It seems like decades ago we were using rotary phones. Ah, that's because it was decades ago, wasn't it?! Can anyone else remember sitting on the couch or standing in the kitchen and letting their fingers dwindle on the rotary dial. Never mind whether you had to make an urgent call or not -- just placing that call was going to take minutes longer than it ever would on a cell! Remember what a dial tone sounded like? What about a busy signal? Can you even imagine not being able to get in touch with someone because he or she is already on the phone with someone else? Puh-leeze.
It's easy for adults to forget the crazy, hazy days of rotary phones. Now imagine placing one in the hands of a 5-, 9-, or 13-year-old and expecting them to know how to even hold the prehistoric device. That's exactly what The Fine Brothers did and the children's reactions -- caught on video -- are priceless.
Let's break down some of the best moments from this video that show just what happened when these kids were presented with a bright yellow rotary phone featuring a receiver so huge it pretty much dwarfs most of them!
1. Initial reactions to seeing a rotary phone:
"How does this work?"
"This is like phones that my mom used as a kid!"
2. Interviewer asks children if they know what this type of phone is called:
"A dial phone."
3. Children are asked to show how they think the rotary phone is used:
"How do you even? Wha? What? How do you dial?"
Other amazing reactions include the succinct "Whoa" and -- when shown how to actually work a rotary dial -- "That takes a long time." I bet you didn't realize rotary dialing isn't intuitive?
4. When told that they had to pick up the receiver and listen for a mystical sound that we used to call a "dial tone":
"I think I've heard of that."
5. After the interviewer explains the purpose of a busy signal and how you could call someone and he/she wouldn't even know you called:
"I mean that's just not fair."
Another girl remarked: "I want to keep my iPhone."
6. Ahh, the beauty of the long-distance phone call. These kids had a really difficult time understanding why we had to pay more to call someone who lived in a different area code:
"Awwww."
Another boy remarked, "That's really just ... they shouldn't do that."
7. Question: How do you send a text?
"If you want it to do 'A,' you only do it once ... if you want it to do 'B,' you do it twice ... would it be like you pick up the phone and it's in Morse code or something?"
8. When's the last time you used a pay phone?
"What's a pay phone?!"
This video is all kinds of awesome. Watch it and feel both older than your years and incredibly happy that you had the chance to experience the mysterious and wacky rotary dial.
See this video on The Stir by CafeMom.
Have your children ever seen a rotary phone? How do they react to old technology?
Images via YouTube