What did not exist when I was a child

Technology

The Internet
Personal Computers
Video Games
DVDs
Color TV
Fax machines
Email
Cell phones
Digital video recorders
CDs
MP3 players
Digital cameras
Microwave ovens
Camcorders
Pocket calculators
Answering machines
Voice mail
Smoke detectors
TV remote controls
GPS
The computer mouse
Flat screen TV
HDTV
Plug-in phone jacks
Commercially available robots
Digital clocks
Set-top boxes
Satellite phones
DNA testing
Human genome sequenced

Medicine

Anti-depressant drugs
Bypass surgery
Soft contact lenses
Laser eye surgery

Material Culture

Stick-on stamps
Post-Its

Media

Cable TV
CNN
24-hour TV
Fox TV Network
Movie ratings
American Idol

Travel and Transportation

Amtrak
Car seat belts
Child car seats
Hybrid cars
SUVs
Bike helmets

Companies, Stores, and Brands

Amazon.com
Facebook
Starbucks
Microsoft
Google
Apple
EBay
Diet Coke
The Gap
Home Depot
Borders Books

Software Development

Databases
Java (programming language)
Ruby (programming language)
Visual Basic
HTML
JavaScript

Business and Finance

The Euro
NASDAQ
ATMs
Paypal
Debit cards
Floating currency exchange rates
Competition for local and long distance phone service

Sports

Baseball playoffs
New York Mets as champions
Designated hitter in baseball

New York City

The Metrocard
63rd & Lexington subway station
McDonald's
An African-American mayor
A Jewish mayor
Battery Park City

World Politics

US-China diplomatic relations
Israel-occupied West Bank

US Politics

Electoral votes for Washington, DC
The vote for 18-year-olds
US Congress televised

Fashion

Designer jeans

Culture

Women in high corporate positions
Casual Friday
Department stores open on Sunday
Liquor stores open on Sunday
Bottle deposit laws
Recycling
Earth Day
Indian casinos
Atlantic City casinos
Martin Luther King Day
Punk rock
Disco music
Hiphop
Rap music
Reality TV
Snowboarding
Skateboards
Rollerblades

At the Supermarket

Microwave popcorn
Disposable diapers
Seedless watermelons
Nutritional labels

Pandora's Box

Crack cocaine
AIDS
School shootings

Other

Zip codes
800 phone numbers