Are We Old?! Growing Up Before the Internet, Lost Childhood Memories & What Comes Next | BBN Ep. 32

Episode 32 lands on Kyle’s 33rd birthday and somehow both BBN hosts had their birthdays fall on Sunday, the exact day we chose to record this show. What are the odds?Before the birthday nostalgia begins, we crack open the Global Trash Can Report.Ukraine is deep-striking Russian infrastructure, Gaza is devastated, and the Iran conflict remains trapped in another apparent stalemate. We question rumors circulating about conditions aboard U.S. aircraft carriers before finally getting some potentially GOOD news: North and South Korea discussing reducing tensions.After more than 70 years under an armistice, could we actually see movement toward lasting peace?Then China gives us an AI use Kyle can finally get behind: robots being deployed for dangerous emergency-response jobs like firefighting.Trash can closed. Set it on fire.After a Dubby Energy break, we're going back in time.If you grew up in the '90s or 2000s, this episode is for you.Dial-up internet. AOL. AIM. Internet minutes on CDs. Family computer rooms. MySpace. Burning CDs. MP3 players. iPods. The Zune. Sketchy LimeWire downloads that gave the family computer every digital STD imaginable.Remember buying an entire $20 CD because you liked ONE song?Or carrying a portable CD player while riding your bike and hitting one bump that made it skip for the next two miles?We reminisce about recording songs off the radio, custom voicemail greetings, bootleg gas-station DVDs, memorizing everyone's phone numbers, and the lost art of making the perfect burned CD for the girl you liked.Then smartphones changed everything.Every teacher told us, “You won't always have a calculator in your pocket.”Well... turns out we got a calculator, camera, GPS, calendar, encyclopedia, music library, television, computer, and your mom's phone number in there.But did all that technology actually make us smarter?After a Deemed Fit break, the nostalgia continues.Blockbuster.Weekend trips to the video store. Late fees. Physical video games. And the days when $20 could actually buy you an entire night of entertainment.Now it feels like stepping off the porch costs $100.That sends us into inflation, grocery prices, gas prices, the declining purchasing power of a dollar, and modern gaming—where $79.99 gets you a download that consumes half your hard drive instead of a physical copy you actually own.Who remembers 1-800-COLLECT?Kyle eventually gives Nick the official “Are We Old?” test.The verdict?Yeah... apparently we're old. 🤣But we're also incredibly grateful we grew up during one of the strangest transitions in human history: childhood before the internet and adulthood completely surrounded by it.We experienced both worlds.So put the phone down sometimes. Go somewhere. Make memories. Be stupid with your friends. Experience life firsthand instead of watching it through a screen.Those moments don't come back.We've seen what changed during our first 33 years.What will the next 33 look like?Thanks for spending Kyle’s birthday with us.Stay curious. Stay skeptical.Don't outsource your thinking.🎧 Listen: https://bit.ly/BBNpod📲 Follow BBN:Facebook: https://facebook.com/thebbnpodInstagram: https://instagram.com/thebbnpodX: https://x.com/thebbnpodYouTube: https://youtube.com/@thebbnpod📩 [email protected]⚡ SponsorsDubby Energy — 10% OFF with code BBN👉 https://www.dubby.ggDeemed Fit Apparel — 15% OFF with code KYLESLOMINSKI👉 https://deemedfit.co⭐ If this episode brought back some memories, tell us one thing from your childhood that doesn't exist anymore. Like, follow, subscribe, share BBN with a friend, and leave us a review on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. It makes a huge difference for a small independent show like ours.