Is It Really That Serious?!

What We Had Growing Up... Do You Even Know What Any Of This Is?

• Amanda • Season 1 • Episode 9

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“Is It Really That Serious?!” Send Me A Text! 🫣❤️

Episode 9 is here and this one is pure fun  What We Had Growing Up… Do You Even Know What Any Of This Is?!


This week, Amanda is joined by her niece Mariyah for an Auntie vs Gen Z episode full of laughs, nostalgia, and generational chaos. From old school items and life before smartphones to the things we grew up using that today’s teens may have never seen, Amanda puts Mariyah to the test to see if Gen Z really knows anything about the old days.


From house phones and pagers to Black family sayings and growing up in a different era, this episode is funny, relatable, and guaranteed to make you laugh.


Whether you’re Team Old School or Team Gen Z, this one is for you.


Tune in now and let us know… who had it better?

 Connect with Me & My Podcast:


Intro Music by: @hunchoskeazo

Episode Editing Help by: @cella_12

SPEAKER_03

What's up, everybody, and welcome back to another episode of Is It Really That Serious? I'm your girl Amanda, and today I got a very special somebody here with me today.

SPEAKER_01

Hi guys.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, y'all. Today I got my niece Mariah in the building, or shall I say, aka Gen Z heckwork? I mean, well, that's what you act like. That's what you act like. No, it's not. Okay. But no, seriously, y'all. Because today we're testing these young folks just to see if they know anything about how we grew up.

SPEAKER_02

Y'all be acting like y'all was born in the 1800s.

SPEAKER_03

Well, to be honest, with the dial-up internet, it kind of felt uh pretty close to it. Whatever. Okay, before we start, y'all, tell the people about yourself.

SPEAKER_02

I'm Mariah. I'm 17. I like to say that I'm pretty chill and stuff. I like meeting new people and you know, I just mind my business.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that last part, it must have skipped a couple generations because your sister and your older cousin, yeah. And what about your sisters? What about you? Y'all are loud. And right. That's why I started my own podcast. Usually it's say you're loud and wrong, but I'm loud and right. We're loud and right. Well, they're not right.

SPEAKER_02

Loud, loud, loud, and overly loud.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. So I'm gonna cut you off right there. Okay, so this part of the show, we're basically gonna see if you know certain things. So I'm gonna give you a list of items and you're gonna tell me if you know what that they are. Okay. Um, so a house phone.

SPEAKER_02

Yes, I know what that is. Okay. It's you just it's something in your house, you just it's a phone in your house, basically.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, I'm gonna give you that. Yep, it's a house phone that you only use in the house. Yeah, yeah. Okay, perfect. Okay, okay. What about a pager or a beeper?

SPEAKER_02

A voicemail? Like a voice message or something?

SPEAKER_03

No, it's definitely not a voicemail. That's what you like. So if I said that, that's what it seems like. It's like a voicemail that you do or whatever. No. Okay, so a pager and a beeper for the ones that are out there right now. The ones that get it, get it, the ones that don't, don't.

SPEAKER_02

I kinda like because you know, a beeper, you know, the voice sounds like beep. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03

Okay. No. So a beeper and a pager is basically like this little thing, this little device they used to carry back in the day. And then people usually basically used to have it on their hip or like their pins or their belt. And people used to send messages through it. So they would either send a message or they would send a phone number, and people would have to go like to a house phone or a pay phone and call the person back. So it was basically like texting, but the pager was strictly only for texting. Like you couldn't pick up and call nobody. It was only to send messages.

SPEAKER_02

Okay, let me let me look at let me look it up.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, look it up. Let me see. Look at it real quick. Yeah, that's what the big that's what a peeper pager is. And tell me what you find.

SPEAKER_02

This this looks this looks very confusing. There was no like letters or anything, no keyboard. Yeah. Nah. Nah.

SPEAKER_03

So you don't think you can handle something like that?

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely not.

SPEAKER_03

That was the thing back in the day, okay? And people thought they was the shh with that.

SPEAKER_02

Have you ever used one of these?

