Pretty soon, things like hotel keys, paper bills, and desktop computers will be a thing of the past with the rate that technology seems to advance these days. See how many of these common objects you don't use anymore to determine just how out of date they really are...
House Keys
Lock the door and throw away the key, because those bulky jingly keychains are soon to be a thing of the past. With more and more people installing Bluetooth or fingerprint or app-operated security systems on their front doors, nobody is really carrying keys anymore. Even car keys are becoming obsolete. Technology is becoming a foolproof way to protect your home and belongings.
Parking Meters
Along the same lines as house keys, who carries change anymore? Many cities are incorporating parking meter apps into their traffic system. If you download the apps, you can pay remotely and even add time to your meter from wherever you are.
Side View Mirrors
Most modern cars designed within the last five years or so have complete parking cameras that can show you a 360 view of your vehicle on a dashboard screen. If completely accurate, it saves you the trouble of craning your neck to look past blind spots. And nearly all cars beep when you move too close to another car, object, or person.
Passwords
Most devices now operate with fingerprint or facial recognition technology. That means you won't have to rack your brain trying to remember which variation of your password is for Facebook, and which one is for Gmail. When Apple introduced facial recognition, it totally changed the game for smartphone security.
Headphones With Wires
Since Apple introduced its Airpods, several other brands followed suit and did away with headphones with wires. Going wireless makes workouts easier and the anxiety of fishing a tangled mess of cords out of your bag is a thing of the past. Apple even upgraded their Airpods to a second generation with new and improved comfort technology.
Wallets
Who needs a clunky wallet when you can store all of your credit card information on your phone? Most stores accept Apple Pay, Google Pay, and Android Pay on their card readers. If you keep your credit cards on your phone, that eliminates the risk of losing the physical card somewhere while you're out shopping.
Payphones
When was the last time you saw someone using a payphone? Nearly everyone has a cellphone today, and few people carry change, so payphones are an irrelevant thing of the past. They can still come in handy in case of emergency, but half the time, most of them don't even work.
Pennies
Pennies are one of the most expensive coins to manufacture and one of the most useless during transactions. The time it takes to count out pennies at the register when you could just swipe your card is one of the shoppers' biggest pet peeves. Eventually, all coins will probably become absolute, even the most-valuable quarter.
Paper Bills
Most bill paying companies now give you the option to pay online. Seeing a reminder on our phones is much easier than trying to remember where exactly you set that envelope down three weeks ago. Not to mention that going paperless is more environmentally friendly.
Cash Registers
With cash becoming the least popular way to pay, and self-checkout the preferred method of quick transactions, cashiers and cash registers will both be out of a job soon. If there are cashiers, most use technology like Square, a card reader that connects to your phone. Cash is really on its way out thanks to all of these quick paying advancements.
Phone Chargers
When will someone invent the self-charging phone? While chargers with cords are slowly on their way out thanks to the introduction of charging pads, eventually someone will create a phone with the ability to recharge itself. Maybe via solar powers? Maybe Bluetooth?
Drivers License
While finally earning that coveted piece of plastic was the most exciting thing a 16-year-old could do, it's likely that licenses will be handed out digitally in the future. That would save teens from inevitably misplacing them. And that would also make DMVs obsolete, and nobody's necessarily complaining about that.
Shopping Malls
When was the last time you were actually in a mall? Everyone does their shopping online these days in order to avoid crowds and annoying customer service experiences. And how can you pass up those tempting online Black Friday deals without having to even leave your couch?
Video Cameras
If your childhood happened in the '70s, '80s, '90s, or early 2000s, your parents definitely documented all of your milestones on a clunky camcorder. But with technological advancements, every smartphone now has video capabilities that are just as good, if not better than, video cameras. And you can store all of your footage on your device rather than having to bother with video store transfers.
Queue Lines
Many companies have already implemented an "online" line system, where an operator will simply call back when the person has moved to the front of the queue. It's likely that physical lines will soon be a thing of the past. Technology that automatically charges credit cards when we leave a store would be a time-saving invention.
Printed Books
Thanks to the invention of the eBook and eReaders, print books might be on their way out within the next few years. Not only would it be environmentally friendly to save the paper books are printed on, but it would be a more convenient way to access libraries. However, nobody wants to see the closure of real libraries.
Paper
With so many companies and resources going paperless, eventually, the need for paper will be no more. Many schools encourage online learning, many companies encourage paperless billing, and even stores offer an email receipt option at checkout. Think of all the trees that could be saved!
Digital Cameras
For similar reasons that camcorders will be unnecessary in the future, digital cameras aren't very useful anymore either. Most smartphones have powerful lenses and don't require any of the annoying transferring of images. Remember the days of inserting your SD card into your desktop computer? Didn't think so.
Hard Drives
Many people have taken to storing their documents and images on the Cloud rather than on a physical hard drive. These things can be pretty clunky and not very portable, and the cloud exists online. The answer to which is more convenient seems pretty clear.
