Person asks about life before smartphones and the replies were a throwback to a simpler time
Explore how life was before the days of smartphones through anecdotes shared by social media users.
Once upon a time, in a far-off land, people roamed around the world without carrying cell phones that connect us to everyone we know and all the knowledge ever existed. It's like we lived in the dark ages, and it's freaky to know that there are grown-ups out there who never knew the agony of a phone-free existence. Like all things, having these devices has its upsides and downsides. Even phone-hugging millennials can get flustered by the constant connectivity. Recently, a Zoomer u/SwigglyFingers on Reddit asked, "What was daily life like before smartphones?" Also, the user begged for some effective tips on how to put their phone down.
“I’m trying to quit using my phone, so I would appreciate some info,” they wrote. “What would you do in your free time? How has your behavior changed? etc etc.” It was a big ask, but folks on social media could not resist the urge to share their bitter-sweet memories. Going phoneless is not feasible in this day and age, but these anecdotes might make you miss what life was like, and some will remind you of what we have gained in the trade-off (like cat videos!).
We have managed to churn out a whopping 25 responses to this post, but get this- they are just like a lemon-flavored lollipop!
Tell us about the before times papa pic.twitter.com/zJducRGMlQ
— rosey🌹 (@thechosenberg) March 26, 2023
1. Was America Once a Cat-Free Zone?
2. The Lost Art of Doing Nothing and Loving It. How We've Become Fidgety Fools!
3. Neck Pains, On The Rise!
4. Time Was Always On Their Minds
5. The Ultimate Relationship We All Have...With Advertisements!
6. Adam and Eve Called, They Want Their Story Back
7. Smartphones Turned Us Into Boring Zombies
8. Back in the Stone Age of Technology
9. Finding Love the Old-Fashioned Way
Going for walks to meet people, going to the bank in person, etc. You met girls in bars not apps.
— Dr Ted, CPA, MBA, ASPCA, LGBTQ, Esq (@Ted04536250) March 27, 2023
10. From Gamer to Cardboard Craftsman
We was out rain snow and shine,
— Loki_Lowkey (@LokiBurner) March 28, 2023
I was too broke to have video games so was making bass boxes from cardboard and sellotape lol
11. Jazz Up Your Life with a Saxophone
Basically replace "smartphone" with "saxophone" and it was exactly the same
— Blah de Vivre (@blahdevivre) March 26, 2023
12. An Eclectic Wonderland
there was so much dirt everywhere and it was free to play with, there were big climbing toys made of wood that gave you free fruit and there were shiny things just like smartphones but it wiggled and danced with the blue air
— ⚡️sirocco⚡️ (@scrmshw) March 26, 2023
13. Throwback to the Golden Age of Cable TV
Lots of nostalgia in this thread when the reality is ppl just watched a lot more cable TV
— Sam – Слава Україні 🇺🇦🗽 (@def__sam__self) March 26, 2023
14. An Aimless Adventure Through San Francisco
As a teen in the early 2000s I wandered San Francisco alone or with friends with no direction, just hopped on different busses and went where things looked interesting. Hung out a lot at parks/fields or went to our homes to talk, watch TV, listen to music, read, eat etc!
— LuLu (@starburstLuu) March 27, 2023
15. A Tale of Yabbies, Red Frogs, and a Confused Friend
16. When TV was King, Books were Friends, and Getting Lost was a Real Adventure
17. A Lament for a Life Without a Phone
18. A Nostalgic Look Back at the Days of House Phones
19. The Bold Art of Showing Up Unannounced in the Age of Smartphones
20. Snail Mail Cinema
netflix would literally mail you movies on dvd and you had to return them to get more
— alpaca, known idiot (@OneEyedAlpaca) March 26, 2023
21. Couch Potato Chronicles!!
22. Geeky Over Cool😎🤓
Back in my day! ...I did homework for fun. Legitimately would get chapters ahead because I was bored when my friends were out of time/couldn't come out to play. Do not miss those times.
— AIVA-G (@AIVA_Graphics) March 26, 2023
23. The Struggle of Having Limited Computer Access for Your Online Rants
You had to be at home and not have your older siblings need the computer if you wanted to rant on the internet
— Thatloserwhoplays (Jo Jin-Hyeong's next car sale) (@satanicsatin) March 26, 2023
24. The Heavy Burden of Carrying Your First Mobile Phone!
I remember my first mobile. It was so heavy that when I put it in my shorts pocket my shorts nearly fell down.
— Marty McFly (33.3%) (@cryptofrog08) March 27, 2023
25. Bus-Hopping Adventures
As a teen in the early 2000s I wandered San Francisco alone or with friends with no direction, just hopped on different busses and went where things looked interesting. Hung out a lot at parks/fields or went to our homes to talk, watch TV, listen to music, read, eat etc!
— LuLu (@starburstLuu) March 27, 2023
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