Pre-internet/digital age- anything you miss about it?

[danot]

The digital age has undeniably revolutionised the way we live our lives. But, for those of us old enough to remember life without it, (although I was born in 69 during the digital era's infancy) is their anything you miss about the pre-internet/digital era?

 

I suppose most of us can relate to losing someone to it, whether that be the kids texting at meal times or hibernating in their bedroom gaming, or your partner being outed as a love-rat on Facebook, or maybe it's your frustration over not having the foggiest why the car won't start or why that warning light keeps flashing and questioning why cars nowadays have to be dismantled to change a bloody bulb.

 

Anything?

Edited March 13, 2016 by danot

[ll49]

More than anything I'm just so pleased I had my childhood before Facebook/Twitter/snapchat etc were invented because we actually played out and used our imaginations and made dens etc. I used to love going home from school, getting changed and going out calling for friends to play out.....so many of my friends children now stay in their bedroom texting each other when they're only a few doors away, or uploading selfies and videos onto Facebook, and talking about who looks cute with who etc, that's not what kids should be doing!!

[danot]

More than anything I'm just so pleased I had my childhood before Facebook/Twitter/snapchat etc were invented because we actually played out and used our imaginations and made dens etc. I used to love going home from school, getting changed and going out calling for friends to play out.....so many of my friends children now stay in their bedroom texting each other when they're only a few doors away, or uploading selfies and videos onto Facebook, and talking about who looks cute with who etc, that's not what kids should be doing!!

I actually miss having no option but to wait for the No 1 pop video to be played at the end of top of the pops and hoping that a particular song video is shown.

Edited March 13, 2016 by danot

[tzijlstra]

It is an interesting question for people like me who study the digital society, but one that is extremely difficult to answer. I was born in the late seventies and witnessed the transition as a conscious being, as a pre-teen I was ALWAYS outside, then in the early 90s the first computers came into our household (father's hobby) and eventually one of them connected to the very, very early stages of the internet. Mind blown, it really was amazing.

 

Over time I spent less and less time outside, playing with friends in the mud, snow, rain etc. and more and more inside, playing with friends in digital mud, snow, rain etc. The interactions are actually very similar. What I don't like though, is the advent of digital portable devices, tablets, smartphones etc. When I am with someone they have my full and undivided attention, or at least the activity we do together has.

 

And to make the circle round, I now enjoy going out far more than I did as a teenager. I also incorporate complete digital-black-out in my life now, it is a bit of a struggle, but one day a week I try and use the internet and computers as little as possible and make sure I have other activities. (Much to the annoyance of my wife!)

[danot]

It is an interesting question for people like me who study the digital society, but one that is extremely difficult to answer. I was born in the late seventies and witnessed the transition as a conscious being, as a pre-teen I was ALWAYS outside, then in the early 90s the first computers came into our household (father's hobby) and eventually one of them connected to the very, very early stages of the internet. Mind blown, it really was amazing.

 

Over time I spent less and less time outside, playing with friends in the mud, snow, rain etc. and more and more inside, playing with friends in digital mud, snow, rain etc. The interactions are actually very similar. What I don't like though, is the advent of digital portable devices, tablets, smartphones etc. When I am with someone they have my full and undivided attention, or at least the activity we do together has.

 

And to make the circle round, I now enjoy going out far more than I did as a teenager. I also incorporate complete digital-black-out in my life now, it is a bit of a struggle, but one day a week I try and use the internet and computers as little as possible and make sure I have other activities. (Much to the annoyance of my wife!)

only the other week a fresh out of uni phone repair shop assistant attempted to educate me on my apparent lack of understanding of why electronic household appliances rarely last beyond their warranty. I waisted no time pointing out that I'm old enough to remember the days when electronic appliances outlived the family dog.

[tinfoilhat]

I worked in a newsagents many years ago. I don't miss that awkward moment of selling someone a copy of razzle.

[danot]

I worked in a newsagents many years ago. I don't miss that awkward moment of selling someone a copy of razzle.

 

It's been replaced by predictive search bars and forgetting to clear your search history.

[DUFFEMS]

I can't understand why people walk around with their mobile in the palm of their hand as though it's a life support system. It's not just common to one age group either, I've seen grannies letting go of a child's hand to make sure that they keep in contact with their phone.

Today whilst in a large store I heard a clatter on the escalator to witness a woman diving headlong down it to retrieve her phone as though her life depended on it, her young kids were left unattended whilst she did some rather remarkable gymnastics.

 

Does no-one talk in the flesh anymore?

 

I miss conversation.

Edited March 13, 2016 by DUFFEMS

[davyboy]

My youth...........

[danot]

I miss the days when a picture of someone pouting like Larry Grayson was funny.