Newspapers
Just like printed books, you can read whole newspapers online now. If you have subscriptions to publications like The New York Times, you can get full issues on your phone or tablet in seconds. Though nobody wants to see the papers go out of business, it's likely they'll move to online-content only.
Neighborhood Post Boxes
Snail mail has been going out of style for years thanks to the invention of text messages and emails. While post office workers will likely always have their jobs because of the need to still ship packages, mailing letters itself will probably cease to exist. Say goodbye to those corner mailboxes.
College Textbooks
Most colleges and universities offer online textbooks, which is a relief to students (and their backs) everywhere. That not only saves paper, but it also saves students and their families money. Most online books are much cheaper because it saves on printing costs.
Needles
Everyone's least favorite part of their yearly doctor's visit is finally on its way out. Researchers are looking into alternative methods to taking vaccines. Oral medications might be the way of the future.
Lighters In Cars
If your car has a cigarette lighter in the console, that's definitely a sign of its age. Now, most car manufacturers have changed the lighter's use into something more practical (and healthy). Nowadays they're used for cellphone chargers.
DVDs
When was the last time you rented a physical movie? Remember Blockbuster and Redbox? Now, Netflix and Hulu and Amazon Prime are the new way to digitally watch all your favorite flicks, making both DVDs and DVD players obsolete.
Answering Machines
Just like landlines are no longer commonplace, neither is the old fashioned answering machine device. Now, all smartphones have the capability to check your voicemail on the spot. Remember the days of having to call your answering machine's number to check your messages while you're out of the house?
TV Remotes
Nowadays, you can download a universal TV remote app right to your phone. You'll never have to fish for the remote in between the couch cushions ever again. And, the days of determining which remote works the TV and which works the DVD player are over.
GPS Devices
Plug-in devices for your car's dashboard tend to be laggy and unreliable. Most phones have built-in maps apps and since the creation of Waze, nobody has been buying third-party devices for their cars. Maps apps are even helpful in finding walking and public transit directions.
Landline Phones
The only people who probably still have landlines anymore are our grandparents. Since the invention of the cellphone, the convenience of never missing a call if you leave the house outweighs the need for a phone that plugs into your wall. So long to overbearing ringtones and answering machines for good.
Checkbooks
Since the invention of online banking, the need for a checkbook has become pretty old fashioned. When was the last time you balanced a checkbook? Probably never.
Cash
With more and more people choosing to pay with credit cards or online money transfer apps like Paypal and Venmo, the use of cold hard cash is slowly phasing its way out of our system. Cash seems to only be good for tipping at bars or restaurants, unless you tip right on the receipt. Think of how much slimmer our wallets will be.
Calculator
The last time anyone used a real calculator was probably high school. Can you name a single capability your smartphone doesn't have these days? Most smartphones come with a builtin calculator that can do everything from basic functions to graphs.
Paper Maps
Using a paper map to travel is really more of a hassle than anything else these days. Most people don't even know how to properly read one of these since they've never had to thanks to the invention of the GPS. Virtual maps even read out the turn by turn directions to you.
Print Catalogs
Remember the days of flipping through Christmas catalogs and circling things for your wishlist? Nowadays that translates to "add to cart." Why waste paper on printing thousands of magazines when shoppers can just browse websites and buy things with one click?
Business Cards
Even though business cards can be fun design and aesthetically pleasing to hold, are they really necessary anymore? Nobody keeps a rolladex on their desk anymore. It's much easier to Airdrop someone's contact information, or just search them on LinkedIn.
Manual Transmission Cars
It used to be a big deal if you knew how to drive "stick." Today, most car manufacturers don't even make cars with manual transitions because they're just too cumbersome to operate and more likely to have issues if driven improperly. Automatic transmission cars are the new normal.
Classroom Chalkboards
Most classrooms today have done away with the messy chalkboards in favor for Smart Boards. The digital screens require no cleanup and can mirror your computer monitor for easier learning. You'll never have to hear that grating nails-on-a-chalkboard noise ever again.
In-Person Voting
People are lazy these days, there's no denying that. People also hate crowds and lines. Even if there's no other excuse, many people choose to vote with mail-in ballots rather than making the trip to their polling place.
Plastic Grocery Bags
These just aren't eco-friendly. Many people choose to bring their own canvas or reusable bags to the grocery store in order to protect the environment. They also hold way more than those filmsy plastic bags.
Single-Use Straws
We've been trying to ban plastic straws for ages. They're one of ocean litter's biggest culprits and are terrible for the environment. Trade them out for reusable metal straws instead.
Desktop Computers
The days of your family's computer room are long over. Nowadays, nearly everyone has their own portable laptop. Having a desktop removes any option for travel, and not to mention they're incredibly bulky and take up tons of desk space.
Cursive Writing
It's probably no longer required to learn cursive in elementary school because teachers realized there is truly no use for it outside of class. Print is the way to go, and a lot of people don't even write many things by hand anymore, anyways.
