#more on this later...

like if you're writing a period specific story say, for example, the 1980s, watching movies of literally any genre made in the 80s AND some movies that take place in the 80s but were made in other years can also yield results.

you can eliminate really simple anachronisms by watching E.T., listening to the way the phone's ring sounds, how long is the phone cord, how far can you walk, what would you tangle into on the way. What kind of games did they play to pass the time, what was a food that was in vogue? What technology did they have? how would two friends communicate if they had to get someone a message as fast as possible? How would they listen to music? When do you start seeing microwaves in kitchens? What's the slang?!

Any movie where a cassette player is used, you can notice how many buttons are pressed to start, stop, record, rewind. And this isn't to say by any means you should be describing it like that, I just mean that when you can conjure these details (what do you do with a needle on a record player?) it makes the characters a little more human, i think. the idiosyncrasies in how we leave our trace (laughing in the background of a mixtape and now it's part of the structure of the thing), how fast they can press successive buttons can tell us how hesitant or unfamiliar or comfortable with a piece of machinery or environment a character is.

ok well then later, in the 90s and 2000s we watch computers grow!! watching you've got mail literally is research. what did it mean to use the internet? like actually spell it out T-chart style. Imagine how you'd call a friend on your phone, then map out each step in their technological terms. how long does it take to go from deciding to use the computer, to have the computer in your grasp, turned on, and ready to use? What's the equivalent?