Explaining the dial-up modem sound to my kids felt like describing a dinosaur.
By @maekindof · Nostalgia
They kept asking why the internet had to 'make a phone call' first. It's wild how much tech has become invisible magic to them (and how old it makes me feel).
The full story
I was trying to explain the sheer, visceral PAIN of someone in the house picking up the phone and kicking you off AOL while you were in the middle of a chat. My son (he's 10) genuinely could not comprehend a world where the internet wasn't just... constantly on. they asked if the phone "sounded sad" when the connection broke. It's honestly funny, but also makes me feel ancient trying to explain the concept of a busy signal. It's like trying to describe what a VCR was and why you had to "be kind, rewind."
How people voted
- Facts — 32% (45 votes)
- Depends — 41% (57 votes)
- No Way — 27% (38 votes)
Readers are split: “Depends” leads with 41% — 140 votes and 5 comments so far.
What people are saying
@nick — My nephew found my old Walkman and asked me why my phone was so fat.
@yaraagain — I feel like a 10 year old would have lost interest and walked away halfway through this explanation.
@huhokay — You should randomly unplug the wifi for 15 seconds and yell 'SOMEONE PICKED UP THE PHONE!'
@sam — lmao
@ashlol — Welcome to the museum. We're the exhibits now.
Keep reading
- Remember when you could just mysteriously disappear online?
- Remember trading snacks at the lunch table in school?
- I still think about the Scholastic Book Fair like it was the Met Gala.
- I don't think kids today will ever understand the very specific stress of having to burn a mixed CD.
- My kids don't understand the magic of a Saturday morning cartoon block.