have taken over, I think there's just been a transition. One that I don't think is necessarily bad. These days I spend a lot less time doing aimless shopping and spend more time at parks, hiking, cross-country skiing, riding my ebike, etc. I like to take road trips out to places like Jasper National Park in Alberta. I seem to have more time for that these days because, like you said, I'm seeking novelty, but instead of seeking it in mundane errands and just aimlessly finding novelty in shopping and browsing, I feel that's shifted to more positive things since I don't spend time doing that stuff much anymore; like you said, everything is just ordered off Amazon. In some ways, I feel embarrassed by the things that used to feel like novelty: it feels like I was previously such a captive to Capitalism. In a sense, now that the joy of just anticipating what were in all honestly, mostly attempts by corporations to advertise to me products and services that I didn't really need, I'm now glad I don't feel novelty in their wares anymore. I feel I can seek more authentic novelty now than I could earlier. The abundance made me understand and I'm glad I no longer fetishize owning a ton of Vinyl Albums, or racks full of DVDs, or CDs anymore. It all feels like filler, and this abundance and "ho hum-ness" that you mention has been a blessing in that sense. It's snapped me out of a consumer mindset that I feel I probably had as a youngster. A different perspective perhaps. Cheers Nicole!
Interesting perspective, truthfully I enjoy mundane things like physical shopping and usually it is not just about things purchased but doing a simple fun activity with friends. I cannot do the big stuff that are more expensive and out of the way often like hiking or skiing. I think for most people lots of little accessible mundane things and activities brings novelty to life and take away daily boredom like Nicole found out. I also like my music in physical formats as I worry a bit about online supplies being cut off amongst other things.
Novelty, for sure! I’m 60 and so thankful to know how to appreciate it. Im trying my hardest to keep it alive for my 5 yo grandkids. It’s so sad to think about how kids now will probably never know what the hell we’re talking about😢
I totally agree with you on this. The thing I miss the most about the 70s and 80s (I was born in 1974) is the experience. Back then, even just looking in the toy store window was exhilarating, because you would never be able to have most of them, and you got to dream and use your imagination. Now I see a lot of young people who have everything, and they are completely brain dead. The future will not be a good one, and it will be because of abundance.
54 year old Gen X here, and you are spot on! The Blockbuster experience for sure. I also remember in high school how going to the record store in the mall on the weekend was the highlight of my week. I would spend hours browsing and discovering new music. It was an entire even when a new album was released from a band you liked - yes, we listened to music that were comprised of bands. Even just going to the mall to hang out, shop and meet other young people was an anticipated event. Roller skating and ice skating, too. I also remember when we only had small mom and pop owned movie theaters, and my friends and I would get a ticket to see one movie and when it was over, we would sneak into the movie playing next door. Also, concerts were pretty inexpensive back then, so I went to quit a few with my friends and siblings, not my parents - never with parents.
Yeah - exactly what you say. That's why I'm glad I grew up in the 70s, when it was still exciting when your favorite band released a new LP or went on tour. I often tell myself how lucky I am that I experienced those great times. Nobody can take that away from me. And when I put on one of those LPs today, it reminds me of the great time when I heard the record for the very first time. It's the memories that make me happy today. That's why I don't mind living a more frugal life these days.
I'm soon to be 60 and when I was 15 I got my first job in the record department of a Robinson's department store in Ontario Canada. It was called The Circle of Sound - this was so long ago we had vinyl LP's and singles and we had cassette tapes and ..wait for it...we had 8 track tapes!!! This was the best job ever!!LOL I really have fond memories of that time in my life which lasted about 2 1/2 years. I agree with you Nicole - all this convenience has taken a lot of the fun out of everyday life. I still choose to do in-store shopping as I enjoy getting my own groceries.
I think the problem with society today is everything has to be bright, loud, fast and in your face. I don’t have Netflix or used a delivery app either. Born/hatched in the late 60s growing up in the 70s and 80s I remember having to work for my money(paper route or yard work for neighbors) to buy a new LP. The fun was riding my bike to the record shop which was 5 miles away and purchasing the new Talking Heads, David Bowie etc etc album. Buying the next Beatles album to complete my collection was always a good investment. I challenge people to slow down, take a walk leaving your phone at home. Stop looking at the IQ lowering and anxiety causing social media for the day. Have a cup of coffee and just stare out the window watching the squirrels causing trouble. Route 66 an old highway that runs East to West but replaced by the super highway 40. When I was visiting Winslow, Flagstaff and other cities in Arizona that the old 66 ran thru all I could think look at all this cool cities and sites that people just drive by today. Instead of stopping at a mom and pop shop for food they go right to McDonalds(gross) or Taco Bell(yuck).
Bang on Nicole. I really try to not get tangled up in tech, have never ordered food delivery and very seldom eat dinner out. My son is an elementary school teacher and said his kids attention span is 20 mins max. Technology is NOT our friend - it's fickle.
I'm 40 and oh my gosh I miss going to the record store and buying a CD, being so excited to hear the new songs and spend hours reading the lyrics and looking at every detail of the art work. Sitting in my room and listening to the record was an event. Now I just stream it on release date and think "Oh yeah, cool" and move on.
I remember being a jazz fanatic at one time, in my 30s. It was using Amazon player, but I'd lie down, listen to the tracks, try to compare and differentiate, try to figure out who was playing what, try to relate it to the often hard and under-appreciated lives of the musicians. It was not effortless - it was a project and it was sometimes dry, but there were moments of elation and joy. Something about having/paying for the album gave it structure, and going back again and again to the same albums carved them into my heart. Now, music is just ear candy, noise, background. I feel I lost something.
As an 80s kid, I can definitely relate to this and I think you are spot on. Instead of simple experiences like going to the Blockbuster, we seek out these elaborate and pricey experiences and for WAY less enjoyment.
So true. I remember, for instance, long afternoons when rain was falling. i actually remember watching those raindrops and how they moved from the other side of a window. And i remember, in the late sixties, when we first got television, longing for that once a week show. Something my kids also experienced in the 90ties, as well all their fun activities in the nearby forest and farms. All of which changed when we moved from a rural swedish community to a danish suburbain one. So many things have changed, and I have experienced, for instance, pupils astonished when I showed them REAL BOOKS and not only the internet versions...
I feel that. Like this 24/7 availability is something I am definitely too old for. I rather work or have fun. And the thing is the conversations on messenger services aren’t that much of a quality. Though I do think those deliveries have a reason. For example not everyone can walk so a delivery to their door could be a big help. Or ordering food when I am just too sick to cook. It really has gotten to a life without community
@@AccordingtoNicole yeah because normally you have your community around you who does that. if you're sick your neighbour brings you a soup and asks if you need something cuz they are getting something at their groceries. now its in the cities where you know no one except your working colleges
"It's not the destination, it's the trip man". Your quote is the short version of my all time favourite quote by Amelia Earhart: "The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."
