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Gen Zer asks how people got around without GPS, Gen X responds

It's easy to forget what life was like before cell phones fit in your pocket and Google could tell you the meaning of life in less than .2 seconds. Gen Z is the first generation to be born after technology began to move faster than most people can blink. They never had to deal with the slow speeds and loud noises of dial up internet.

In fact, most people that fall in the Gen Z category have no idea that their parents burned music on a CD thinking that was peak mix tape technology. Oh, how wrong they were. Now songs live in a cloud but somehow come out of your phone without having to purchase the entire album or wait until the radio station plays the song so you can record it.

But Gen Z has never lived that struggle so the idea of things they consider to be basic parts of life not existing are baffling to them.

One self professed Gen Zer, a woman named Aneisha, took to social media to ask a question that has been burning on her mind–how did people travel before GPS?


driving, maps, GPS, google, google maps, mapquest, millennials, gen z People used to have actual maps in their cars. Photo by Tabea Schimpf on Unsplash

Now, if you're older than Gen Z–whose oldest members are just 27 years old–then you likely know the answer to the young whippersnapper's question. But even some Millennials had trouble answering Aneisha's question.

Aneisha asks in her video, "Okay, serious question. How did people get around before the GPS? Like, did you guys actually pull a map and like draw lines to your destination? But then how does that work when you're driving by yourself, trying to hold up the map and drive? I know it's Gen Z of me but I kind of want to know."

Watch Aneisha pose the adorably sincere question here:

@aneishaaaaaaaaaaa

I hope this reaches the right people, i want to know

Even when most Millennials were starting to drive, they had some form of internet to download turn-by-turn directions, so it makes sense that the cohort between Gen Z and Gen X would direct Aneisha to Mapquest — a primitive early ancestor of Google Maps.

"we'd have to print step by step directions from MapQuest and hope for the best" one commenter wrote.

It's true, you're not really a millennial if you've never driven around with a stack of loose Mapquest pages floating around your car. If you were lucky, you had a passenger to read them off to you. "Drive half a mile and turn left on Elm Street!" It was a stressful time, for sure. God help you if the pages got mixed up or if you went off track somewhere. Even with a printed map and directions there was no guidance for finding your way back to the proper route.

We used to literally chart out long road trips on a physical map before departing.Giphy

But there was a time before imaginary tiny pirates lived inside of computer screens to point you in the right direction and tales from those times are reserved for Gen X.

Mapquest, by some standards, was an incredible luxury made possible by the internet. So the generation known for practically raising themselves chimed in, not only to sarcastically tell Millennials to sit down but to set the record straight on what travel was like before the invention of the internet. Someone clearly unamused by younger folks' suggestion shares, "The people saying mapquest. There was a time before the internet kids."

Others are a little more helpful, like one person who writes, "You mentally note landmarks, intersections. Pretty easy actually," they continue. "stop at a gas station, open map in the store, ($4.99), put it back (free)."

"Believe it or not, yes we did use maps back then. We look at it before we leave, then take small glances to see what exits to take," someone says, which leaves Aneisha in disbelief, replying, "That's crazyy, I can't even read a map."

It's a good idea to keep a local map in your car, even today! In case of emergency, you never know when it might come in handy. Learning how to read it, however, might take a little time for folks who didn't grow up using non-digital maps. (Many young people are confident in their ability to read maps based on their heavy GPS usage, but something tells me those skills won't translate to the big according-style paper maps.)

Some users added that you could often call your destination (or friend or family member) and write down careful directions before you left. If you've ever visited a venue or business' website and seen general directions depending on which direction you're traveling from, you get the idea.

"Pulled over and asked the guy at the gas station," one person writes as another chimes in under the comment, "and then ask the guy down the street to make sure you told me right."

Imagine being a gas station attendant in the 90s while also being directionally challenged. Was that part of the hiring process, memorizing directions for when customers came in angry or crying because they were lost? Not knowing where you were going before the invention of the internet was also a bit of a brain exercise laced with exposure therapy for those with anxiety. There were no cell phones so if you were lost no one who cared about you would know until you could find a payphone to check in. Imagine that!

