25 things that are making people nostalgic about life before the internet and mobile phones
People shared memories of using rotary phones, meeting people in person,and using guidebooks to travel.
Everyone has sweet memories from the pre-internet era. Those were the simpler times when even though people didn't know about everything happening around them, there was more sense of peace and harmony. People loved meeting each other in person and having deep conversations. There was no hurry to be the first to put pictures on social media or check reviews before going somewhere. They relaxed and did things on their own time. These are some of the many things people miss when asked to remember life pre-internet.
So, when @ThatEricAlper asked, "People old enough to remember life pre-internet, what are some less obvious things you miss about that time?" Many users on the platform started sharing their memories of using rotary phones, meeting people in person and using guidebooks to travel. So, here we have compiled all the interesting answers that people shared on this thread:
1. Tring-Tring
If you went out, people had to wait until you got home to call you.
— Elly (@twisted_words) May 31, 2023
2. On repeat mode
Having like only 12 movies on DVD in your household that you would just watch over and over and over and over again that are now ingrained into your psyche for the rest of your life https://t.co/V6M2pCaWBo
— Whyenn. (@WhyTheEnn) June 1, 2023
3. What else?
Snow days. Newspapers. Shouting over the collect call operator. Chingers. Albums. Road trips with maps. Winding cassettes with the eraser end of a pencil. Shoulder pads.
— Liz Rabban (@LizRabban) June 1, 2023
4. Meet-up spots
Meet up spots, parks, basketball courts, arcades, malls, etc. you would just go there and see who showed up. These places still exist but lack the same level of serendipity.
— Josh Withers (@JW_True) June 1, 2023
5. "When takeout was a treat"
For me: It’s the TV guide & appointment television, when takeout was a treat, knowing a good show is good by its tens of millions views, answering machines, reading long books and losing ourselves in them, BBC’s “Pride & Prejudice” know anything you’re in is worthwhile &…
— Anfal 🍃 (@anfalaljlayil) June 1, 2023
6. Mystery
We didn’t know every single thing about everyone every second. There was mystery.
— Jenn Turner (@WestVan8675309) June 1, 2023
7. Good old days
Clock radios, listening to my favorite classical AM station late at night, maps in the glove box, folding them out on the side of the road. I miss my longer attention span, and hours in the public library reference section.
— Amy Benson (@amy_martyn) May 31, 2023
8. Just taking it all in
Going to gigs and not seeing hundreds of up-lit faces from hundreds of mobile phones. People used to just go and enjoy the show, not go and record it all.
— ˗ˏˋ Pete Trainor ˎˊ (@petetrainor) June 1, 2023
9. No information overload
-The ability to disconnect. We didn't wonder, all the time, what was going on at that moment, everywhere.
— CarolJude (an Idiot's tale) 📺 🩺💙💙🎭 (@caroljude) June 1, 2023
-The excitement and glee at finding a bootleg vhs tape with rare video of your favorite band.
-Knowing LESS about everything.
10. Meeting in-person
Touch, feelings, and true emotion witnessed or needed via face-to-face contact
— MissM (@Just_MissM) June 1, 2023
11. Can't be matched
Recording songs off the radio on blank cassettes before Spotify existed. There was just a level of excitement of catching your favorite songs at the right time that really can't be matched.
— Jade Infanta (@Gloriana_2_U) June 1, 2023
12. Calling for reservations
Planning a vacation using paper maps, determining average mph and arrival times to a major city that had a Holiday Inn. Calling ahead for a hotel reservation or stopping to use a pay phone. Of course I used a CB radio to learn where there were Bear Traps.
— JB (@excogito) June 1, 2023
13. No cancellations
When you arranged to meet friends at a certain time, nobody ever cancelled at the last minute because they hadn't got the means to communicate so they had to stick to original plans
— Sinéad NicGiollaDhubh 🇮🇪 🇺🇦 🏳️🌈 (@sineadnicdhubh) June 1, 2023
14. Try and test it
Not feeling the need to research every purchase (reading reviews, watching videos, waiting for the best price etc) I miss just buying a thing and hoping for the best. Of course I don’t miss in person shopping so it’s all a trade off
— Vik West 🌈🌻🐝🐾 (@VictoriaEWest) June 2, 2023
15. Rotary phones
Not feeling the need to research every purchase (reading reviews, watching videos, waiting for the best price etc) I miss just buying a thing and hoping for the best. Of course I don’t miss in person shopping so it’s all a trade off
— Vik West 🌈🌻🐝🐾 (@VictoriaEWest) June 2, 2023
16. Precious playtime
Playing outside with my neighbors until the sun went down escipcally during the fall and summer also the nights the ice cream truck would drive into the neighborhood we would all sit together until we all finished our ice cream
— Madigan O’Brien (@madiganobrien) May 31, 2023
17. Exactly!
We did everything at our own pace, came home when it was dark, Ate dinner with the family, watch tv shows on ABC,NBC, CBS & CBC. We actually had to remember phone numbers when we dialed or press the phone. We spoke to one another.
— Joey Prefontaine (@northshorejoey) June 1, 2023
18. Letters for the win
Writing letters, having a letter on the go to a friend over a couple of days, the style of writing, sticking stuff in and the effort of sending it.
— Samantha Tedd (@samanthatedd) June 2, 2023
Hearing the postman and checking what had arrived.
I have a suitcase full of letters from my teens. Then the internet arrived.
19. Hello!
People stopping by to say hello, card nights everything has changed post internet/social media
— Richard Musick (@RichardMusick) June 1, 2023
20. Got concert tickets easily
Knowing about a concert coming to town
— Big Head🍻 (@BigHead843) June 1, 2023
was word of mouth or newspaper. Big flex when you got tickets (bought in person) first.
21. Friday nights
Getting to go to a friend’s house on Friday nights after school, going to the movie rental store to select A movie, two if you were lucky, the thrill of scoring a highly coveted copy of a newer release. Getting pizza delivered !watching it as a group, riveted
— carried by mercy (@justahomemaker) June 1, 2023
22. Such joy
More privacy, more excitement due to anticipation of things. A greater sense of achievement with some things as we had to work harder to get them. Photo albums
— ❤️༄Amanda༄❤ (@Titanium2110) June 2, 2023
23. Treasure Hunting!
Hunting used book stores for your favorite author. Web searches are more successful, but that feeling of discovery and treasure hunting is lost
— Elizabeth Ring (@bringmd) June 1, 2023
24. No people politics
I miss not knowing peoples politics. When I knew I wanted to be around people because they were kind to me and my neighbors or were funny or were quick to buy a round of drinks.
— Tracey Walker (@esmeraldaqyo) June 1, 2023
25. Guidebooks
Reading guidebooks when traveling. Studying up in a place before arriving and having a curated list of things to see, places to eat, etc. Now the info is in my phone but there’s too much of it and I’m looking at it as I go.
— Margaret Meserve (@mmeserv1) June 1, 2023
Share on Facebook