Ughh you don't know how much I miss video stores!!!! I still have a collection of DVDs I cherrish them now ! I honestly have been bothered for a while now at how everything is accessable at just the swipe of a screen or click of a button! Im a kid of the 90s I also feel like music isn't valued like it was before. I remember when I went to my first rock concert it was like a huge deal this was in 2006 part of the excitement was traveling to the venue with my friends and we had picked out our attire and bought a shirt from the concert and a bandana which I kept for years afterwards. I even got the tickets laminated and kept that for years. I remember when me and my friends went to the concert we were talking about it for weeks I had a camera but it was a disposable camera and the pictures were aweful but I just remember enjoying the experience!
Yes I agree with you, everything used to be so much more fun, all this ordering food with apps and streaming etc etc is causing us to move less, we’re still hunter gathers and not living like that is causing bad things , physically and mentally
I miss video rental stores, they had a very particular smell that I can't really describe, but it added to the experience. I was thinking about something along these lines recently-I was purchasing a ticket for a concert for one of my favorite singers, & I got the ticket online. Super convenient, especially now as an adult with a job. But,there was something fun & exciting about lining up & buying a ticket, presenting an actual ticket, then saving the ticket stub as a souvenir. Getting a QR code in an email just isn't the same.
I've been saying for a long time now that we have way too many choices for entertainment, especially when it comes to streaming services. At first it was just Netflix and Hulu, but now every major studio or network has to launch their own streaming service. When you have so many options, it becomes exhausting and time consuming to even just make a choice. When I was a kid I didn't have that many video games, but I spent way more time playing the few games I had. Now as an adult I have way more games than I ever had as a kid, but spend way LESS time actually playing games. Sometimes less is really more.
Also, I remember when Netflix first started in the UK. It was mail order DVDs. You'd get, like 4 rentals a month or something for your subscription and you'd go on their website and order the DVD. You'd then post it back to them when you were finished. Even THAT was slightly better than what Netflix is now
I’m one of those boomers with one foot in the grave,71 years old,I remember the old albums,looking at them while listening to the music.but I have Spotify and I love it,My music can go wherever my phone goes (everywhere) but you do make a lot of sense about our current lifestyles,especially the younger ones,when I was young (I walked barefoot to school etc..) if you had to make a phone call at work you had to ask permission and use the phone in the office! Good information on your videos!
As an older gen z adult now, (I’m just shy of 21) so I was born in the pretty early 2000’s, 2003 to be exact! My dad used to take me and my brothers (one older, one younger :3) to the local blockbuster in our upstate NY small city, and get a dvd of some sort of fun movie to watch :)) (usually a horror movie because my dad was cool Lol) and I have many of these fond, and common early 2000’s childhood memories. The comparing notes about the cds of music with your friends, the playing outside, the excitement of getting a gift of a new fun thing on my birthday or Christmas. I hear people say that “gen z is the first generation to grow up entirely with technology” and that’s not REALLY true. I didn’t get my first electronic, until I was 10, and it was an iPod with the ORIGINAL RUclips icon and all lol, and my first phone, was an original iPhone 6, at like 12 or 13, so for a good majority of my early life, all I had was the occasional cartoon on the living room tv. I did not have technology until I was a teen, I didn’t have that soul sucking instant gratification of all of the uses of social media. Even then, when I did get social media at like, 14, Snapchat was still different even back then. Specifically the internet as a whole, and social media, are getting like more and more addictive and brain rotting because I SWEAR it wasn’t THAT addictive when I was 15, and I still did a ton of other things off of technology, like school, sports, I saw my friends still, I had hobbies like playing guitar and painting, hell even side hustles. Its wack
Glad you've said it. I have been trying to communicate some of these things in every circle where I have a voice for close to twenty years. Ironically, to feed my family I ended up having to work in tech fields (programming, etc.) but I have tried to constrain the forces of continuous entertainment and non-stop 'novelty' in our household. We homeschool, we maintain a large book / vinyl / CD (physical media) library, and we make access to screen time (apart from my work) infrequent / high-threshold / slow-drip. We do our best to engage with the slower, natural world more often, including maintaining an organic garden. I am regarded as a Luddite among many I know, but whereas lots of folks I knew thought I was a bit crazy 10-15 years ago, I've noticed that many of them developed a lot more respect for me (and my family) in the last few years. No method is perfect but we have to be intentional and reflective concerning these things.
I love your videos! ❤ Not to sound weird, but I wish we were friends 😅 and could talk in real life because I relate so heavily to your interests and opinions! My remedy to this issue is like yours- make things an occasion, be present in the moment, slow down, and simplify things. In certain instances, I even try to do things like we did in the “old days” if I can. For instance, when my favorite musicians release a new album, I buy the physical CD (I love to listen with my Sony Walkman from the 2000s, which still works perfectly!😁). Like you said, an album needs to be heard and appreciated in its entire context- like a symphony. I love all of the points/reminders you’ve brought up here and would love a part 2 that expands your thoughts even further if you have more to say on this topic! 😊
Totally. I hate “binge-watching”, and yet I’m guilty of it too. It used to be so fun to feel a sense of ANTICIPATION… It feels like there is nothing to look forward to now.
This ! Couldn’t agree more , grew up in 90’s too and it was so much fun back then . The experiences , music , meeting friends and so much more . We were never really bored 😐 and the simplicity of life 🙌thanks
You're right. I can download an ebook when I want something to read, but I'd prefer to visit my public library, where I can borrow a "real" book, browse the shelves for the next good read, sign up for a book club, and chat with other library patrons about the titles they enjoyed. That's much more stimulating than tapping my iPad screen..
I loved music growing up. I'd walk miles to buy vinyl, tapes and CDs from my favorite underground artists. I'd listen to albums on repeat for months. Today I still collect old music. I sample it and make hip hop. One of my only enjoyments in life. I love going to the record stores and finding some gem that has a killer sample, or drum break. But I've lost all motivation for that. I've lost all motivation for everything. I used to love writing software for fun, reading and studying books all day and developing cool ideas. After 35 it got boring. I purchased a load of electronics gear to learn electronic engineering. Spent most of my savings on an idea I thought would put the spark back into my life. But I've lost interest for that. I'm on medications for mental health problems, and they numb the negativity, but they don't help much. Just make me sleepy. Once they kick in and the side effects lessen, I plan on doing me. And if I'm childish, or doing things people think is silly or pointless, then whatever to them. Growing up is a myth. It's only because we have to work 9 to 5 to survive that we need to be in this sate of "professionalism". Thanks for your video.
In the winter, I do movie nights once a week. A few days before I pick out a movie I haven't seen. Then when movie night comes I make a tub of popcorn, grab a soda, turn out the lights. That makes it more like a theater experience without the cost. It lso makes it more fun. So you can still do things to increase the funness of some things.
