Podcast #32 of Millennial Z and Boomer X is about how entertainment for each generation has changed over the years. in the early 1970s to the present there have been massive technological changes providing a myriad of choices of entertainment for people, but it wasn't always that way. Boomer X recalls receiving a poor signal on the television, no nearby playmates or friends, no means of meeting up, no internet, no cell phone and entertaining himself with limited outlets or resources. Paradoxically, this creates a homogenous type of society and expectations with conservative views on acceptable activities while contemporaneously allowing more freedom due to fewer regulations and intervention by official government authorities.
While movies remain a viable form of entertainment, the availability of movies in the past is nothing like it is now. Movies in the past were more special, they weren't able to viewed on your phone from the cloud whenever and wherever you happened to be interested.
What became very obvious in the discussion is the lack of physical activity or movement, especially by children or teenagers, in recreational activities just for the sake of entertainment with friends or without. It seems that if their isn't an official group to join, people don't seem to play like they used to anymore, but remain indoors watching screens or talking to people through the internet, but not sharing the same space. Adults also used to be more active as a form of entertainment through hunting, gardening or fishing although most did not go to the gym in the 1960s, 1970s or 1980s. That culture didn't start to emerge until some time in the 90s, and didn't become popular or mainstream until the early 2000s, however, adults were more active with a purpose other than physical maintenance in the past.
A main fixture of entertainment before the advent of ubiquitous pocket computers connected to the internet and each other instantly was a pack of cards. Hundreds of card games had been invented and adults used to gather weekly or bi-weekly all over the country to socialize and entertain each other by playing card games together. You may hear about men getting together for "poker night" if the wife allows every once in awhile, but not often. And you rarely hear or know of a few couples that have arranged a continuing appointment to meet and play cards. Of course since the pandemic, people haven't gathered together but even just prior to it simply didn't happen.
Also, the idea of older teenagers working on cards and racing on seldom driven roads late at night is considered almost insane now for a number of reasons, but that simply goes to show how the economy, society and people of changed since that time. It was mentioned that seeing kids wearing a helmet while riding a bicycle in the past was strange and unnerving while today it's encouraged and required. It's even strange to see a child without a helmet on a bicycle today when you happen to see one. Mostly, only adults seem to be bicycle riders today when in the past every kid wanted a bicycle and rode it every day. Neighborhoods today rarely have bicycle riding children roaming the streets when in the past it was very common.
Millennial Z provides more perspective on the latest forms of entertainment in further discussion and Boomer Z offers his own experiences with varying forms of entertainment over the years. We hope you enjoy this podcast and please subscribe!