SPEAKER_03

Actually, no, I've never had a beeper, I've never had that, but you know, I knew what it was back in the day, and I knew how to page my mom on it. Because when mom had a beeper, we used to have to page her and stuff because she used to have a phone sometimes when she had her beeper. So the only way we would be able to contact her was to be like page her beeper. Yep. Okay. Yep, yep, yep. A little complicated. That's crazy because that looks a little funny looking at that in this plane. Very funny with me. They differ had they had different kinds, and I didn't really now realize that because I only remember like a select view on her. Yeah. But I guess it was different styles. Okay, what about a dial up internet?

SPEAKER_02

I don't know. Um what is that?

SPEAKER_03

Oh my god. No, now that I play that, y'all that's listening. Do y'all remember that sound? That sound used to generate up so we can actually use the internet. So it basically was like, let me actually give y'all the term for it on the internet. But that's so funny, y'all. It's a legacy technology connecting to the internet via standard telephone lines in a modem, reaching maximum speeds around 50 seconds, 56. So basically, we would have to use our phone, the modem, and like the internet to that's all connecting to actually get so it ain't it's not like how it is now, like with Wi-Fi. We used to have to use all of that had to be worked together in order for us to have like the internet speed and stuff we had. Oh, y'all, that sound alone brought back so many memories because I literally remember listening or hearing it, and it was so normal for us to hear that. That's crazy. And I think I remember being like, Oh, I don't hear that noise, I don't think the internet's working. So if you didn't hear that noise, it wasn't like properly working or whatever. That's so funny, y'all.

SPEAKER_01

That's funny. That sounds like a lot of things. That is so funny.

SPEAKER_03

That sounds like a lot just to get uh some some internet, like yeah, yeah. That was that was our internet sound back in the day. Now y'all don't make noises at all, but that's how we got our internet. A couple of buttons and boop. Why that's crazy how stuff had time has changed, honey. What about a VHS tape?

SPEAKER_02

Um, like a music tape, something? Or you listen to music off the music? Or like it has like the music CD or something.

SPEAKER_03

No, absolutely not. That was the way we watched our movies. So we couldn't just like type stuff in like y'all do now or on your fingertips on your cell phones. We couldn't do that. We used to have to either buy a cassette, it used to be like a giant cassette, or we used to have to go rent it from a store, like movies we wanted to watch. So, like, say like Princess and the Frog and stuff, we would have to go purchase like this big cassette just to put into like a VCR like system for us to be able to watch it. Like, we couldn't type it in. Do y'all remember y'all back in the day? The booleers, they used to sell the bootleg DVDs and the booleg tapes and stuff. We used to buy them from the knockoffs. If you was at the grocery store, they used to be out there. Y'all, do y'all remember that?

SPEAKER_02

It's like those times change. It's not like y'all gotta go like do the extra mile just to do something like, oh my God.

SPEAKER_03

Like, I don't I'm only saying the struggle now because now it sounds like a struggle, but then it was not a struggle. That was our norm. But I just thinking about y'all, where we at today versus where we were when we were younger, that's crazy that we had to do all of that just to watch something, to access the internet. Like, that's crazy. Or contact our parents or contact somebody. Yeah, y'all had to do like a lot. Oh y'all got it easy, y'all got it easy, Maria. We really do. This crazy, y'all. What about a phone book?

SPEAKER_02

Okay, I know what that is. It's like a book with everybody's phone number. That's what that's what it is. I know exactly what that is.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, you're correct. It's basically something that we keep a whole all of the like our contacts in. So we don't have like a little pin palette in our hand, a little device that keeps everything. We used to actually have to have a little, it looked like a notebook, and we used to write everybody's like name, and people used to put their address in there so they'll know where the person lived at. Now, mind you, back in the day we didn't have all that good stuff. So we used to have to put their person address and we don't know what their address is, they phone number in there. So anytime we wanted to call somebody that we didn't know their stuff off the bat, we had to flip through a bunch of pages just to get their phone number. How hard even that was a struggle for me to say. Y'all, this is a lie. This is a lot. Very much. It's crazy for me to even reset, recite back, and tell you that we had to go through when we were younger, but those are the good old days. I don't care what nobody says. Okay, it was the good old days, but it sounds like it was a struggle now. Lord, pray for us. Pray for us now. These kids would never understand. Okay, so black family phrases. I'm gonna tell you an old saying, and you're gonna tell me what you think that meant when they were saying it, if that makes sense. Okay. Okay, you got McDonald's money.

