Welcome to the future! It's the time that we all dreamed about as kids, when everyone has a computer in their pockets, you can have telephone calls face-to-face on camera Jetsons-style, and robots rule the world. Just the other day, I casually told a box on my desk to empty the robot my cats poop in while having a conversation with an artificial intelligence engine on my phone.
Which makes it even more remarkable that some items not only still exist, but are still widely used. We're stunned that these retro things haven't gone the way of the dodo bird. In fact, many are still fairly commonplace.
1. Landlines
Gone are the days of yelling, "I'll get it!" and racing through the house to be the one to answer the phone. I avoid answering my phone at all costs — unless somebody texts first to tell me they're going to call. Can't do that on a landline.
2. Phone Booths/Pay Phones
Speaking of phones, since most people are walking around with at least one phone in their pockets, it seems improbable that phone booths would still exist, but they do. I saw one on a recent trip to Arizona — all the better for shady individuals to make untraceable phone calls and Superman to pop in for a quick change.
3. Answering Machines
Remember trying to make cute and clever outgoing messages for all those calls you missed? How about the anticipation of who might've called you every time you saw that blinking red light? Now, I don't want to know. How dare somebody call me?
Also, most phone carriers have some kind of voicemail, and I don't know about you, but I haven't bothered with an outgoing message in years. But answering machines are still available for those who love getting messages and want to do it old school.
4. Fax Machines
When was the last time you needed to fax anything? And yet...
5. Cable Television
At my hosue, we figuratively cut the cable many years ago, and we haven't missed it, so I was surprised when my son moved into a new apartment that offered cable TV as an amenity. I grew up in a time of appointment TV, where everyone gathered around the box to watch some show or another and then talked about it all day the next day at school (or the office). Today, with so many streaming options, you can watch what you want when you want, often without all those commercials you're stuck with on cable television.
6. TV Antennas
As a kid from the 70s, I have vivid memories of foil-topped antennas that we constantly fiddled with to get reception. We stopped needing them when cable TV became a thing, so it's surprising that they're actually making a comeback. With so many people streaming, people are turning to antennas to tune into local programming — aluminum foil optional.
7. MySpace
It was an early entry to the social media game, but MySpace was quickly overtaken by the newest, latest, and greatest. Surprise, surprise. It still exists as a music and media discovery platform. I wonder if Tom is still everyone's friend.
8. AOL
There are a lot of retro websites we can't believe are still around (hello, LiveJournal), but AOL is the grandaddy of them all. Back in the day, dial-up services like AOL and Prodigy were like the internet with bumpers... you could go online but stay within their unique ecosystem without ever heading out into the greater information highway. You may be surprised to know that AOL's discontinuation of dial-up services is shockingly recent — shifting away from it in 2025.
9. Daylight Saving Time
So much to say about this one. But do we really need it? The twice-annual time shift disrupts sleep schedules and messes with your circadian rhythm. This might be a hot take, but it's time to take a page out of Hawaii's and Arizona's books and finally stop this nonsense.
10. Cassette Tapes
I'm from the 80s, so I've had tons of my favorite jams eaten by cassette players over the years. Which is how I know that, in spite of their retro fun, cassette tapes are probably the worst medium for music. Still, artists like Taylor Swift are releasing albums on cassette. Just get ready to have your pencil ready, because at some point, you're going to need it to wind yards of tape so you can keep your tunes intact.
11. Gender-Based Toys
Girls can (and often love to) play with trucks. Boys can and do enjoy dolls. Can we finally stop trying to cram playthings into gender-based norms? Please? (P.S. Coloring something pink doesn't automatically make it a girls' toy.)
12. Obnoxiously Loud Appliances
When I was a kid, you used to be able to hear the dishwasher running, no matter where you were in the house. Today, I can stand with my ear pressed up against the dishwasher and still not be sure if it's running because it's so quiet. So we know the technology exists to make appliances quieter. Isn't it time we used that tech to bring peace back to our homes?
13. Nylons
I hated nylons back in the 80s when everyone wore them, so it was liberating when bare legs became a thing. So do we really need these torture devices? I say no!
14. No-Show Socks
These are the most annoying of all the socks. Sure, they don't show. But they also don't stay put and wind up bunched up in your shoes. It's time to finally stop the madness and proudly let our socks show.
15. Low-Rise Jeans
For a while, low-rise jeans were the only jeans you could get, but then cooler heads prevailed, and mid- and high-rise jeans started to make a comeback. But guess what's in style again? My muffin top would like a word.
16. Women's Pants Without Pockets
We need pockets, y'all.
Still Going Strong After All These Years
We live in a time of rapid advancement — so much so fast that every year I vow to finally let technology pass me by (I can never bring myself to do it, though). So it's equal parts inspirational and surprising to see some stalwarts standing strong, no matter how outdated they are.
