Millennials over 40 are sharing what they miss most about the pre-internet days and it's giving nostalgia

The pre-Internet days were nothing like today! Instead of using Google Maps, people trusted paper maps, printed directions, and sometimes asked locals. There were no video games, and kids instead played outdoor games or spent time talking to each other. An individual (u/nintendofan9106) took to Reddit on November 11 and asked Millennials over 40 what they miss most about the pre-internet days, and the answers were filled with nostalgia.

1. Ignorance was peaceful

"I miss not knowing what everyone thought about everything all the time. Ignorance was peaceful, not blissful; just… quieter." — u/fundraisingInsights

2. Life could be mysterious

"I miss the little mysteries of life. Everyone just googles everything. Which is cool — that we have access to information — but sometimes it’s fun to talk about the what-ifs or what-abouts as everyone tries to come up with an answer. It stifles creativity and types of conversations. Like today around the work lunch table, someone asked if we have canaries in Australia, and before we could even get into a conversation about what we all thought, a coworker googled it and said yes, we do. End of topic. Ugh, back to talking about Amanda’s stepkids again…" — u/stickylarue

3. Human connections

"I'm 75; I raised my kids without Internet until they were in high school. But I think I would like to see no Internet is because when I visited my grandchildren when they were little. If all six of them were together, they’d all be sitting and playing on their phones. I think we've lost a lot of our ability to act with other human beings face-to-face." — u/just4today50

4. Slow life was a good life

"I miss not having Internet and being outside all day as a kid. I even enjoyed the early days of the computer industry for me, the mid-  to late 80s. When I get worn out during the day, I mess around with Commodores or old Macs, a briefcase Compaq that was heavy AF, or tinker with some minor POS electronic parts. After the Internet, things just started speeding up so much. Fast forward to these past 12 months, where it's just been a living hell with AI ratcheting everything up several notches. AI slop is starting to infiltrate everything to where YouTube videos are starting to suck, and movies or shows are in the shitter too." — u/separate-respect-905

5. Smart people in the pre-Internet era

"So much… for reference, I graduated in '91. The internet has ruined the way young people mature. I'm not saying everyone... but in general, people under 30 today are not only exceedingly vapid and narcissistic but also have no personality. They're also incredibly stupid. Like literally zero developed commonsense or problem-solving skills. In short, I miss being able to go days without being totally mind-blown by some young person's attitude/personality. Especially the guys." — u/jaylek

6. Talking on calls for hours

"I do kind of miss getting together with friends and talking to them on the phone for hours. Now everyone is annoyed if you call them to talk and wants to get to the point and end it faster. I feel like the internet made it easier to manage friendships than to enjoy them." — u/agreatbigtalkinghead

7. The pre-social media era

"I miss the pre-social media and smartphone days. But pre-internet was a bit crap, really. The internet is incredibly useful for so many things, but social media is one of the worst things ever created. Having a smartphone in your pocket with countless apps and access to all of human knowledge takes away from conversation, and people miss out on stuff in life because they’re looking at what Stacey’s doing. Socializing was just better back then, if a lot harder to organize." — u/few_house_5201

8. Significant lack of stress

"Yes, I miss the pre-Internet times. The amount of information we are bombarded with daily has never been higher.  I don't have any data on it, but I feel everyone is more stressed and constantly 'on,' for lack of a better word. The pre-Internet was more chill and allowed you to do things at a slower pace. You could also have discussions about things where nobody knew the answer, which made you learn what made others tick.  Nowadays it's a race to Google what the answer is." — u/ghostlacuna

9. People having common sense

"People used to have common sense, but now it's like everyone believes everything on the internet. People need to be taught that not everything on the internet is real, just like they used to say everything on TV isn't real." — u/snowstar35

10. No distractions

"I waste so much time on my phone with Facebook Messenger and Reddit, as well as games. Last weekend, I deleted the Facebook and Messenger apps from my phone. I can’t believe how much quieter things were. I need to delete Reddit from my phone as soon as I shift my phone accounts over to my computer. The other thing I really liked was how uncluttered everything looked. God, nowadays everything is just a junk-pile mess!" — u/mental-paramedic9790

11. Playing real games

"I miss going to my friend's house to play split-screen sh***y games. It's all just nostalgia. I miss my friends and being young." — u/jolly-university-673

12. A sense of privacy

"I hate the overload of everybody posting every detail about everything they do; I miss the peace of not having personal information out in the open for anybody to find. On the other hand, I appreciate the ease with which I can find resources for my needs. I can research services that I need, and I can get education that is not readily available near me." — u/livid-rutabaga

13. Physically written notes

"I miss using pen and paper to do everything; writing notes to friends and passing them in between classes. Or finding a secret note that someone slipped into your locker. Even handwriting lessons and perfecting a signature." — u/jinx0090

14. Work-life balance

"Yes. Life was slower and much less stressful, especially at work. No email that you need to respond to right away, actually, it was the fax machine that started the stress. Speeding up an already too fast work environment." — u/adventurous-lie7397

15. Beauty of the analog world

"F*** yes. I miss the analog world. I miss magazines, I miss movies, literature and music being at the centre of the culture. I miss knowledge being earned. Nowadays, any bozo can google anything and feel like an expert. I’m not a fan of the internet." — u/treatmentboundless

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