SPEAKER_02

That means do you have the money for McDonald's? Are you gonna pay for yourself? And stuff like that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

No, it well, I guess it is. Because it's like it's being sarcastic. Like, do you got it? I don't have it. Yes. So do you have it? It means no, basically. Like, you're not getting nothing. That's their work, that's their way of saying no. I don't think so. Yeah. Because who paying for it? Not me. Not me. Yep. Mm-hmm. Correct. Yep. Okay. Close my door. You let in my air out.

SPEAKER_02

Stop coming in and out, basically. And and just so you guys know, she has said that to us before. I have never said that. Have I? You have. What have I said? You have said that before. What do I say? When the kids kept on coming in and out. I've said it before. Yes. Oh, okay.

SPEAKER_03

I guess I am my mama shy. Okay, what about what about? Don't let me find out before you tell me.

SPEAKER_02

Don't let me hear it from nobody else.

SPEAKER_03

I guess. But you like don't let me find out you've been doing blah blah blah blah blah or XYZ.

SPEAKER_02

What does that mean? Yeah. Don't let me find out that you're doing it something bad or something.

SPEAKER_03

No, it's like don't let me find out you lie. So you better tell me the truth now.

SPEAKER_02

Oh.

SPEAKER_03

That's what that means.

SPEAKER_02

I never heard anybody say that to me before.

SPEAKER_03

Well, it's that's the point of saying it's an old school saying, and I wanted to see if you know what it means. You know, you get it. All right. What about stop crying before I give you something to cry about?

SPEAKER_02

To it, I mean, it basically is that. Stop crying. Self-explaining. Yeah. Stop crying. Um, which I actually don't understand because I'm already crying. You definitely gave me something to cry about.

SPEAKER_03

Like, I'm already crying. It is there. That's true. That's true. That's true. But that was that used to be a saying. Yeah. Stop crying before I give you something to cry about. Because it basically meant like in the moment it was like, you ain't even, I haven't even done nothing to you. So why you crying? So stop crying before I give you something to cry about. I guess. So I truly give you something to cry about. That's basically what that meaning was meant. Was that was basically saying. So I'm right, but not right. Okay. What about company coming over? Cleanup. I want my house clean. Stop explaining. Yeah. My house better be clean. Okay. You might you might have a little oldness to you. Right. Okay, so who had it better? Would you survive one week without fi no Wi-Fi? Um honestly.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah, if I'm around the right people.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah. But if you wasn't around the right people, you was at home. I would not survive without life.

SPEAKER_02

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

And I grew up without that. But I don't think I would survive. That's how crazy times have changed. Okay, so at least you're being honest. Would I survive being 17 now?

SPEAKER_02

No. You'd be like, you'd be arguing over TikTok or something, or like you'll just I think I would survive, actually.

SPEAKER_03

I think I would, okay? Cause no, I think I would be arguing with people. I think that I do have a hot head. Yeah. But I wasn't like that when I was younger. I don't know if I would survive. That's a good question. I don't you don't think I would? No. And that might be valid, okay? I'm not sure. That's up for debate because I'm not quite sure if I would either. Y'all, let's see. What else? We can can I let me see. Who had it harder? Us or y'all?

SPEAKER_02

Y'all, because you guys didn't really have much it looks like much drug. No technology, no social media.

SPEAKER_03

Oh yeah. I think you I think no, I think actually I'm gonna tell you this. I think y'all have it harder because y'all don't actually get to experience being true kids and true teenagers. Y'all are so stuck with the fact y'all stuck in the fact of how other people live and off of social media and how people live their life on the internet that y'all can't fully grasp what it's actually like to be a teenager or a kid. We were forced to have to go outside. We were forced to have to find things to do. Like when we were teenagers or y'all age, we had cuz my mom made sure cousins came over. It might sound like it was harder or look like it was harder for us based off like our circumstances and stuff, but I think y'all have it hardy. I'm gonna, I must say. I guess. Okay, rapid fire. So answer fast, okay? Okay, tick tock or outside playing. Outside playing. I'm gonna say school lunch now or then? I don't know. I'm gonna say then.

SPEAKER_02

I don't really eat the school lunch, so I can't really.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, well, what do you eat? We're not gonna make that a long drawing out one because it's a quick one. That's a fast one. Because y'all don't have no food, real food. Anyways, we used to love our food. Not all the time, but for the most part. Strict parents or soft parents?

