The Veldt | Compare and Contrast

Early 1950s: The minimum wage is $0.75 per hour.

Today: The minimum wage is $5.15 per hour.

Early 1950s: Pulp fiction magazines are widely read, but their popularity is on the decline due to competition from television, comic books, and the paperback novel.

Today: Very few pulp fiction magazines exist. Most books are now printed on more expensive paper and some only exist in electronic form.

Early 1950s: Approximately 23.5 percent of American households own a television set. All sets are black and white.

Today: Ninety-eight percent of American households have a television and of these, 76 percent have more than one. Ninety-nine percent of all televisions owned are color televisions. High definition and plasma televisions are now available.

Early 1950s: Businessman Frank MacNamara and his friend Ralph Schneider introduce the Diners Club card. This is the first credit card in history, allowing members to charge food and drinks at twenty-eight participating New York City restaurants.

Today: Travelers can carry one credit card that is accepted in countries all over the world. There are hundreds of different types of credit cards.

Early 1950s: Treating children through psychoanalytic techniques is a new practice. The main interest in using these techniques on youngsters is sparked by the publication of Anna Freud’s The Psychoanalytic Treatment of Children in 1946. It is several years before the practice is widely adopted.

Today: Child psychology is a well-established field that can be studied in major universities across the country. Some psychoanalytic techniques are still in use in the field.

Early 1950s: American children play with the Slinky toy and the Candyland board game. Today: Children spend a great deal of time playing video games.