I grew up in the 60’s and a was a teenager in the 70’s. My family did not have much money. We made everything. We stayed at home in a house that had only 2 TV channels. We had to play outside when we were young and we loved to participate in sports. We did not take lavish vacations. We did not go shopping unless there was a need. Each of kids got a small allowance for doing chores at home and for maintaining good grades on our report cards. I did not appreciate this lifestyle at the time, but I sure do now!!! I intensely dislike everything about convenience and instant gratification!! I like to cook healthy food from scratch. I don’t have any of those apps that you mentioned, and I never will. I make hand-made or home-baked gifts for friends and family, and they love it. I have satisfying hobbies that expand my brain and my skills. I have been a high school teacher for the past 36 years, and I can honestly say that although I love being around youth and I love teaching, I am worried for this younger generation who seems to be constantly plagued by tech addiction, anxiety, and depression. I agree with all the points you have raised in this video. Well done, and thank-you. Ⓜ️ary🇨🇦
This is the second video in a row that pointed out Blockbuster as a third space and I agree. Blockbuster was one of the only really good parts of my childhood.
I bought my first CD at the age of 13 on a school tip to Verona, Italy. It was a ginormous record store. It was the Metallica Black Album. My friends recommended this. I listened the heck out of this thing before I even considered buying another one. This was over 20 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
The older I get the more I appreciate the little things. Enjoying the sun and my morning coffee a hike in nature, looking at a beautiful tree, planning my native garden, walking with friends etc ..
Oh for real. It’s rained a bunch in my town after a dry summer and I want to go see the creek in my neighborhood flowing again.
As a 53-year-old and lover of music, I can relate to this. I worked at and managed a Sam Goody record store in the 90's and back then Tuesday was new release day. On Monday's we would receive boxes and boxes of new releases. It was Christmas every Monday and it was MY job to go through every single box to check them in. And except for maybe the lead single from an album, it was all unheard. You bought a record or CD in anticipation of what it sounded like. We had so much fun at the store, we had a huge staff and we all got along. On Tuesday mornings people would rush in looking for the new releases, not to mention the free music we got from record company promos, and we were allowed to open ANY CD we wanted to play over the store system, because that's how we made more sales, as you couldn't sample records online at the time. I could go on ...I miss those days.
that sounds amazing!
That's a dream job for sure!!
@@ny2phillyholloway592 Long hours, retail pay, but you didn't mind because you loved what you were doing and having fun doing it.
Worked at Licorice Pizza (before Sam Goody took it over 😉) in the late 80’s. Tuesday new releases were always exciting. I even kept the New Release chalkboard after the takeover. It was only 3 yrs, but so many great memories - a great job! Remember when CDs came on the scene, and when we started renting videos; that blew us up!
Very Cool!
As a GenXer, I’ve felt this way for a long time. Thank you for articulating it so well.
Ahh the bliss of walking in a shop to order a pizza and browsing the movies next door while it’s made… Walking around a packed mall with your friends… the serendipity of “running into so and so…”funny to think how these mundane experiences were the bedrock of our humanity.
YES. You literally answered all my questions about why life has felt so dull. I told my husband I’d like for us to not go out to eat as much, and save those nights for special occasions or just time with friends. Not only does it save us a ton of money but it makes those experiences way more enjoyable!
Yes! I grew up in the 1970s, so I understand all these experiences that you related - and then some. Everything is instantaneous now. The joy of anticipation is gone. And you don't even have to leave the house to do anything any more. I am so glad I grew up in an earlier era. My childhood was fun.
i too am of your era Jane, and i always tell people that we lived our youth in the last of the "normal" days" and we were lucky for it..cheers
Born in '68 and graduated HS in '86. So happy I lived during that time. I work on a college campus and seeing the apathy is sad.
I grew up in the 1970's too - the pace of life was not only slower compared to today but we really appreciated what we had.
The hunt -- the quest -- was part of the fun. Tracking down obscure music or unique clothes. You couldn't just go online and order it. You could find music in used record shops or clothes in boutiques or second-hand stores. And in a way, the "hunt" for things that you enjoyed meant that you also found your tribe.
Born in '71. She's right, nostalgia is a drug! I've been thinking of my past, and the past in general, a lot since my late 40s. So thankful I grew up listening to 8-tracks, B-sides and FULL albums and just, lived in a happier time for me. I hope my outlook on life will get lighter when I'm 70 or something, I dunno.
Everything you said is so true. I feel so thankful to have grown up before smartphones, internet, etc. I'm 65, grew up in the 60's-70's. We played outside, rode our bikes, played kickball in the street, always surrounded by friends doing stuff together. We went to movie theaters, bowling alleys, roller skating rinks, record stores, concerts. Everything was a fun and exciting experience. We actually had a childhood that most kids today don't seem to have. I fell bad for the new generations.
Parents are too controlling today. Everything is a planned activity, where mommy drives you to sports, dance, or some other activity. I have nieces who don't even know the kids across the street, because their life is planned, and their parents drive them to their school across town.
I’m also 65 and you just described what my life was like too growing up in the 60s and 70s. I loved it. There were so many exciting things to do that didn’t involve staring into a screen of some kind (well, maybe the TV but we only had three channels back then).
@@thomasschellberg8213And when it's not that, it's glued in front of a screen unless you were lucky enough to be born in the country.
I've noticed this too. I feel bad for the new generations growing up with social media. Who knows what impact this will have on society in the long term! I feel privileged to have grown up in the 90s!
I was born in 78 so many of my best memories are through the 80’s up til maybe the mid 90’s. Everything really started to change drastically after that. Technology was creeping in and then went full steam ahead in everything. The fun that was associated with tech was short lived for me and very expensive when I think back on it. Over the past couple of months I have really sunk into a depression over how miserable things are now that everyone is glued to screens, instant gratification, and accumulating “likes” to brag about your worth. Today I went out for a walk. I’ve been outside for almost three hours now by myself but it still isn’t as fun as it used to be. Every car passing me has a person on the phone. Every store I pass has print advertisements telling everyone to download their apps and get special “online only” deals. I want a deal in store because I don’t want another app and I have cash in my hand.
It’s all just a mess and we are headed for a big dystopian nightmare I’m afraid.
I was born the same year as you, 1978 and my assessment is similar. You're right, I always had the sense that the world changed drastically around 1995/96. To this day I kind of separate my life into two phases, before 95 and after. To people our age, it was like we really had the experience of living in two completely different worlds. The 90s in particular seemed like such a long decade in retrospect with the most change. The early nineties (1990-1994) felt radically different than the late 90s (1995-1999).