SPEAKER_02

Strict and soft for real. I don't really know.

SPEAKER_03

Both? Yeah, both. Okay. Call somebody or text. Call. Oh, so you're a talker.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

You just said earlier you're a texter.

SPEAKER_02

But then again, I don't really feel like it's still yourself. That don't even make sense. Like, no, I don't really feel like reading everything, so you could just call me and then like just say it like that.

SPEAKER_03

Oh, okay. Okay. So old school music or new school music?

SPEAKER_02

Old school music.

SPEAKER_03

All day. All day. Old school for me, all day. I take old school over any new school song. I'm sorry. Hands down. Who more dramatic? Adults or younger people? Um, adults. 1000%, because I'm definitely dramatic.

SPEAKER_02

I will have no, I think y'all are dramatic, but we could be dramatic sometimes, but like it's the adults.

unknown

I think. Okay.

SPEAKER_02

My opinion.

SPEAKER_03

Okay, funny story time, y'all. Tell me something Gensies do now that I never understand.

SPEAKER_02

I'd say like the slang or like the acronyms for like the words that we use.

SPEAKER_03

Like the slang, yeah. Because I don't when Martez be coming up here saying that, I'll be like, what is you talking about? Yeah. And he said so, like it's just so normal to say. Yeah. And y'all do that a lot. And I don't know why.

SPEAKER_02

Sometimes he don't even be saying it like the right way. He be like, sounding dumb and stuff.

SPEAKER_03

So he don't say it the correct way.

SPEAKER_02

He don't really use it the right way.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I'm tired of him use it because he uses it in his everyday life. Like this. And he can't wait to use it too. Like, okay, you know what?

SPEAKER_02

He sounds like so stupid saying it too, but yeah. Um now I got a question for you. Okay. Why do y'all call everybody your aunties and like they're not even your aunties?

SPEAKER_03

It's a community thing. It's a family thing. I feel like when we were raised, everybody was like auntie, the the next door neighbor. They felt like aunties, like people. It was like a community. We all felt like family. It didn't matter if it was friends, my friends' moms was like aunties. It was like a it's like a community thing.

SPEAKER_02

Because I'd be so confused, like when my mom be calling people like auntie, and I'm like, that's not your auntie. Is that your auntie for real?

SPEAKER_03

Right. I ain't never met that auntie. That's really but that's what you be thinking. I never met that auntie. Oh. I'd just be confused. I'm just like it's a thing. It's like a I don't know. I don't want to say I don't know if it's like a really respect thing, but it's like a community thing. That's just that's just how it works, bro. But tell me something old school you wish y'all still had.

SPEAKER_02

I wish that like we would like get outside more and just like hang out with each other more outside instead of like being stuck to our phones and stuff.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I just would you say that that's uh how y'all generation is now and built in with these electronics. Yeah. That's why you you feel like you're so like secluded into yourself. Because like getting out with friends and stuff like that is not something that y'all typically do. So now you just accustomed what you're doing.

SPEAKER_02

We're just all on our phones and just y'all don't get to socialize more.

SPEAKER_03

No, so you wish you had so basically you would have to y'all that would have to be taken away, like so y'all can mingle more. Yeah. Okay.

unknown

Okay.

SPEAKER_03

We have flip phones, so you can use your flip phone. Okay. So y'all, I ain't gonna lie, Jizy's not as lost as I thought. Because Mariah, she was hitting on some stuff. Now I thought they ain't as lost as I thought they was. Yeah, y'all, y'all wasn't completely struggling like I thought either. Yeah, we definitely wasn't struggling. I don't think it was a struggle at all.

SPEAKER_02

The the internet noise that that threw me off. I was I don't that totally. It actually made me cackle.

SPEAKER_03

I ain't gonna lie. It made me laugh a little bit because I'm like, what? This is what we had to listen to in order to fart. It's a habit. That was a hot mess. Y'all had to do a whole bunch of stuff, yeah. Unnecessary stuff, but it was still the way of living at our time. That was our way of living. So thank y'all for tuning in to another episode of Is It Really That Serious? Make sure y'all like, share, and follow, and stream this episode on all major platforms.

SPEAKER_02

And let us know who had it better, y'all or us.

SPEAKER_03

Until next time.

SPEAKER_02

Bye.