The generational divide between baby boomers and those who have succeeded them has been made clear as we have moved into the digital age. Many changes are happening fast, like these 18 things that will no longer be in use after the baby boomers have disappeared.
Encyclopedias
With the rise of the internet and its various search engines, the days of the encyclopedia are already numbered. People no longer have to take a trip to their local library to get the answer to any burning questions they may have, as Google is on hand to tell them within seconds.
Traditional Banks
Online banking has put an end to the need for physical bank branches, with many of them closing their doors across the United States. After the baby boomer generation is gone, there will be even less need for them, with the younger generations more prone to handle everything digitally.
Cash
Vendors in the United States are realizing that the country is quickly pivoting toward a cashless economy, with physical methods of paying likely to die out very soon. A study by the Pew Research Center suggests that 41% of Americans will not use cash at all for any of their weekly payments before long!
Paper Tickets
Train companies, airlines, and leisure companies are already moving their ticketing systems to digital platforms, with access to paper tickets usually limited. This is both better for the environment and better for the consumer, as the risk of losing their ticket is slashed, which is super convenient!
Printers
As you can imagine, with documents being sent via email and other transfer apps, the need for printers has rapidly declined. Their bulky, noisy presence will soon no longer be felt in offices across the country as we move away from the use of paper. Praise the lord!
Print Media
Newspapers and magazines have been almost completely replaced by online publications, with the internet provoking one of the largest transformations the media industry has ever seen. People no longer have to wait until the next day’s edition to find out the news, so say good riddance to newspapers once the boomers are gone!
Retail Shopping
After baby boomers, heading to the mall may no longer be a thing as more people continue to favor the convenience of online shopping. Retailers such as Amazon have pushed the U.S. into a service-based economy, with less money to be made with physical stores. It’s sad to see malls become derelict.
Linear Television
The baby boomer generation loves watching television every day, consuming whatever their favored TV channel puts in front of them. Meanwhile, younger generations seem to favor having control of what they watch, opting to use streaming services instead. CNBC even claims that traditional television is losing millions of subscribers every year!
Movie Theaters
The local movie theater was the hangout spot for the baby boomer generation in their heyday. That is partly because they didn’t have elaborate home entertainment systems that projected the latest movies on large TVs, naturally leading theaters to, unfortunately, die a slow death.
Voicemail
The decline of voicemail isn’t helped by how clumsy it feels to use and how long it takes to hear the message you’ve been sent. Its main demographic is older people, who are still used to leaving messages after the tone on their landline phones, much to the amusement of millennials.
Phone Books
These days, all the phone numbers you need are stored in the small device in your hand, eliminating the need for humongous, clunky, space-invading phone books. With paper on its way out in general, phone books are unlikely to survive the next decade. We’re sorry, but does anyone actually care?!
Teleshopping
With cringeworthy hosts trying to sell you cheap-looking jewelry, teleshopping channels looked as though they should have been removed from the face of the earth long ago. However, the older generation is somehow still propping them up, but likely not for much longer.
Religion
More young people are being turned off by religion, whether because of a rise in scientific understanding, church-based scandals, or a general lack of interest. As NPR points out, less than half of American adults say that they are part of a religious congregation, which would have shocked church-goers in the past.
Banking Checks
If cash payments are on their way out, checks have no chance. Kept in circulation by a handful of elderly people, many youngsters won’t even know what a check looks like, let alone how to use it! It’s simply antiquated; there’s no way checks will still be around in 10 years.
Owning Things
Subscriptions have hit their peak, with almost everything requiring a monthly payment these days. Sometimes, you can even order a pizza and pay it back in monthly installments! It seems we are long past the point of owning our own things, which we think is concerning, but it’s undeniably the future.
Smart Dress
Whereas baby boomers will dress smartly for almost any occasion, the younger generation has turned this mindset on its head, opting to dress casually for formal proceedings. Suits are often accompanied by trainers, if worn at all, with ties and pocket squares a thing of the past. We think that’s for the best.
Landline Phones
Almost every household in the US used to have a landline phone. They were vital, as there was no other instant way of communicating between households. However, they are now rapidly disappearing from homes worldwide, with The Washington Post reporting that 73% of US households no longer own one. Smartphones have fully taken over!
Pictures in Frames
Lastly, with very few people owning printers and a lack of desire to own physical copies of anything, having pictures in photo frames is looking like it’s on its way out. These days, people’s lives are documented on social media sites, so once the baby boomer generation leaves us, so will their photo frames. That’s sad to consider.
Up Next: 17 Things Men Start Doing After 50 That They Never Did Before
As the years go by, many men find themselves changing. In fact, when they reach the age of 50, they may start having a different behavior and habits, distancing themselves from their younger selves. Here are 17 things men begin doing after 50 that they never did before.
17 THINGS MEN START DOING AFTER 50 THAT THEY NEVER DID BEFORE
17 Reasons Why Men Refuse To Date Anymore
The dating game is hard enough when everybody wants to do it, but it’s even harder when men give up on dating altogether! Men might be taking a break from dating for many reasons, such as the following 17 examples.
17 REASONS WHY MEN REFUSE TO DATE ANYMORE
17 Household Items That Are a Complete Waste of Money
In our homes, we accumulate many items over the years, even if we don’t need them. Not surprisingly, many people want to become more minimalistic, reconsidering the amount and types of household items they have. Here are 17 household items that are an utter waste of money.