If you were transported back in time to the 1950’s, what would you miss the most? What would you miss the least? The 1950’s may not seem that far in the past, but life was still very different from today. This decade was one of general prosperity despite the constant threat of nuclear annihilation from the Cold War. It brought about the rise of rock n roll music, suburbia, and television.
For me, I would definitely say that I would miss my family most of all; you can’t replace family. But, that isn’t the 1950’s fault, so I am going to look at this from a lifestyle perspective. Therefore, what I would miss most would have to be the internet and everything that comes with it. I don’t just say this because of online entertainment like various video games and streaming services. No doubt, I would greatly miss those things, but what is more important to me is that the internet offers a treasure trove of information and opportunities.
Today, it is possible to learn practically anything off of the internet through videos, articles, etc., but back in 1950 this obviously would not have been possible. It would be far more difficult and annoying to learn anything because you would have to either find a physical book or a person to teach you. For me, I know it would not have been possible to receive the unique, libertarian education that I am so proud of without the internet. I shudder at the thought of only ever going to the glorified prisons know as public schools. This makes the internet very valuable to me.
In addition to everything you can learn on the internet, it also opens up many opportunities to make a living from home. I will be the first one to admit that I am a homebody, so I love this idea. There are so many ways to make a living online now-a-days. You can work on websites, sell stuff to strangers on eBay, create videos, do graphic design, the list could just go on and on forever. The internet is an invaluable tool for entertainment, learning, and for even making a living, which is why out of all the technology we have today I would miss it the most.
What I would miss the least is much harder to answer. Most of the things I dislike about today’s world were similar back in the 1950’s. But, if I were to choose one, then it would be all the new technologies the government has for surveillance, indoctrination, and attacking the people. Today, we are surrounded by cameras that watch our every move. Our location is always being tracked by our phones (even if location services are off). The television spits out endless amounts of propaganda. And, toxic chemicals are being rained down on us every day from geoengineering. Everything is monitored today and I am sure it wasn’t much better in the 1950’s. But without the advances in surveillance technology I think life with the government would be far better.
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