In the 00s, we were given new technologies at a pace that had never been seen before. Mobile networks were enhanced, the Internet brought us YouTube and new entertainments were introduced. Besides the phones getting faster and far more clever than computers just fifteen years their junior, household appliances became intelligent and we began talking to them. Many years ago, talking to AI was a dream. It was a Sci-Fi attribute, blasted with nostalgia for a future that we didn’t really expect.
The 80s had it’s own boost. Computers, consoles and TVs all increased in their perfection. By today’s standards, they are somewhat archaic. Looking back, though, I see a growth that was far more important than the 00s. From the beginning of the 80s, we were given new entertainment, by the middle, we had mobile devices that kept us dancing without tethers, and best of all, by the end, handheld gaming was a real thing.
The electronics boost was something else and grew exponentially. A friend of mine got a first generation Nintendo NES. I remember watching her playing the first Mario Bros. game, and seeing how great this new tech really was. I was a music hoarder. At the time, I was happy with my Hi-Fi and Commodore 64. By the early 90s, CDs were the main purchase for music fans. When people were buying SNES machines, I bought my first CD player. Although this was the early 90s, it was a time that was born from the growth within the 80s. Post war, we were stil rationing and this attitude stayed around for decades. The 70s began the trend of growth in technology. By time the 80s arrived, we were ready to try new things and update our living spaces.
The small handhelds of the time were one shot gaming, but still fun. We saw the introduction of satellite TV, bringing MTV to the UK’s shores. The first mobile phones were being issued, although expensive, these bricks were a feat and began the desire to be accessible, everywhere. PCs began to be more capable and the public wanted them. No longer did they just sit in an office block, only used 9-5. We were playing games, writing a letter and sorting out our finances, all from the comfort of our homes.
My point is that the technology that we see today, the tecnhology that makes out lives easier, is a part of the growth of what came in the 80s. Although the speed in which this happened in the 00s was vast, and was a lot faster than the 80s, the utilities, themselves, are hashed from what we had, then. Bigger, better, faster and brighter, we have an amazing array of new bits to play with, but we should thank the 80s for their birth. Even the early iterations of the worldwide network that we use, today, began in the 80s (1983). It all begane in the 60s, leading to the early 70s creating a new network. The official start date of of the Internet is said to be 1983, with ARPANET being decommissioned in 1989. So here’s to spandex and Walkmans, where would we be without you!
