'I can't find my phone': 30 Things we say in 2023 that would make absolutely no sense to a time traveler from 1970

Jesse Kessenheimer • Writer and Editor

Dec 15, 2023 1:00 PM EST

A lot of things have changed in the last 50 years. The nostalgic part of all of us secretly wishes we could go back to the simpler, pre-technology days of our childhood. Back then, we could ride our bike all day around town without checking in with our parents and we didn't get in trouble as long as we got home before the street lights came on. Although, back in the day, it was encouraged to smoke cigarettes during pregnancy too, so maybe we have come a long way as a society.

But if a time traveler from 1970 were to hop in their machine and land right here in 2023, what would be the most confusing thing? Just imagine the sheer culture shock of enduring 50 years of technological progress in seconds. As someone who grew up with a landline that was hardwired to be 5ft from the kitchen sink, I think there are a lot of things that have changed for the better with the tech age, but also a lot of things we probably could do without.

Scroll onward to read a list of hilariously confusing sentences that we say all the time in 2023, but would completely bamboozle a 1970's transplant. It really puts the last 50 years into perspective…