How has life changed in the past 💯 years? I can’t speak to the entire 100 years as I have only been around for the last 30 years. Even with that I can attest to some of the changes depicted by this SunLife Tool. SunLife are a one-stop shop for all sorts of insurance policies, UK residents would have seen TV ads with Parky. This tool looks at the following sections: Communication, Dating, Photography and Entertainment. The aim of this tool is to showcase all the life changes that have happened in the past 100 years.
Disclosure: This is a collaborative post between SunLife and A July Dreamer. All opinions shared about the tool are that of A July Dreamer.
How has Life Changed in the past 💯 years?
You don’t have to look further than your own home to notice how life has changed in your life time. Do you remember how you had to choose between having internet or your landline? Do you remember the annoying dial-tone you got just to connect to the internet? Or how about once upon a time, your mobile was only for calling and not the multi-functional device it is today. So many things have changed in all our lives but for the purpose of his article we will focus on the aforementioned areas.
Communication
I remember when sending letters was the ‘in thing’ to do as a teenager, we all loved writing to someone. I remember growing up in Zambia and having a pen-pal and waiting weeks for a reply to my letter. These days it’s all WhatsApp or text and done, no more waiting weeks for a response. Whilst I still use fax at work, I have never had to use a telegram how very vintage. Do you remember your first text message, your first email or your first mobile? We have definitely come a long way.
Dating
I feel like I could write a book on this because to be honest I miss the good old days. When I say the good old days I mean like in from 1930 all the way through to early 2000s. It would be nice to find a dude that wants to court you first than the current situations. Dating today is all about swiping left or right and hoping for the best whilst trying to filter out the weirdos. Honestly if I get one more D-pic I am going to become a nun as that’s where I am at. What happened to trying to get to know each other first?
Related: Being single on Valentine’s Day
Photography
I can’t remember the last time I used a wind-up camera or even went to go develop a picture in-store. Photography has come such a long way from developing films to smart phones. I still remember my first Fuji camera and the other ones after that. The best part was going into Tesco every Sunday to develop the films and seeing how you did. I remember half of the time my pictures were off colour or out of focus. Today it’s a whole new world, its snap, view, edit, and post or just snap and post.
Entertainment
Do you remember renting VCRs and DVDs at the movie store, does anyone do that anymore? How about a walk man, anyone remember walking around with one of those. Or having a cassette player and needing to turn the cassette to listen to the rest of the music. One thing I do remember growing up was always watching black and white TV and then moving to colour. These days we can not imagine not watching TV in colour, not playing music at will. Streaming is the new thing everyone seems to be doing of late, before it was about downloading files.
I definitely had some nostalgia moments whilst writing this post, I miss writing letters to my friends. Definitely miss the ‘old fashioned’ way of meeting someone to date and not just swiping right/left hoping for the best. I do not however miss waiting to develop my pictures nor having to turn the tape to listen to music. In the last 100 years Life Changed more than anyone could have predicted. I would love to think it has changed for the better, what do you think? Have a snoop though the SunLife tool and let us know what you think.
Laura @ What's Hot? says
I think the changes in the last 10 years are shocking enough! Kinda appalled that dating is now a matter of swiping right or left based on appearances!
Dana Brillante-Peller says
These are some interesting points. I couldn’t agree with you more on how different things are when it comes to communication. Although we’re more connected (and available) we don’t always make ourselves available to others, like family and friends.
Silvia Marquez says
So many things have changed! Dating is definitely one that is kind of frustrating and annoying.
Super Busy Mum says
Thinking how life has changed since I was a child baffles the life out of me enough – without going back further! x
Stephanie Merry says
I would say life has definitely changed for the better over the past 100 years. 100 years ago, I wouldn’t be doing the kind of job I’m doing or would even be able to own my own home x
Ricci says
Forget the last 100 years, life has changed so much in the last decade! I remember the fight over using the internet or the phone. And when passing notes in school was cool because no one I knew had cell phones.
Kristine Nicole Alessandra VA says
We had that console TV with sliding door covers! My first camera was a Kodak Instamatic where you had to buy flash bulbs! So many things have changed, but the thing I miss seeing in the young generation now is seeing them do some outdoor play. It seems like the kids today are more glued to their gadgets.
Kiwi says
A lot has happened even in 10 years. 15 years ago we didnt eve Instagram. I wonder even in 5 years what will be different?
Linda Hobbis says
I was born in 1964 so I have seen quite a lot of changes in those years. We were the first house in our street to get a TV and I can remember the first time I saw colour TV – couldn’t believe it.
Terri Ramsey Beavers says
I was born in 1986 and pagers were a popular thing. I remember my mom getting a pager for my brother and myself (i was like 10 so noone ever paged me haha) I haven’t seen a pager in like 10 years probably. Times have changed so much!
Neena and Nique says
I’m a 90s baby and i mean the phones that we used in middle school was not so advanced like these 21st century kids Honestly i miss the old days less social media struggle.
Hannah Marie says
I remember when I was in my high school years, my mom often asks me to have our pictures developed by a photo studio downtown which is so old school these days. I remember using a telephone exactly the same as above, a cellular phone that is chunky with antenna that you can extend for a better signal, transistor radio and a colored hunchback TV. How good it is to remember things in the past years.
Marxie says
A lot of things have changed indeed! I still remember my parents telling me stories on how they grew up without cellphone and that they only used letters/telegrams. It’s fascinating how far we’ve come!
Stephanie Pass says
It’s amazing how far we’ve come in just 100 years. I am glad I am already married and don’t need to swipe left or right.