The world is so overly connected today that the idea of not being able to simply share your location with loved ones and "Ask Siri" when you've gotten turned around on your route seems dystopian.


google maps, gps, driving, wildfires, maps, gen x, gen z Google Maps shows crucial information about natural disasters like wildfiresGiphy

But in actuality, if you took a few teens from 1993 and plopped them into 2024 they'd think they were living inside of a sci-fi movie awaiting aliens to invade.

Technology has made our lives infinitely easier and nearly unrecognizable from the future most could've imagined before the year 2000, so it's not Gen Z's fault that they're unaware of how the "before times" were. They're simply a product of their generation.

Some would say that having a rough geographical understanding of your local area, aka being able to navigate around without GPS, is a lost art that kept our brains and wits sharper. On the other hand, using Google Maps even for simple trips to everyday stops helps us avoid accidents and traffic and give people our near-exact ETA. It also delivers crucial real-time information about wildfires, natural disasters, and more. Who's to say if one way is really better or worse?

This article originally appeared one year ago.

Pop Culture

Stanford student explains why Google Incognito mode doesn't really hide your searches

“In the least shocking reveal of all time, it was proven that it’s really not that private.”

A man using his laptop in Incognito mode.

If you were comfortable thinking there would be no evidence of your online activity while in Google’s Incognito mode, think again. According to a class-action lawsuit filed by Florida resident William Byatt and California residents Chasom Brown and Maria Nguyen, Google has been sharing your searches and selling your data, even while using Incognito mode.

On December 30, NPR reported that Google agreed to settle the $5 billion lawsuit that claims it misled users into believing that their activities weren’t being tracked while in Incognito mode.

Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers pointed out that Google never told its users it continued to collect data even when people were browsing in Incognito mode.


"Google’s motion hinges on the idea that plaintiffs consented to Google collecting their data while they were browsing in private mode,” Rogers ruled. “Because Google never explicitly told users that it does so, the Court cannot find as a matter of law that users explicitly consented to the at-issue data collection."

The settlement terms have not been made public and still need to be approved by a federal judge. The plaintiffs say they will send a final settlement agreement to a judge by February 24.

News of the settlement went viral on TikTok on January 18 thanks to a post by Thunder Keck (@thunder_keck) that has received over 435,000 views. According to his TikTok profile, he’s a Stanford football player who’s also an expert in the Dark Web.

@thunder_keck

Visit TikTok to discover videos!

“In the least shocking reveal of all time, it was proven that [Ingognito mode is] not that private. They’re still tracking you and selling your data,” Thender Keck revealed. “Incognito mode and private browsing on Safari is basically the same as clearing your history,” he added.

"And most importantly, anyone on your network with a tool like Wireshark can still see everything you're doing, Even if you’re using a VPN,” he warned, “it will still deliver your packets and use fingerprinting to figure out what sites you’re visiting. And that’s getting way easier with AI.”

Wireshark is a network protocol analyzer that allows users to see everything happening on a network at a “microscopic level.”

The post received many comments from people who fear their histories will be made public.

"I’m cooked," schizophrenic idiot wrote. "It’s so over for me," Aton agreed. “I hope my mom doesn't find out," elcee4 added.

After Google reached the settlement agreement, it doesn’t appear the company has changed its policies. Instead, it has changed the warning users receive in Incognito mode.

According to The Verge, here’s the new warning: “Others who use this device won’t see your activity, so you can browse more privately. This won’t change how data is collected by websites you visit and the services they use, including Google. Downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved. Learn more.”

The previous message reads: "Now you can browse privately, and other people who use this device won’t see your activity. However, downloads, bookmarks and reading list items will be saved. Learn more."

Science

Man with muscular dystrophy shows how AI can be used for good with 'Project Gameface'

"Muscular dystrophy takes, and this actually added an ability. So it's the first time I've gained something in a physical sense."

Video game streamer Lance Carr using Project Gameface

Scientific discoveries and technological advancements have always been a double-edged sword. Nuclear fission gave us a powerful source of clean energy and as well as the most destructive weapons humanity has ever seen. The internet gave us unparalleled access to the entire library of human knowledge and also unparalleled exploitation and porn. Social media has connected people around the world in ways previous generations barely dreamed of and also resulted in a toxic online culture that threatens to shred the fabric of society.

