
Development has never been faster? Right or wrong?
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It is said that development has never been as fast as it is now. This is something I’ve heard all my life. Development is happening so fast, they say. But what is really true? Is development now happening faster than before? It’s probably the case that development is happening fast in different areas. For example, we now live in a time when technological development is happening rapidly. But to find an answer to the question of whether development is happening faster now than 100 years ago, we need to take something as a starting point. In my thought experiment, I have taken a family as my starting point. Imagine how a family from 2025 will manage 50 years back in time. I’ve also looked at how a family 50 years ago would have coped with living another 50 years back.
Development between 1975-2025
In 1975, we had most of the assistive technology that we have today. What is different is computers and cell phones. The vast majority of households did not have personal computers and cell phones were unknown. Otherwise, we had pretty much the same things. Most homes in 1975 had running water and toilets.
TV
Back then, this was a rather bulky and heavy thing that sat on a shelf in the living room. The number of TV channels was limited. In Norway in 1975, we only had Norwegian TV. In other words, those living along the border with Sweden also had 2 Swedish channels that it was possible to watch.
Kitchen
In the kitchen, we recognize the stove, refrigerator and mixer. Most households also had these in 1975. Some had a dishwasher, but not all. There was running water in most homes at the time. There has also been some development in the kitchen. Microwaves and air fryers were unknown at the time.
Technology
Most people in Europe and the USA had a telephone in 1975. But it was a landline with a wire. The era of mobile phones came somewhat later. Computers were available to some extent in larger workplaces. Personal computers were not common. So social media was an unknown concept. Games were mostly board games and card games. Digital games came somewhat later. We were probably better at visiting others and joining social clubs back then. This is probably something we’ve lost a lot of since the advent of digital everyday life.
Banking and payment: Credit cards started to appear at this time. But it wasn’t common to use them to any great extent and most people didn’t have a payment card. It was cash that was used for the most part. Cheques were also a common means of payment. We often withdrew money in cash by standing in line at our local bank. Bills were paid at the bank. We took them with us and they were charged to our bank account. Today, we pay most bills digitally.
Food and transport
It was common for a family to have a car. This was largely with manual transmission. As technological development came later, we did not have a GPS system in the car. A paper map was the tool we still used when driving to unfamiliar places.
Food: In 1975, a large part of the food we ate was processed products, or semi-processed. This is in the same way as today. There has been little development in how we prepare food since 1975.
Washing: Most people had washing machines in 1975. Vacuum cleaners were also quite common. Robot vacuum cleaners, however, did not exist.
Developments between 1925-1975
In 1925, the situation was rather different. Running water was not a matter of course. Especially not outside the big cities. Toilets and showers were not common either. Outhouses were still common, especially outside the cities.
The kitchen
Some had installed electricity, especially in the cities. Nevertheless, a stove fired with wood is quite common. Outside the cities, this was very common at the time. Refrigerators were unknown to most people. As were dishwashers and washing machines. The kitchen machine was mostly a handheld device with a crank that we cranked ourselves. Dishes and laundry were done by hand.
Technology

Very few (the richest) had a telephone. The vast majority did not have a telephone. Beyond this, radio was the channel for entertainment. TV did not become common until after the Second World War.
Banking and payment: Cash was the only way to pay for the vast majority of people. Among the wealthiest, it was possible to use a check, but this only applied to a small proportion of the population. It was still most common for wages to be paid in cash by the employer. Payments were made in payroll bags.
Food and Transportation
The vast majority did not have a car. The few who had cars belonged to the richest part of the population. Horses were still important for transportation. Buses and railways also became more common.
Food: The food was mostly unprocessed products. In other words, meat had to be processed in the kitchen. Fish was bought whole and cleaned of bones and entrails by ourselves. There was some canned food, but on a much smaller scale than today. The fact that refrigerators and freezers were unheard of meant that food was bought on the same day as it was to be eaten.
Washing: A washing machine was an unfamiliar concept to most people. Washing clothes was mostly done by hand. Vacuum cleaners were also unfamiliar, and washing floors and beating carpets was the norm.
Conclusion
My conclusion is that the development for an ordinary person in Europe and the USA was greater in the years between 1925 and 1975 than it has been in the last 50 years. A person or family from 2025 will have little problem being placed back in 1975. A person or family in 1975 would have far greater problems if they were placed back in time by 50 years. My conclusion is that the development was greater in the period 1925-1975 than what we experience today.
Of course, there is a difference between where we live in the world. I’m from Norway, so this comparison is based on Western Europe and the USA.
The only area where development is happening faster today is in technology. It’s easy to think that things are happening so fast today, but that’s probably wrong.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Refrigerator