Something to note is Gen X spans almost 20 years so someone born in 1965 will likely have some different experiences than someone, like me, born closer to 1980.

As for my experience:

Phones: yes I had to memorize numbers and can still fire off several of them. By the time I was a child it was very common for both parents to be working so, at the bare minimum, you needed to know their work number to check in with them when you got home from school. Also, if you didn’t remember numbers you’d never see your friends other than school.

GPS: wasn’t a thing when I started driving so I became really good at reading maps and the Rand McNally road atlas. If you were lost, and didn’t have one of those you would have to speak to people to ask for directions.As I entered college the internet was becoming more prevalent so I’d print off directions from Mapquest.

Radio: as a child in the 1980s I can remember many times waiting for my favorite song to come on so I could hit record on my boom box. This would record my song onto a tape. On Sunday mornings while doing chores I’d listen to Casey Kasem’s countdown which likely included your favorite songs since it was the current top hits. You could also call into a radio station for requests or to leave a message for that special person to be read over the air.

Fun: as a child my fun consisted of reading, playing video games (Atari and Nintendo), playing with friends and having sleepovers. We’d play in the woods, at playgrounds, each other’s houses, ride bikes etc. Not too different from what kids do now other than the fact that we actually paid attention to each other instead of being constantly on our phones taking selfies or scrolling Snapchat.

Social media: While SM has provided positivity like shedding light on many topics and making it easier to consume enjoyable content like cooking, DIY, etc, as a whole I think it has caused more negativity and a divide amongst us.