Now, after several dozen movies imagining the best and worst-case scenarios, we're at that fork in the road with Artificial Intelligence. The sudden leap in AI tech hitting the mainstream has us all wondering what comes next. But for all the AI fear and uncertainty, there are some pretty incredible, humanity-boosting ways it is being used that may signal some hope for that future.


For instance, AI is allowing facial expressions to control computers. Case in point: a project inspired by quadriplegic video game streamer Lance Carr, whose rare form of muscular dystrophy only allows him to control his face and head movements. Carr had been using a head-tracking mouse (an expensive piece of accessibility equipment controlled by head movement) for gaming, but after his house caught fire during a livestream on Twitch in 2021, he lost everything.

"Video games are my link to the world," Carr explained in a video describing the project. "But I had to stop gaming because this house burnt down along with my adaptive equipment."

Carr got connected with some folks at Google to co-design Project Gameface, a fittingly-named tool that allows users to use facial movements as game controls. Linking several different AI models together, the project uses a mesh of 468 points on your face and converts them into telemetry to make mouse movements and clicks. For instance, raising your eyebrows can make the mouse drag or click and opening your mouth can move the cursor.

The best part is that since the project is open source and only requires a webcam for input, it will be widely accessible to people who want or need to use it. And for those who don't have full use of their limbs, it may be a game-changer as it has been for Carr.

"Muscular dystrophy takes, and this actually added an ability," he said. "So it's the first time I've gained something in a physical sense." He shared that the technology is so precise that he's able to write his name in cursive using only his face through a webcam.

Watch:

Though Google says it's still in development, they have made it available for preview through GitHub for people who want to give it a spin and help contribute to its improvement.

The potential dangers of AI may be making people nervous, but let's be sure not to throw the baby out with the bathwater. In the hands of people who are focused on helping humanity progress wisely and responsibly, AI can be a powerful, life-changing tool that makes people's lives better.

As Lance Carr said, "My hope is to definitely give this technology to everybody who could use it," the gamer added. "I just want to make a lot of people's lives better and easier."

Here's to those using ever-advancing technology for good.

Firmbee/Canva

Google's 2022 Year in Search report shows what trended this year.

There's a lot you can tell about a person by their search history (unless they're a murder-mystery writer, in which case no one should jump to conclusions). And our search habits on the whole can tell us a lot about ourselves as a collective as well.

For better or for worse, what we look up on the internet is an indicator of what we care about, and Google's Year in Search report gives us some insight into what we cared about this past year.

There are reports for different countries as well as a global report. Let's start with what my fellow Americans looked up, shall we?


To be clear, these search terms were not the "top searches" or "most searched terms" on Google, but rather the top trending searches—the search terms that had a high spike in traffic over a sustained period of time as compared to the year before.

The top 10 trending searches for 2022 overall:

  1. Wordle
  2. Election results
  3. Betty White
  4. Queen Elizabeth
  5. Bob Saget
  6. Ukraine
  7. Mega Millions
  8. Powerball numbers
  9. Anne Heche
  10. Jeffrey Dahmer
Wow, right? Some of these things don't seem right. I know pandemic time is weird, but Wordle was a 2022 phenomenon? (Am I the only one who would have sworn that happened way earlier in the pandemic? I guess when you play a game every day it makes it seem like a lot more time has passed.) And Betty White? (To be fair, she passed away on the very last day of 2021, so all of the tributes and whatnot happened in 2022.)
Queen Elizabeth, of course. Ukraine, ugh, yes. The fact that Jeffrey Dahmer is on here is both a testament to the power of Netflix and a disturbing insight into people's morbid curiosity.
Anne Heche, tragic. Bob Saget, sad. Election results totally depends on your perspective, but glad to see people caring about the democratic process.
The Year in Search categories are telling as well.

For people, we had:

  1. Johnny Depp
  2. Will Smith
  3. Amber Heard
  4. Antonio Brown
  5. Kari Lake
  6. Anna Sorokin (Delvey)
  7. Chris Rock
  8. Andrew Tate
  9. Adam Levine
  10. Serena Williams

I just don't think there's even a need to comment about most of these. Yikes.

Movies are fun though!

