Imagine calling your boyfriend, girlfriend, or crush, and their parent picks up. An awkward conversation follows before you finally get to talk (or whisper) to the actual person you just phoned. That's if you aren't told to call back another time because they're busy, it's 'too late,' or it's a school night.
It might sound cringe, but that was standard for many of us who grew up in the days before smartphones. And if we weren't making the call from a big bulky phone plugged into the wall, it's not unlikely we'd popped a few pennies in a payphone hoping they'd give us enough minutes to say all we needed to.
If you aren't part of the 'payphone generation,' it might all seem a bit weird to you. But believe it or not, many of us would argue that there were a lot of benefits to growing up without being able to send an instant message or call home at any time, from anywhere.
