Chris Grask | Perspective Contributor

 … the uncertainty yet greatness of Limewire.

The client file sharing program was the next Napster, yet you never knew what you were really downloading until you opened it on your desktop.

The program was filled with viruses and misleading titles that would shock the user upon download. One was when I decided to download a My Chemical Romance album, and when I hit play, Nickelback blasted through the speakers. I was disgusted, disappointed and ashamed I had to listen to that awful attempt to make rock music. However, the client was fantastic at illegally downloading movies and music.

The rise and fall of Limewire was short-lived, but I wouldn’t have been able to go through my teenage angst without it. Limewire may be responsible for millions of dollars lost by the media industry, yet the amount of money it cost our parents to fix the desktop after the sketchy downloading practice more than made up for it.

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Lisa Lillianstrom | Perspective Contributor

… how good Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows actually were.

We had “Hey Arnold,” “The Legend of Korra,” “Kim Possible” and countless others, not to mention all of the awesome Disney Channel original movies.

The current Disney and Nickelodeon shows are mostly the same plot with a few exceptions. Now, I only watch the channels if they are playing an original movie. What they should have is a Saturday morning cartoon special hour with all of the older shows playing like when we were eating cereal in front of the TV and not even thinking about responsibilities. One good bonus is sometimes they have the original shows and movies available on streaming services; it’s nice to have a piece of your childhood.

Lucas Skye | Perspective Contributor

… the freedom that comes with not having to be available 24/7.

Since cell phones weren’t as popular as they are today, kids growing up didn’t always have phones. This meant kids had more independence and autonomy, as parents didn’t have the means to constantly supervise their children. The effects of cell phones becoming more commonplace affects professionals too. For some, the nine-to-five workday can spill late into the night, as those even in entry positions like frycooks may be required to be on-call after their regularly scheduled shifts. While it’s safe to say the world has become more connected as a result of cell phones, it has also become busier.