  1. "Encanto"
  2. "Thor: Love and Thunder"
  3. "Top Gun: Maverick"
  4. "The Batman"
  5. "Everything Everywhere All at Once"
  6. "Black Adam"
  7. "Jurassic World Dominion"
  8. "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever"
  9. "Morbius"
  10. "Turning Red"

Aw, remember the "Turning Red" controversies, the "Encanto" obsessions and "Top Gun: Maverick" being surprisingly amazing?

And oof, "Black Panther: Wakanda Forever." What a beautifully done film.

Musicians and bands is an interesting mix:

  1. Adam Levine
  2. Mary J. Blige
  3. Lil Tjay
  4. Kendrick Lamar
  5. Migos
  6. Tommy Lee
  7. Kate Bush
  8. Ricky Martin
  9. Young Thug
  10. Foo Fighters
Eclectic, no? Some of these I can connect to specific things that happened this year, like Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill" going viral from its appearance in "Stranger Things" and Foo Fighters from drummer Taylor Hawkins' death, but some are a mystery to me. Maybe I don't want to know.

Let's move away from entertainment and head to food.

media.giphy.com

Here are the top recipe trends in the U.S. for 2022:

  1. Sugo
  2. Cincinnati chili
  3. Marry me chicken
  4. Quick pancake
  5. Mango pie
  6. Green goddess salad
  7. Jennifer Aniston salad
  8. Grinder sandwich
  9. Bella Hadid sandwich
  10. The Bear spaghetti

Marry me chicken? I might have to Google that myself. (Don't tell anyone, but I'm also going to Google "sugo" because I'm embarrassed to admit I have no idea what that is.)

Speaking of Googling things you don't know—want to see what definition searches trended in 2022?

  1. Rupee
  2. Oligarch
  3. Cacao
  4. Homer
  5. Recession
  6. Canny
  7. Foray
  8. Trove
  9. Saute
  10. Tacit

So curious about what prompted most of these trends.

All of the above can be found on the published Year in Search lists, but Google also sent us some trends that didn't make it into the list, such as:

Is it true that …

  1. Is it true that TikTok is posting drafts?
  2. Is it true that the pinky is the middle finger in China?
  3. Is it true that Putin has cancer?
  4. Is it true that coffee stunts your growth?
  5. Is it true that cats have nine lives?
  6. Is it true that Fortnite is ending?
  7. Is it true that Queen Elizabeth died?
  8. Is it true that Chuck Norris died?
  9. Is it true that if you dream about someone they went to sleep thinking about you?
  10. Is it true that Yahoo is shutting down?

What is …

  1. What is NATO?
  2. What is monkeypox?
  3. What is rsv?
  4. What is Wordle?
  5. What is aphasia?
  6. What is a NFT?
  7. What is a recession?
  8. What is vabbing?
  9. What is Roe v. Wade?
  10. What is the Wordle today?

How to be …

  1. How to be a good mother?
  2. How to be a better lover?
  3. How to be perfect?
  4. How to be an adult in relationships?
  5. How to be a verified fan on Ticketmaster?
  6. How to be a nun in BitLife?
  7. How to be emo?
  8. How to be that girl?
  9. How to be enough for someone?
  10. How to be a fashion designer in BitLife?

OK, wait. I am perpetually online and I have three teen/young adult kids. How have I never heard of BitLife when it's in two of these "How to be" trending searches?

I kind of love "How to be an adult in relationships?" Kudos to those trying.

Interestingly, many of the global trends were similar to the U.S. searches, showing how interconnected we all are. However, the global recipes trends are very different:

1. पनीर पसंदा (paneer pasanda)
2. Bolo caseiro (homemade cake)
3. Tuzlu kurabiye (salt cookie)
4. Overnight oats
5. zimtschnecken (cinnamon rolls)
6. Irmik helvası (semolina halva)
7. панкейки (pancakes)
8. Baba ganoush
9. Bulgur pilavı (bulgur rice)
10. Pasta salad

How fun is that?

It's been quite a year and it's good to take a moment to remember and reflect on all that's happened in 2022. There were a lot of big things—the war in Ukraine, the passing of Queen Elizabeth and Betty White, our collective obsession with Wordle, and more. It's also telling what's not in these trends—notably, most references to the COVID-19 pandemic (which we are still in, despite most people being over it at this point).

Kind of makes you wonder what trending searches 2023 will bring, doesn't it? Let's make "street tacos" and "world peace" happen, please.