I agree. I think that’s what I’m really fighting with in my head these days. I’m physically living in 2023 but I’m trying my hardest to live in 1988.
it feels good to know that im not the only one who just craves a normal human experience. our addictions made us worse. but the other day, i felt good because i hung out with my family members(cousins my age). we got ice cream, went to the movie theaters, ate out. we ate ice cream outside sitting in the trunk of our suv with the trunk door open at night. so chill
an earned and well deserved nightmare indeed
Born in 83 and I agree with so much of this. Soooo thankful I had the childhood I did mostly free of technology. I went to get my hair cut the other day and just sat in the waiting room people watching. The other six people waiting didn't even realize I was there. Not one of them looked up for even a second from their phone and all of them had headphones in. Now we have Apple's Vision Pro and that's just the next step into this digital hellscape. One I refuse to take.
Going to rent a movie on a Friday night as a teenager. Smelling the popcorn as I opened the door, rushing to the Newly Released section, the place was packed. People stood around talking about what movie they wanted or what was good or not. Now that building is a boring cell phone store.
This is so true. II just turned 70. When I was around 16, I remember the thrill it was to go to a store and listen to music. You sat in a kind of bar chair and asked for a number of music. Earphones, the environment, everything was different from home. I was babysitting to afford an e.p and I bought second hand books at a lovely store. The owner of the store was always sitting reading in the middle of huge stacks of old books. Sometimes, he didn't even notice you. He often had a book or two for me on hand, because he knew my taste. - A lot of human contact has been lost with everything being so easy to get without even leaving your home. - From a dane living in Denmark. Love your videos, Nicole!
So true. Now I'm married with a toddler and our family loves ice cream. We've now made a choice to stop buying ice cream from the grocery store and go out to an ice cream shop and just buy one scoop each. Trying to make it a fun little moment and happy memory for our child
I am a late 70s-80s kid and everything you say was even more true then. Bookstores, record stores, malls, shopping districts, movie theaters, small concert venues, bars and restaurants were so much better before smartphones! Life had openings for novel things like you said talking to someone new.
To anyone who is a music fan, I strongly urge you take up an instrument, any instrument. RUclips is a goldmine of information. Talent is not required. Now, go have some fun, like it’s the ‘90s all over again. 🥳🥳🥳
I endorse this message.
Amen!
I don't use food apps either. Blockbuster was fun, like you said. I try to make my granddaughter's life spontaneous. We go the library, the park, play games, go for walks, etc. I want the next generation to love life!!
YES stay involved. Create a family life, no matter how simple. To be happy" Sometimes it isn't WHAT you do, but WHO you do it with."
I still remember getting store catalogs at home. Like 300 pages long! And you’d circle things or tab the pages and save up to get something. And when the day came to get that item you’d drive to the store to get it or you would use your rotary dial phone and talk to someone and order it. Then there was the wait for that item in the mail. There were no confirmation emails and tracking numbers. When it got there, it got there.
I still remember getting the *Christmas catalogs* every year as a 70s kid.
I would have it worn out in about a week.
My parents kept one from *Sears from '69* that I put out and flip through *every year ;-)*
I can still remember how it felt to dream about those toys etc ...
I remember my mom would get the call recording saying her package was ready for pickup. Either that or an actual notice in the mail. It was a HUGE deal to go to catalog pick-up to get your order.
Everything you said Nicole is so very true. I’m 80 years old and I totally appreciate your maturity about things and how you see the world and what’s going on. I love watching your videos even though I’m old, I can relate to a lot of the things you say.
So true Nicole. I'm just 50 yo and remember how much fun it use to be as a child. We spent most of our time on the outside finding fun stuff to do. Now these kids appetite/taste has elevated and they feel entitled with too many options.i prefer things slower and more intentional.
Millennial here.. and I remember the days of Blockbuster! You are so right.. we are just chasing for more and more and more because we arent living life with intention anymore, we're just living for INSTANT gratification- so all the "little things" (which are really the big things) just aren't as exciting anymore. I really enjoy your videos, they really inspire me to think deeper.
I loved Blockbuster. It was so special.
Also eating flying saucers ice cream sandwiches from carvel and playing in the pool till 11 pm in the summer
Yes going to Blockbuster was an event for me and my kids. Something we would look forward to on Friday nights . I'd let them pick out a kids movie (PG-G) and I'd pick out a "mature" one for Mom and me. Simple times, yet fun family entertainment.
Remember the popcorn too!
I don’t think it’s novelty, I think it’s connection. To ourselves, to others, to nature.
At 53, that’s my experience.
You made something click in my brain, that I couldn’t reach by myself. I knew something was deeply wrong, but I couldn’t get to the core of it. So I watched this three times back to back.
You’re right. You’re absolutely right.
I've cut so much social media, I do more stuff with my hands, talk with my neighbours. Everything is so convenient now, you don't need to anticipate anymore. Anticipation can be so satisfying, as well as great memories. Letter writing, on the phone with a family and friends. It's mostly visual now.
No novelty -- so true.
Life is more of a spectator sport, rather than something that uses all of our senses, and takes effort.
Everything is on line! No need to go out there and interact with anyone, ever. Feed the birds, walk with a friend and leave the ear buds at home.
Also a 90s kid, and 100 percent agree with you. In a way, it’s why I embrace frugality and minimalism. I do my best to leave out the things that don’t bring me value so I can make room for the ones that do. For example, I value watching movies and listening to music, so I still buy physical media (vinyl and criterion collection movies). It’s exciting for me to research, hunt down, and collect these items in moderation. Another place that gives me the sensation of new discovery is the library. I love going in there without a list and seeing what books and movies I find.
Living in the countryside and farming, with a monthly income of around $300, in a small country Serbia in the heart of Europe (but not EU).. my wife and I never had an opportunity to get bored, haha.
No TV for more than decade, nor car, just phone, internet and nature. And yes, we live the same similar life as any other people - hanging with our friends, going to buy everything else that we can't grow in the field, and we have our big events, like sitting on a bench with cookies and soda when we go into town to run errands and buy essentials.
Life is good. Minimal and frugal by default.. 🙂 .. and we don't need anything more.
Nice videos and topics, Nicole.
Your lifestyle sounds fantastic.
@@rosieposie9564 .. cool. Thank you! (.. and it is fantastic)
All so true!!! I think that all these conveniences are keeping us apart! The fact that I only sit with my kids to have a meal together is maybe around Thanksgiving ! Because my wife doesn't want to force them to leave their room! So they're all on antidepressant drugs ! What a huge difference from my childhood!!! Thanks Nicole!!!
I'm in my 50s and couldn't agree more. All the younger generation does is order online! I don't order food out and like you said, prefer going out for special occasions and dressing up. I have really been thinking about minimalism living more seriously. Love your channel
I have a full-time job sometimes working up to 58 hours. Same goes for my wife. We now for fun work part-time as security guards. Last night We pulled security for Eric Johnson ( Grammy winning guitarist) in Austin.
Everyone around me paid hundreds for tickets I was in the first row and getting paid.
😊
Gen X here. You are so right! Nothing feels special anymore when it's around you 24/7.
