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I was talking with my sisters recently about how we are raising our children in a completely different world than the one we grew up in. We arethe first (and only) generation of parents to straddle a life experience both with and without the internet and countless technology marvels. Our generation being the last with a low tech childhood and among the first of the truly high tech parents. Important to keep in mind when we help mold young minds daily- their reality is completely different than what most of us knew growing up.
So we were coming up with words/phrases that had little to no meaning just 15 year ago that are now commonplace. Please feel free to add any others you can think of!
Wi-fi hotspot
Going viral
Podcast
Tweet
Smart phone
Obamacare
KKCO
Selfie
FaceTime
Rear view camera
There's an app for that
Trending
Hash tag
ISIS
Autocorrect
Nine-eleven
Millennial
Linked in
Streaming
Paleo
Widespread use of text speak (LOL, BRB, OMG)
Follow me on [social media outlet]
I had a generational moment with my Allyson......we were talking about school and my phone rang and it said call from "Ronnie" she said is that really "Dad" (he and Niko trade phones now and then) I laughed and said...."Is it real or is it Memorex" and laughed. I realized looking at her blank stare that she had no clue what Memorex was.....so then I explained ....still that blank stare of non comprehension......and then I had to explain about Cassette tapes, eight track and Reel to Reel....sigh
I'm still baffled when I watch old movies and characters say their phone number is something like "Murry Hill 255". What the heck was that​ all about? Why did phone numbers have words in them?
Here ya go! Why Did Old Phone Numbers Start With Letters? | Mental Floss
I can remember reading some books (Babysitters Club) in elementary school and wondering why Claudia's number started with klondike (KL) 5.
YOLO
The idea has been there (presumably) but the terminology is new.
Yes, I very recently had to ask my child what this meant....ahhh, my kids keep me young. Without them I would be so incredibly out of the loop.
I never dreamed "I" would be a dork at the tender young age I am , but it's official according to my kids!
Oh well, I always ask them, "would you rather have a dorky, fun mom or a boring, serious one?"
They always choose the dork.
I remember when I got a CD of an old Pink Floyd album so I could hear it again, and my daughter saw it and said, "I didn't know they had a new CD out!" :: hums :: ".. I'll see you on the dark side of the moon ... "
This is the same kid who didn't believe the Beach Boys and such were ever not on CD. And Paul McCartney? The guy from, like, Wings? He was in another band before that?
from Tim McGraw's 'Back When'
Back when a hoe was a hoe
Coke was a coke
And crack's what you were doing
When you were cracking jokes
Back when a screw was a screw
The wind was all that blew
And when you said I'm down with that
Well it meant you had the flu
I miss back when
I miss back when
I miss back when
Yup, the black screen w/ the green graphics! And remember floppy disks, when they were actually floppy? Games that used a joy stick?
I had to explain "floppy discs, and 3.5 discs" to my kids. Oldest (16 yo) explained to me that "the trend is moving to cloud storage for everything" just yesterday.
Maybe the "cloud" is another word for the list.
The other day we were talking about types of cars/trucks and my son had no idea what a station wagon was. He's a teen, I haven't even hit 40 yet, but I was just amazed.My husband and I were also recently talking about that game "Oregon Trails" that we used to play in elementary school on those old huge Apple computers. I know my kids would have no idea about this. Even a phone that requires a base and cord is foreign to them.
Oh, please BMW, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo, Subaru, etc... still make and sell station wagons. Let's not get ridiculous.
Oh, please BMW, Mercedes, Saab, Volvo, Subaru, etc... still make and sell station wagons. Let's not get ridiculous.
I will be honest, I don't really know what a station wagon is, and I'm 26. I know it's a type of car, but I'm a little fuzzy on exactly what makes a station wagon a station wagon. I don't think I've heard anyone use the term "station wagon" since when I was in elementary school.
Using the term "wagon" in relation to a car is confusing to me anyway. A wagon is a little box with wheels that you use to carry yard tools and fertilizer in my vocabulary.
Esme12, ASN, BSN, RN
20,908 Posts
I remember years ago my Mom wanted TV with a remote control! The new thing (it was attached by a wire) My Dad replied..."Why would I buy a new TV just for a remote controller. I have three of them and they are called children!" I love that guy...miss you Dad...xo