Fax Machines
If anyone's office still has a fax machine, tell them 1985 called, and they don't want it back. Email and digitally scanning PDF documents have definitely made the need for a fax machine totally obsolete. That's just one less phone number to have to remember.
iPods
What can an iPod do that your smartphone can't? The iPod has slowly been phased out of use with the introduction of every new version of the iPhone. That little rotating clickpad thing was also super annoying to use anyways.
School Pictures
Those pages and pages of school photo packages could just as easily be sent via email link and saved to your computer or phone. Why waste the paper and print pictures that your kids most likely won't even want to keep, anyways? Nobody looked great in seventh grade.
Alarm Clocks
Again, what can a physical alarm clock do that your smartphone can't? Not only can you set multiple alarms on your phone, but you can also set multiple timers at once. You can even check the time in any other country in the world.
Hotel Room Keys
Wouldn't it be more convenient to send a QR code to your phone to scan at your hotel room door rather than risk losing a key that is as slim as a credit card? The future is now and hotels should be capitalizing on this genius idea. It would also save them on plastic and would be much more environmentally friendly.
CDs
The last place CDs probably have any sort of use is in the car. However, with the introduction of online streaming platforms like Spotify and iTunes, nobody even owns CD players anymore. Yes, CDs are nostalgic, but they also take up tons of physical space.
Paper Receipts
Most stores now give you the option to either disregard the receipt in general, or you can have it emailed to you. Digital records and digital bookkeeping have become the new mess-free way to organize your purchases. Let's save the environment and stop printing those mile-long CVS receipts, huh?
Paper Airline Tickets and Passes
Along the same line as hotel key technology, some airports allow you to save your boarding passes to your virtual wallet on your phone. That lets you skip the check-in line and simply press a button on your phone to alert the airline that you're there. Talk about saving time at the most annoying place to be late.
Paper Movie Tickets
The virtual wallet really is a lifesaver. Download your movie tickets from apps like Fandango and save the theater time and paper. Just scan it upon entry and grab some popcorn.
Encyclopedias
Have you ever tried: Google? The Internet is a wealth of information that an Encyclopedia just can't keep up with. How much paper will be wasted to update and reprint new Brittanica issues? Go virtual with a reliable and constantly changing search engine.
Film
Shooting on film today is considered romantic and nostalgic, and definitely not the go-to way to photograph anything. The time and resources and money it takes to develop film can all be swapped out with a memory card and a laptop. Though some techniques work best on film, just pick up a DSLR and simplify your life.
Slide Projectors
Slide projectors are a thing of elementary school's past. The fuzzy screen, the loud noise from changing slides - all of that can be replaced with a computer monitor. Not to mention creating those individual slides takes tons of time.
Typewriters
Much like film photography, typewriters are only for the most nostalgic of intellects. The fact that you cannot make any mistakes makes them pretty obsolete. Most normal people favor a good old word processor on their computers to jot down their thoughts or write their Great American Novel.
Card Catalog
Though libraries are still thriving, card catalogs have all gone virtual. The task of manually organzing each individual card according to the Dewey Decimal System is migraine-inducing. Now, you can quickly search any library's entire catalog online.
Phone Books
Though once an essential, the thought of every citizen's name, address, and phone number made public is actually a little scary. Today, if you need to get somebody's information, it's easier to just ask them for it. Also, if you're friends on social media platforms, most people tend to post some of their information there.
Punch Cards
The old-fashioned way to clock in to work has once again gone digital. Some offices require you to log in to a system or just keep track of your hours in a spreadsheet. Punch cards are cumbersome and dated and don't really serve much of a purpose anymore.
Car Bench Seats
All vintage cars had that cool bench in the front seat, but modern cars have done away with the design. Most people tend to favor the use of cupholders and center consoles rather than squeezing a third person in the front row with the driver. It's actually safer that bench seats don't exist in the front.
Pagers
The only profession that likely still uses pagers are people in the medical field for quick contact. However, many companies issue business-only cellphones instead of beepers. If you're in your 20s or even 30s, you probably don't even know how one of these things even works.
Console Televisions
Old-fashioned televisions were not designed to be aesthetically pleasing. They were clunky boxes that sat in the middle of your living room and served the purpose of playing shows. Now, they're huge, sleek screens that are built in to the design of your home and virtually blend in with wherever they are.
Polaroid Cameras
Polaroid cameras have gotten a major upgrade in the last few years. They're mostly used for the aesthetic and not as the only means to capture images. They're useful for those quick snaps that you can have printed in seconds.
Dial-Up Modem
Since the invention of the wireless router, dial-up Internet has become totally useless. It's slow and usually only allows one person to be online at a time. Now, with the use of things like the Xfinity app, you can set up and control your Wifi remotely.
Floppy Disk
Unless your computer was built 40 years ago, you don't need to use floppy disks. They used to hold games, software, and important programs, but now they're just chunky pieces of plastic that don't serve any purpose. Now, most software is downloadable, negating the need for any physical disks at all.
Walkman
This predates even the oldest of MP3 players. The Walkman was a mini CD player that you could take with you, and it was the first of its kind. But since companies like Apple launched products like the iPod and the ability to digitally download music, carrying around CDs with you just seems archaic.