Ah the good old video store days. My now husband and I had no money when we started out, so going to the video store was an event in itself. It was a Friday night thing. We found a discount video rental place, so we'd spend a while looking through the videos, put our 79 cents on the counter and then go home and watch.
And "rent one/get one free" days were such a treat!
I totally agree with you about the music thing. I used to get a new album and POUR over the liner notes listening to every single song like five times until I picked my favorites. Now I'll just scan through to the songs that catch my attention. I've been trying to be more cognizant of that recently (like taking walks all week when the new All Time Low album came out and making myself listen to the whole thing all the way through before I picked my faves). But yeah, music still gives me that sweet sweet dopamine hit 🤣🤣🤣
I understand the music one. My new car we got in January doesn't have a cd player. I was driving it after I got and got a little sad. I was sad bc I no longer could buy a cd and put it on in the car and listen to it while driving. It dawned on me that I have nothing to listen to cds on any more😔
I have a little portable player I refuse to get rid of.
Honestly, I avoid Amazon at all costs. I prefer to buy things locally or direct from brands I trust online and that's only after I can't find it 2nd hand somewhere. I wasn't always like this though. It took a major life event that left me in a lot of debt before I was able to shed the haze of consumerism and convenience that is so prevalent in our privileged society and start living more mindfully and correct the course I was on. Thanks for another great video, Nicole.
It doesn't help that that company sets a new low standard for how poorly they treat workers. I think it's mainly the boomers that love Amazon. I don't like to hate on a generation but there's seriously something wrong with that one.
I'm cancelling my subscription!
You’re a superior person. Congratulations!
This video really struck a cord with me. I had so many adventures growing up in the 90s too. I feel like nothing is even allowed anymore. Okay, I'm exaggerating, but - really - three cheers for spontaneity.
Standing in line for a new album was a great memory! Thank you for all that you do!
I was born in 76. What you say is so true. Technology is really good for some things like medical advances but it’s negative for other things. I wish my kids had the opportunities that I had back in the 90’s
I'm 58 and an Australian, I love your channel! I have french and Italian heritage and from the food, traditions and philosophy on life I have absorbed a slow, mindful way of living. My enjoyment of what some may call mundane everyday activities has changed the way I think about my home, my career, the BS I no longer allow in my life and this has made for far more peace and quality in my life.
Well said. I totally agree (also as a 90's kid). I really miss Blockbuster & the other cozy video stores. Hanging out at the mall with friends. Riding our bikes to go get ice cream/go borrow books at the library. We would play outside carefree (no phones, no social media existed) just kids 100% enjoying ourselves. Summers lasted FOREVER because we anticipated them and when Summers came, we enjoyed them to the FULLEST and lived every moment present!
I am 63 yrs old. I remember the simpler times well. This made me cry I was so nostalgic for the 60’s and 70’s. again.
80's kid here. Even when I was too poor for a new CD, I would head downtown and buy a used CD. My friends and I had fun window shopping at the mall and going to movies. We would just chill out at each other's house on the weekend. My niece is 13. Her friends literally never hang out together unless they are in school, or if their moms plan a date. It's so weird. I was with my friends any chance I could when I was her age. I hear other parents saying that their kids just stay home with them too. It must be so depressing. I feel sorry for these kids. I have a 3 year old. I'm hoping I can show him excitement, and hope that he has friends like we had in the 80's and 90's.
Agreed with everything you said here! Cultivating the life you want has much more meaning today. I have an am/fm radio that is the only electronic running 24/7 in my house. I don't have cable or wifi. Once a week we go to a local thrift story or the library to find a movie for my husband's day off. Or we drive to the beach to watch the sunset. I do enjoy my turntable when home by myself. Which is usually my reward for getting house work done on the weekend. Although my son is now an adult, I raised him this way and I'm happy he plans to raise his kids similarly. Not all hope is lost. Have a great week Nicole!
I grew up when the Beatles were releasing albums. It was insane.
You’re 💯 percent right. People today just seem bored with everything. Back before all this technology life was fun. I miss being a kid, I was outside from morning until night. Always had friends and found things to do, never got boring. Life was good 😌
As a person born in 1965, I can 100% agree with you. How I miss going to the record store! And we don't have a bookstore where I live - I order all my books online, but it just isn't the same.
No bookstore? Where ru?
@@pennynickels5216 Tiny town in Virginia....closest bookstore is a 50 minute drive (which isn't bad, but my 20 year old car doesn't appreciate it much.) But I am hoping to move to Vermont in the next few years....Vermonters love their bookstores :)
what about a public library?
@@seltzermint5 We do have a really good public library system, and they can get you just about anything you want; not the same as going to a bookstore and browsing, though. The small bookstores used to have people who really were experts in their field. A lot of bookstore employees opened my eyes to writers I may have otherwise never heard of. (And tbh, even though I am out of room, I really love owning the books, lol.) I think the "browsing" is a big part of it - you can get lost in a good bookstore for hours. Great way to pass a rainy afternoon. :)
This is sooo true! The act of going to a CD store or video store was half the fun. It was an event in and of itself. While in the video store, I was picking what to watch but also anticipating the movies I would rent the next time. There's none of that now with everything available all at once. My wife and I don't even like the same things so now we watch our shows in different rooms. The digital age has created mass isolation. :(
Greetings from a Boomer with one foot in the grave! Modern times suck so bad.
I always have thought about this in terms of music as well; even if you bought an album that you end up not liking much, you would still KNOW it, because you spent money on it with the intent of appreciating it, and listen to the whole damn thing a bunch of times still. I believe there's still more value in having an intent of appreciation and not liking it in the long run than scanning through spotify or whatever and listening to the first 10 seconds of something to see if you like it. As a musician myself as well, gaining the knowledge of what you don't like about something is a pretty valuable tool to have in my opinion!
100% agree. I still have numerous CDs I never really liked. But I paid for them so I kept them and listened to them anyways 🤷🏼♀️
Sometimes you end up loving those albums you thought you didn't like because you gave them a chance. Nowadays, if people don't like the first 20 seconds of a song, they skip it. You entrenched yourself in the music because it wasn't such a commodity as it is now, it was a luxury.
@@crichards1986. Many albums were structured carefully to create a narrative. Listening to one track out of sequence could disrupt that flow. Growing up with limited funds, I would never buy new albums, but wait until something turned up in a second-hand store. Often the tracks that had instant appeal, became irritating after a few plays, and those other tracks that were less accesible, have become fiavourites.
I suppose that as much of the streamed music has to fit a narrow, but strict framework of what is deemed 'audience friendly', the excitement of stumbling over something unexpected has diminished...the algorithm decides what we are now supposed to like.
Online shopping and instant gratification with 'cashless payment' will be our downfall, as we sink deeper and deeper into personal debt.