Ophelia T says
There are so many things that have change in the last 100 years. Such as the way we communicate and advancement in medicine. Thanks for sharing.
Heather Castillo says
I love this so much! I used to love talking to my Nana about her childhood and compare it to mine. I can’t wait to see what times are like when I’m a Grandma.
Nicolette Lafonseca says
Before my granny passed i remember taking her to lunch and had this realisation that she was looking around in wonderment as we passed a video screen billboard admit hit me. How much the world had changed for her since 1922 it is mind boggling really
Cassandra Mayers says
Technology makes me sad sometimes. I love writin things down on paper. Something therapeutic about writing.
I remember I was making notes on paper and my ex was like.. why are you writing, why not type it into your ipad… I just replied. Why not write? I like to write.
Nayna Kanabar says
Technology has certainly come a long was and nowadays it has seriously overtaken our lives.I too remember having a pen pal in France and writing to her.
Bread // Queer Little Family says
So much has changed and so quickly too. My wife is a medieval academic and life was slow to change until the Industrial revolution.
Bex Smith says
It is incredible to think how much life has changed in the past 100 years – it even astounds me just how much things have changed from ten years ago too!
han says
Its really quite amazing, I remember using the family computer for educational games and my little brother practically has a little computer in his pocket!! and no expectation of learning haha. I can’t wait to see what the future holds x
Julie Ventura Plagens says
Such a fun post. I love the nastalgia. I was born in the sixties and can remember a lot of the things you were talking about.
Dee Jaye says
I do agree. I feel like communication especially has changed over the past few years. I feel like people have actually become less connected
Jessi Joachim says
A lot has really changed, and keeps changing and growing. It is exciting to see what is next to come
Marceline Dementori says
I cannot believe we’ve gone through so much change in the last 100 years. I remember struggling with the internet when people needed to use the phone! Lol. Also the flip phones!!! Technology is really fast.
Jenn @ EngineerMommy says
It is truly amazing how much has changed over the last 100 years. My husband is a history enthusiast and loves to look at how things change over the years.
NicoleAnderson|CampingforWomen says
The world has changed so much just in the last ten years. I worked for a Telecommunications Company and remember when the first Mobile phone became available, now everyone has one. I wonder however, if all of this new technology is having a healthy impact on our lifestyle. I like to go to a “no electronics” space at ;eat once a week.
Ali Rost says
So much has definitely changed! Technology has done so much to change the way we live especially through communication and, surprisingly, even through dating.
Joely Smith says
It is just mind boggling! I am in awe of how much things have changed in just my lifetime. Although that is nearing the 50 year mark lol.
Latoyia Dean-Dennis says
Yes, so much has changed. I love technology but boy oh boy does it make raising children a little more difficult. When I was growing up, I would play outside…blocks away and be home before dark. Can’t do that these days.
Sarah Bailey says
It is amazing just how quickly the world has changed in the past 100 years, I often wonder what people of past wouldn’t think if they looked at our world now.
Joanna @ Everyday Made Fresh says
So many things have changed, but one that I’ve really noticed is they way kids are. No more are they happy playing outside until it’s dark with the neighborhood kids. Now it’s all of them playing a game online.
Donah @ SJB says
Yeah I would say a lot has been changed. Technology has drastically improved!
Rebecca U says
Interesting point about the dating – I met up with a friend I haven’t seen for a while who is newly single and she was telling my all about Tinder etc and it blows my mind (having been with my partner before all of these apps were created). So bizarre!
Heather D. says
The art of the letter. I miss it too. Email is so impersonal and takes little effort. I love stepping back into the past.
Pam W says
I remember when writing letters was the thing to do. It’s amazing how far technology and society have come in the past 100 years.
Tomi_C says
I enjoy writing letters and every now and then I’ll pen a letter to a family member. Sadly much of my writing are digital except at Christmas time when I hand address all of my cards. It’s something I’ve enjoyed doing and I hope it’s a tradition my kids will carry on.
Patricia-Ann Que says
im so thankful that i grew in a generation when i get to experience both digital and non digital! the memories are just more nostalgic i think
Waren Jean says
A lot of things has change. For ones, we use to play outside as kids but kids nowadays are just in front of the TV or computer or ipad. Hence, the really high rate of Children obesity.
Amber says
Oh yes, life has changed A LOT. Even when was a kid, it has changed a lot. I remember being outside most of the time because we didn’t have cell phones and a lot of TV channels. 100 years ago would be intriguing…I would not have liked the corsets.
Terri Steffes says
I am appalled at the dating scene these days. It took me awhile to figure out what a D pic was. That is just unthinkable.
Candy Kage says
I can go back even further and remember when our family bought our first black and white tv. Who would have believed cell phones and laptops now. There were no remote controls.
Alli Smith says
I remember writing to my cousin/best friend when I was a pre-teen. We only lived 2-1/2 hours apart, but we wrote to each other on a regular basis. I found out a few months ago that she has the letters. I also remember watching black and white TV when I was a little girl and only having three channels instead of the 100’s we have today. Things sure have changed and I miss writing letters also.
Christy says
The amount technology has changed since I was a kid is staggering, and I often think how those who were born 70+ years must feel! And what things are going to look like when I’m 70!
Kacie says
I did a photography course at university and it’s unbelievable how much cameras have changed over the years.
Rhian Westbury says
I think technology is the biggest thing as so much has changed, more in the past 30 years than anything else x
Leigh Travers says
It’s crazy how much things have advanced, isn’t it? I remember reading somewhere that my generation is the last generation to really remember life before the internet, which is wild!
Anosa says
Very scary and very wild dear, shame my future children won’t know any of ‘the life before internet’