Life r/AskReddit

‘What has gradually disappeared over the last 20 years without people realising it?’ – 23 little things you’ll miss when you notice they’re gone

There are plenty of things that have vanished for our lives which we have definitely noticed, for example having a sane leader of the free world, but there are many more that have slipped away without us registering them. Reddit user Historical_Trifle735 asked:

‘What has gradually disappeared over the last 20 years without people realising it?’

And received lots of examples of things, good and bad, that have sneakily faded away into the past.

1.

‘Red eyes in photos. My 5-year-old son saw an old printed photo of me from 20 years ago and asked why my pupils were red. Complicated to explain in a smartphone world.’
guitarromantic

2.

‘Inspirational boredom. The kind that has you seeking out new things. Now people just doom scroll and are unable to reach the trigger point that sets them off on new paths.’
Nervous-Masterpiece4

3.

‘Patience. Everything is instant now, but we’ve lost the art of waiting.’
homeworkguylive

4.

‘Biodiversity and a looooot of insects. I used to have the job of cleaning the windshield at the servo on road trips. Simple job now, there are no bugs on the windshield even after 800km.’
cadburycoated

5.

‘The ability to get lost. I used to print MapQuest directions or rely on actual paper maps for road trips. Sometimes getting lost led to the best adventures. Now with GPS, that sense of mystery and discovery is pretty much gone.’
Curvy-Darling

6.

‘Low pressure sodium streetlights- the night used to be dull orange.’
AggravatingSeason188

7.

‘Where I live: snow . When I was a kid in the eighties and nineties, we’d often get first snow at the end of November. And it could reasonably stay until April. And that wasn‘t even in the mountains.’
littlest_dragon

8.

‘Nuance. People nowadays just want headlines with zero detail, so they can generalise entire demographics with zero room for complexity.’
BeastMidlands

9.

‘Do they still make two door cars where you have to fold the front seat forward to let people in the back?’
Significant-Wash-629

10.

‘Decorum. The casualness of everything is too much, as we just allow PJs to be worn literally anywhere now and no one tells them that’s inappropriate.’
Tangboy50000

11.

‘Privacy. Tech companies know where you live, where you go, what movies and music you like, what did you purchased last month, the sports you like, the teams you follow, they even listen to your future plans. All in the name of targeted marketing.’
Notsoobvioususer