Circa 1988, I seriously remember sitting by my Emerson 2-cassette jambox with a blank tape loaded and the Record and Pause buttons both pressed, just wishing and waiting for NKOTB's "Hangin' Tough" to play so I could record it. Luckily, it played on the radio about every 10 minutes, so I didn't have to wait long. And I would play it, and rewind it, and play it again, and rewind it, and play it again and again and again.
And let's talk about movies. We had a VCR that was about as big as my current microwave. You remember...it was the one where the tape was loaded and removed from the big door that popped out of the top of it. Yeah, and there was no remote control. You had to get your butt off the couch and hold down the rewind and fast-forward buttons while estimating how long it would take to get to your favorite part of the movie. Then, push play and try to remember if your favorite part is before or after that part. You know what I'm talking about....
I remember dropping off film and being so anxious for 3 days until the photos come back. I remember calling my friend's house over and over and getting the busy signal because her mom was yapping. I remember adjusting the rabbit ears on my grandma's TV. I remember when Nintendo's Duck Hunt was the bombdigity. I realize my older readers can totally outdo all these stories. I know, I know. You only had 4 channels and they were all in black and white and you only had one TV in your whole house and you had a party line. Moving on.
Full disclosure: Sure, I plunder many riches of the digital age. I love that I can record my shallow, guilty pleasure reality-shows and watch them later when nobody's there to judge me. (Dear Kris Jenner: Thank you for whoring out your daughters for my entertainment.) But my kids are already disgustingly spoiled by today's digital goodies. They instantly demand, "I want to see!" when their picture is taken and have no clue what "film" is. They're mad if they have to sit through a commercial because whatever they're watching is actually on live TV and not recorded on DVR. They demand "another one time" while I'm driving if they like the last song played on the iPod. Even my youngest, at 2 1/2 years of age, can efficiently navigate a DVD scene selection menu to get to her favorite part or pause live TV using the DVR remote while she goes to the potty.
My point is this: I wonder, given the rate we're making all of these advances, where technology will be by the time my kids have kids? Will we all be like those people in Wall-E? Floating around dumb, fat, and happy in our virtual-reality hover chairs that feed us, entertain us, and wipe our butts? I mean, really. Where does it end? Don't get me wrong. I'm not ready to toss my laptop and flatscreen and live an Amish-ish life; I'm just sayin'...
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