Here’s a fun and easy one: In the consumer society of post-World War II America, nothing helps date a community like its memories of technological innovation.
Our reminiscences about mimeographs and Dymo label printers and vinyl records have been powerful reminders of the lost world we grew up in. Spankin’-new San Diego in our youth was a land of early adoption, but I bet most of us can still remember the novelty of seeing our first:
- Pocket calculator
- Video game
- Microwave oven
- Cell phone
- VHS system
- CD player
- Personal computer
- Cable TV broadcast
And maybe even our first color TV show, photocopier or portable cassette recorder.