I’m a kid of the 80’s and I remember getting excited when certain magazines would arrive. We’d get excited at movie trailers or mtv music videos. So much lost now.
I think you described the process of growing up. As an adult life is repetitive, mundane, disappointing, suffering, and death. Everything else is gravy.
I'm not quite sure why we have 2 mass school shooting a week in the US though. Unheard of when I was a kid , and walking 2 miles to school in the rain or snow or riding a bike without a helmet...lol
Gosh this was so interesting. Ive been feeling all these things lately. I remember when I was 15 my mom bought me the first Panic at the disco album and I didnt even care when she left me in the car to listen to it for over an hour while she ran into the store. I was so excited to sit there and listen to it and take it all in. Lately I've been just feeling so nostalgic for the past.I just feel like all I do is work and nothing is exciting anymore. Ever since the pandemic and then inflation I've just felt like what is the point to even get ready and go out. I cant afford to go out much anyways anymore and i'm frugal and trying to save money. Thankfully I've always been introverted and a homebody so I'm sure it affects other people even more than me. anyways....just the thoughts of a 30 something year old lol.
Well imagine...
Anyone got access to a TIME MACHINE???😂
I believe you hit a major point here. People aren't getting enjoyment out of life due to the overload of incredible ease of access to basically everything. I'm 63 and I loved going to the record store when i used to collect vinyl or even CDs. Music at your finger tips is just weird although as a musician , it has one advantage and that is ease of publishing your own music. But yes, I agree that things seem to have lost something until now I couldn't quite put into perspective . The world I grew up in is basically gone in many ways and I miss the fun in these things. Fortunately playing live music in the venues I play at is till basically the same.
Gen X here. I remember in the 90's in Southern California big bands would play at giant outdoor amphitheaters with huge lawns. You could get dirt cheap to free (with a canned food donation) for the lawn.
Hello- New Subscriber -Old Person Your perspective is very grounding. You are wise beyond your years. You have encapsulated what it has taken me over 60 years to really incorporate in my life in your short one. You chose to have a life of quality-which is refreshing. I hope you are proud of yourself. I wish your approach did not seem as novel as it apparently is, As I stand on the precipice of retirement I resolve to embrace the important things in one's life. Live slowly and purposefully. Find joy in the quiet moments and reflect. Enjoy your solitude. Thanks for the refreshing Sunday chat.
Well said.
Recently, I walked the isles of a 99 cent only store to check for sales as they are going out of business. I wondered as I took in some of the items why I had never bothered to look in the past. I always just go in for some gardening supplies a couple of times a year, check their produce section and out again. I think that sometimes we are so busy with life that we are not "in the moment" anymore. It was fun to shop. I actually picked up a few items that were not on my "need" list. They were just quirky and made me smile. I don't enjoy online shopping, it is a lonesome experience. Going to nurseries and looking at new plants that make me pull out my phone to google them for more info is fun. I have to stop and use all 5 senses when something is new- can't do that with electronics alone. I think it is the engaging of ALL 5 senses that makes things real, in the moment, enjoyable.
I know the feeling...as I age...many of the friends who had get togethers have moved or passed away...at my age...81...this is becoming an issue. The pandemic has destroyed many of the thrift/antique stores, estate and garage sales...gone! I lost two close lady companions...both who loved these places...may they RIP! I'm home more than ever before. I have no family left, as I was a single offspring...never married. Thankfully, I have great memories of the "good old days"!!
Just wanted to say, thanks for your comment 🙂
@@gradylucas5265 Thank you for your comments!!
I totally agree with you. I think it all leads to a lazy society because everything is convenient. Nobody wants to work hard for what they need and want. Nobody wants to put in the effort to accomplish things
I love your videos! Each and every one inspires me to live minimally. Thank you.
Thanks so much!
I understand what you mean, I think a lot of it has to do with age in general. I'm 44 and yes, I can recall when doing things like going to a video store or other mundane things (especially shopping related) like going down to the US to shop, etc seemed to matter. As things like Amazon and online shopping have taken over, I think there's just been a transition. One that I don't think is necessarily bad. These days I spend a lot less time doing aimless shopping and spend more time at parks, hiking, cross-country skiing, riding my ebike, etc. I like to take road trips out to places like Jasper National Park in Alberta. I seem to have more time for that these days because, like you said, I'm seeking novelty, but instead of seeking it in mundane errands and just aimlessly finding novelty in shopping and browsing, I feel that's shifted to more positive things since I don't spend time doing that stuff much anymore; like you said, everything is just ordered off Amazon. In some ways, I feel embarrassed by the things that used to feel like novelty: it feels like I was previously such a captive to Capitalism. In a sense, now that the joy of just anticipating what were in all honestly, mostly attempts by corporations to advertise to me products and services that I didn't really need, I'm now glad I don't feel novelty in their wares anymore. I feel I can seek more authentic novelty now than I could earlier. The abundance made me understand and I'm glad I no longer fetishize owning a ton of Vinyl Albums, or racks full of DVDs, or CDs anymore. It all feels like filler, and this abundance and "ho hum-ness" that you mention has been a blessing in that sense. It's snapped me out of a consumer mindset that I feel I probably had as a youngster. A different perspective perhaps. Cheers Nicole!
Interesting perspective, truthfully I enjoy mundane things like physical shopping and usually it is not just about things purchased but doing a simple fun activity with friends. I cannot do the big stuff that are more expensive and out of the way often like hiking or skiing. I think for most people lots of little accessible mundane things and activities brings novelty to life and take away daily boredom like Nicole found out. I also like my music in physical formats as I worry a bit about online supplies being cut off amongst other things.
Novelty, for sure! I’m 60 and so thankful to know how to appreciate it. Im trying my hardest to keep it alive for my 5 yo grandkids. It’s so sad to think about how kids now will probably never know what the hell we’re talking about😢
I totally agree with you on this. The thing I miss the most about the 70s and 80s (I was born in 1974) is the experience. Back then, even just looking in the toy store window was exhilarating, because you would never be able to have most of them, and you got to dream and use your imagination. Now I see a lot of young people who have everything, and they are completely brain dead. The future will not be a good one, and it will be because of abundance.
So many of my fellow 40 something friends DO NOT understand why I refuse to order groceries or takeout on an app. I feel you.
54 year old Gen X here, and you are spot on! The Blockbuster experience for sure. I also remember in high school how going to the record store in the mall on the weekend was the highlight of my week. I would spend hours browsing and discovering new music. It was an entire even when a new album was released from a band you liked - yes, we listened to music that were comprised of bands. Even just going to the mall to hang out, shop and meet other young people was an anticipated event. Roller skating and ice skating, too. I also remember when we only had small mom and pop owned movie theaters, and my friends and I would get a ticket to see one movie and when it was over, we would sneak into the movie playing next door. Also, concerts were pretty inexpensive back then, so I went to quit a few with my friends and siblings, not my parents - never with parents.
