Back in the day, hydration didn't come with a filtration system, a pH balance, or a BPA-free label. Boomers drank straight from the garden hose in the backyard—sometimes after running around for hours without sunscreen, supervision, or snacks. Was the water a little warm? Yes. Did it taste slightly of metal, plastic or rubber? Probably.

We rode our bikes without helmets. I don't recall them even selling helmets back then. We zoomed down hills, built sketchy ramps from plywood and bricks, and co-existed with cars and trucks far more than cars and bikes do these days. Broken bones were no more prevalent. and neither was road rash. I guess we learned how to fall off a bike without injury.

Boomers didn't have GPS tracking or other technology. We got dropped off at the mall or park or someone's house but usually we just walked there. That was it. "Be home before dark" was the rule. And somehow we made it back. Nowadays we track packages, food deliveries, and each other down to the minute and with pinpoint accuracy. Boomers learned how to navigate, manage time, and trust instincts.

Other (please specify)

Not Applicable

We had to wait to hear our favorite song or the latest release from our favorite artist on the radio. Then we had our cassette tape in the player, finger hovering over "Record," just waiting for it to come on. No Spotify, YouTube or replay. Sometimes you'd miss the first few seconds. Sometimes the DJ would talk over the intro. Sometimes someone would walk in while talking and ruin everything. Now a Gen Z teen can have it downloaded in three seconds flat. We didn't expect convenience but learned about patience. The kind that made music feel worth some effort to get.

We used paper maps and got badges for learning how and didn't get lost. These were accordion monsters that took up half the front seat and part of the skill was folding them up again. No risk of distracted driving - you had to pull off the highway to use one of these. We learned to read north, measure distance, and remember landmarks. We learned how to be a navigator and translate what we saw on the map so that the driver (our dad or spouse or current flame) could get us there. We also learned to enjoy the places we accidentally ended up going to. Today, GPS is so ingrained that even a one-minute detour can send people spiraling. Too bad if our trip takes us somewhere without a phone signal.

We could make mistakes or say dumb things without the internet documenting it forever. We got to mess up in private. We could wear terrible outfits, say dumb things, or try weird trends without worrying it'd go viral. We could have political or religious views and then change them without this ruining our current or future careers. Today's teens experience the anxiety of being watched or evaluated online. We didn't have that pressure. We could experiment and fail in obscurity.

Other (please specify)

Not Applicable