Yeah - exactly what you say. That's why I'm glad I grew up in the 70s, when it was still exciting when your favorite band released a new LP or went on tour. I often tell myself how lucky I am that I experienced those great times. Nobody can take that away from me. And when I put on one of those LPs today, it reminds me of the great time when I heard the record for the very first time. It's the memories that make me happy today. That's why I don't mind living a more frugal life these days.
People make life fun. Relationships makes life fun. Family makes life fun. Materials things just facilitates fun.
I'm soon to be 60 and when I was 15 I got my first job in the record department of a Robinson's department store in Ontario Canada. It was called The Circle of Sound - this was so long ago we had vinyl LP's and singles and we had cassette tapes and ..wait for it...we had 8 track tapes!!! This was the best job ever!!LOL I really have fond memories of that time in my life which lasted about 2 1/2 years. I agree with you Nicole - all this convenience has taken a lot of the fun out of everyday life. I still choose to do in-store shopping as I enjoy getting my own groceries.
I think the problem with society today is everything has to be bright, loud, fast and in your face. I don’t have Netflix or used a delivery app either. Born/hatched in the late 60s growing up in the 70s and 80s I remember having to work for my money(paper route or yard work for neighbors) to buy a new LP. The fun was riding my bike to the record shop which was 5 miles away and purchasing the new Talking Heads, David Bowie etc etc album. Buying the next Beatles album to complete my collection was always a good investment. I challenge people to slow down, take a walk leaving your phone at home. Stop looking at the IQ lowering and anxiety causing social media for the day. Have a cup of coffee and just stare out the window watching the squirrels causing trouble.
Route 66 an old highway that runs East to West but replaced by the super highway 40. When I was visiting Winslow, Flagstaff and other cities in Arizona that the old 66 ran thru all I could think look at all this cool cities and sites that people just drive by today. Instead of stopping at a mom and pop shop for food they go right to McDonalds(gross) or Taco Bell(yuck).
Bang on Nicole. I really try to not get tangled up in tech, have never ordered food delivery and very seldom eat dinner out.
My son is an elementary school teacher and said his kids attention span is 20 mins max. Technology is NOT our friend - it's fickle.
I'm 40 and oh my gosh I miss going to the record store and buying a CD, being so excited to hear the new songs and spend hours reading the lyrics and looking at every detail of the art work. Sitting in my room and listening to the record was an event. Now I just stream it on release date and think "Oh yeah, cool" and move on.
For a young woman, she is quite deep and sees the change that has been happening.
I would say she is very deep and most articulate.
I remember being a jazz fanatic at one time, in my 30s. It was using Amazon player, but I'd lie down, listen to the tracks, try to compare and differentiate, try to figure out who was playing what, try to relate it to the often hard and under-appreciated lives of the musicians. It was not effortless - it was a project and it was sometimes dry, but there were moments of elation and joy. Something about having/paying for the album gave it structure, and going back again and again to the same albums carved them into my heart. Now, music is just ear candy, noise, background. I feel I lost something.
As an 80s kid, I can definitely relate to this and I think you are spot on. Instead of simple experiences like going to the Blockbuster, we seek out these elaborate and pricey experiences and for WAY less enjoyment.
So true. I remember, for instance, long afternoons when rain was falling. i actually remember watching those raindrops and how they moved from the other side of a window. And i remember, in the late sixties, when we first got television, longing for that once a week show. Something my kids also experienced in the 90ties, as well all their fun activities in the nearby forest and farms.
All of which changed when we moved from a rural swedish community to a danish suburbain one. So many things have changed, and I have experienced, for instance, pupils astonished when I showed them REAL BOOKS and not only the internet versions...
I was born in 1959 and I also relate to your comments. Great channel. Good job.
So spot on. Can you imagine if this hits you as truth as a kid of the 90s, how much it resonates with me as a kid of the 60s😂
Back in your day bread was made with flour and water. Now it’s made of calcium propionate and it tastes like a plastic bag 😭
@@AccordingtoNicole so true but I’ve always made my own so I know what I’m getting 😂
Sad insightful true. I miss blockbuster era so much. Sometimes I go to the library to stroll movies but it’s just not the same. God I miss the 80’s 😢
I feel that. Like this 24/7 availability is something I am definitely too old for. I rather work or have fun. And the thing is the conversations on messenger services aren’t that much of a quality. Though I do think those deliveries have a reason. For example not everyone can walk so a delivery to their door could be a big help. Or ordering food when I am just too sick to cook. It really has gotten to a life without community
A life without community 🎯
Exactly!
@@AccordingtoNicole yeah because normally you have your community around you who does that. if you're sick your neighbour brings you a soup and asks if you need something cuz they are getting something at their groceries. now its in the cities where you know no one except your working colleges
"It's not the destination, it's the trip man". Your quote is the short version of my all time favourite quote by Amelia Earhart: "The most difficult thing is the decision to act; the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward."
Ughh you don't know how much I miss video stores!!!! I still have a collection of DVDs I cherrish them now ! I honestly have been bothered for a while now at how everything is accessable at just the swipe of a screen or click of a button! Im a kid of the 90s I also feel like music isn't valued like it was before. I remember when I went to my first rock concert it was like a huge deal this was in 2006 part of the excitement was traveling to the venue with my friends and we had picked out our attire and bought a shirt from the concert and a bandana which I kept for years afterwards. I even got the tickets laminated and kept that for years. I remember when me and my friends went to the concert we were talking about it for weeks I had a camera but it was a disposable camera and the pictures were aweful but I just remember enjoying the experience!
Yes I agree with you, everything used to be so much more fun, all this ordering food with apps and streaming etc etc is causing us to move less, we’re still hunter gathers and not living like that is causing bad things , physically and mentally
I miss video rental stores, they had a very particular smell that I can't really describe, but it added to the experience. I was thinking about something along these lines recently-I was purchasing a ticket for a concert for one of my favorite singers, & I got the ticket online. Super convenient, especially now as an adult with a job. But,there was something fun & exciting about lining up & buying a ticket, presenting an actual ticket, then saving the ticket stub as a souvenir. Getting a QR code in an email just isn't the same.
I've been saying for a long time now that we have way too many choices for entertainment, especially when it comes to streaming services. At first it was just Netflix and Hulu, but now every major studio or network has to launch their own streaming service. When you have so many options, it becomes exhausting and time consuming to even just make a choice. When I was a kid I didn't have that many video games, but I spent way more time playing the few games I had. Now as an adult I have way more games than I ever had as a kid, but spend way LESS time actually playing games. Sometimes less is really more.
CD’s in the 90’s we’re $16-$20 and usually only had 1 or 2 good songs on them. Hence why Napster got so big. It was the frugal solution to the issue
Also, I remember when Netflix first started in the UK.
It was mail order DVDs.
You'd get, like 4 rentals a month or something for your subscription and you'd go on their website and order the DVD.
You'd then post it back to them when you were finished.
Even THAT was slightly better than what Netflix is now
I’m one of those boomers with one foot in the grave,71 years old,I remember the old albums,looking at them while listening to the music.but I have Spotify and I love it,My music can go wherever my phone goes (everywhere) but you do make a lot of sense about our current lifestyles,especially the younger ones,when I was young (I walked barefoot to school etc..) if you had to make a phone call at work you had to ask permission and use the phone in the office! Good information on your videos!
I agree, especially since everyone is dying 'suddenly' 😮
As an older gen z adult now, (I’m just shy of 21) so I was born in the pretty early 2000’s, 2003 to be exact! My dad used to take me and my brothers (one older, one younger :3) to the local blockbuster in our upstate NY small city, and get a dvd of some sort of fun movie to watch :)) (usually a horror movie because my dad was cool Lol) and I have many of these fond, and common early 2000’s childhood memories. The comparing notes about the cds of music with your friends, the playing outside, the excitement of getting a gift of a new fun thing on my birthday or Christmas. I hear people say that “gen z is the first generation to grow up entirely with technology” and that’s not REALLY true. I didn’t get my first electronic, until I was 10, and it was an iPod with the ORIGINAL RUclips icon and all lol, and my first phone, was an original iPhone 6, at like 12 or 13, so for a good majority of my early life, all I had was the occasional cartoon on the living room tv. I did not have technology until I was a teen, I didn’t have that soul sucking instant gratification of all of the uses of social media. Even then, when I did get social media at like, 14, Snapchat was still different even back then. Specifically the internet as a whole, and social media, are getting like more and more addictive and brain rotting because I SWEAR it wasn’t THAT addictive when I was 15, and I still did a ton of other things off of technology, like school, sports, I saw my friends still, I had hobbies like playing guitar and painting, hell even side hustles. Its wack
I enjoy your Sunday videos. 😊 It gives me a dopamine hit. I love your thoughts and value them.
Glad you've said it. I have been trying to communicate some of these things in every circle where I have a voice for close to twenty years. Ironically, to feed my family I ended up having to work in tech fields (programming, etc.) but I have tried to constrain the forces of continuous entertainment and non-stop 'novelty' in our household. We homeschool, we maintain a large book / vinyl / CD (physical media) library, and we make access to screen time (apart from my work) infrequent / high-threshold / slow-drip. We do our best to engage with the slower, natural world more often, including maintaining an organic garden. I am regarded as a Luddite among many I know, but whereas lots of folks I knew thought I was a bit crazy 10-15 years ago, I've noticed that many of them developed a lot more respect for me (and my family) in the last few years. No method is perfect but we have to be intentional and reflective concerning these things.
I love your videos! ❤ Not to sound weird, but I wish we were friends 😅 and could talk in real life because I relate so heavily to your interests and opinions! My remedy to this issue is like yours- make things an occasion, be present in the moment, slow down, and simplify things. In certain instances, I even try to do things like we did in the “old days” if I can. For instance, when my favorite musicians release a new album, I buy the physical CD (I love to listen with my Sony Walkman from the 2000s, which still works perfectly!😁). Like you said, an album needs to be heard and appreciated in its entire context- like a symphony.
I love all of the points/reminders you’ve brought up here and would love a part 2 that expands your thoughts even further if you have more to say on this topic! 😊
Totally. I hate “binge-watching”, and yet I’m guilty of it too. It used to be so fun to feel a sense of ANTICIPATION…
It feels like there is nothing to look forward to now.
This ! Couldn’t agree more , grew up in 90’s too and it was so much fun back then . The experiences , music , meeting friends and so much more . We were never really bored 😐 and the simplicity of life 🙌thanks
You're right. I can download an ebook when I want something to read, but I'd prefer to visit my public library, where I can borrow a "real" book, browse the shelves for the next good read, sign up for a book club, and chat with other library patrons about the titles they enjoyed. That's much more stimulating than tapping my iPad screen..
I loved music growing up. I'd walk miles to buy vinyl, tapes and CDs from my favorite underground artists. I'd listen to albums on repeat for months. Today I still collect old music. I sample it and make hip hop. One of my only enjoyments in life. I love going to the record stores and finding some gem that has a killer sample, or drum break. But I've lost all motivation for that. I've lost all motivation for everything. I used to love writing software for fun, reading and studying books all day and developing cool ideas. After 35 it got boring. I purchased a load of electronics gear to learn electronic engineering. Spent most of my savings on an idea I thought would put the spark back into my life. But I've lost interest for that. I'm on medications for mental health problems, and they numb the negativity, but they don't help much. Just make me sleepy. Once they kick in and the side effects lessen, I plan on doing me. And if I'm childish, or doing things people think is silly or pointless, then whatever to them. Growing up is a myth. It's only because we have to work 9 to 5 to survive that we need to be in this sate of "professionalism". Thanks for your video.
Love what your saying. Spot on. Ive thought the same, convenience is killing the joy in life.
In the winter, I do movie nights once a week. A few days before I pick out a movie I haven't seen. Then when movie night comes I make a tub of popcorn, grab a soda, turn out the lights. That makes it more like a theater experience without the cost. It lso makes it more fun. So you can still do things to increase the funness of some things.
I grew up in the 60’s and a was a teenager in the 70’s. My family did not have much money. We made everything. We stayed at home in a house that had only 2 TV channels. We had to play outside when we were young and we loved to participate in sports. We did not take lavish vacations. We did not go shopping unless there was a need. Each of kids got a small allowance for doing chores at home and for maintaining good grades on our report cards. I did not appreciate this lifestyle at the time, but I sure do now!!! I intensely dislike everything about convenience and instant gratification!! I like to cook healthy food from scratch. I don’t have any of those apps that you mentioned, and I never will. I make hand-made or home-baked gifts for friends and family, and they love it. I have satisfying hobbies that expand my brain and my skills. I have been a high school teacher for the past 36 years, and I can honestly say that although I love being around youth and I love teaching, I am worried for this younger generation who seems to be constantly plagued by tech addiction, anxiety, and depression. I agree with all the points you have raised in this video. Well done, and thank-you. Ⓜ️ary🇨🇦
This is the second video in a row that pointed out Blockbuster as a third space and I agree. Blockbuster was one of the only really good parts of my childhood.
I bought my first CD at the age of 13 on a school tip to Verona, Italy. It was a ginormous record store. It was the Metallica Black Album. My friends recommended this. I listened the heck out of this thing before I even considered buying another one. This was over 20 years ago, but I remember it like it was yesterday.
I grew up in the 70s/ 80,s listening to my parents albums looking at the cover art and reading the liner notes.
I’m 52 & I totally agree with everything you said.
Your essays are wonderful. I enjoy sitting back and absorbing the message.