20 questions for people who were at least in their 20s before cell phones & internet

[Dan Murphy]

Heard this on local WGN radio this morning, interesting. Life was tough in the 'old' days.

(not sure if already posted, did not see it here)

I got my first screen name in the 3rd grade. It was Sammi123. I didn’t even spell my name with an “i,” nor did I really go by “Sammy,” so I have no idea where that screen name came from (nor do I understand where glitrgrl88, messedcheerleadr, & dancer4lyfe45 came from later in life either) but whatever – this has nothing to do with the rest of the “article.” The point is that I’ve been messed up in this world of technology and instant communication since I was, like, 8 years old and it has posed a huge problem for me: I cannot survive without technology.

That’s why it is so hard for me to understand how people lived before the internet. And cell phones. And texting. And Google Maps. And blogs. And Tinder. Seriously. How did people do it???



Below are many questions I have for people who spent their twenties living without all of the above things mentioned. And before you start rolling your eyes, I know there are actual answers to all of these questions and I know our generation (and basically every generation to come) is privileged beyond belief to not actually KNOW the answers to these questions, but hey — that’s the point. Enjoy.

1. How did you make plans? But seriously. HOW DID YOU MAKE PLANS. THIS REMAINS A MYSTERY.

2. How did you CANCEL plans? So you’re stuck in traffic and you’re not going to make it to dinner with your friend. How in the WORLD did you let this friend know? You didn’t have a cell phone. He/she didn’t have a cell phone. People must have gotten stood up on back then… a lot.

3. How did you know who was calling you before you picked up the phone? Did you just answer the phone without knowing who was going to be on the other end? That sounds so… adventurous.

4. How did you rid of the fear that is calling people? I’m the girl who has skipped appointments and put off apartment hunting just because I have no interest dealing with phone conversations with someone other than my mom or boyfriend.

5. How did you find out information about people before you went on dates with them? Like, you couldn’t Google them… so how did you find out about them? Did you, like, have to talk to them to find out information? What if they lied? How could you trust them? HOW COULD YOU TRUST ANYONE?

6. How did you find people to date in the first place??? It’s hard enough to find someone to date online these days. How did you so many people find significant others back then?

7. How did you keep tabs on exes? Oh wait, you didn’t? That sounds smart. And also healthy. TOO BAD THE INTERNET HAPPENED.

8. How did you keep tabs on what your entire graduating class from high school was doing? You mean that’s was reunions were for? I thought reunions were for seeing all those people you witnessed becoming fat on Facebook in person.

9. How did you look for jobs? And then apply to jobs? But seriously. This is a legit question. And when you did find jobs, how did you apply? Did you manually write cover letters? And resumes? THE HORROR.

10. How did your parents get in touch with you when you were out? This might have been the only perk of life before internet. Less annoying parents.

11. How did your survive waiting for meetings, appointments, trains, or anything without being able to pass time by pretending to look busy on your phone? Like how did you avoid eye contact with people? Did you READ A BOOK? Did you stare at the wall? Did you play with your fingers? Confused.

12. How did you do ANYTHING at work before email? Now if the internet doesn’t work, offices basically shut down. But once upon a time internet didn’t work, so please someone tell me how that all went down.

13. How did you tell co-workers (or someone else you were meeting) that you were going to be late when you were stuck in traffic or stuck on some disabled subway car? Did you just risk getting fired all the time? Or was life better because people didn’t expect you to be in constant communication all the time. Probs that.

14. How did you sign up for classes at the gym? Did you have to like, physically GO to the gym and sign up by writing your name on a piece of paper hours or days before the class took place? Because that’s just, like, a huuuuge inconvenience.

15. How did you know where you were or where you were going ever? Did you have carry around a real live map on you at all times? Did you also have a compass? Were you also John Smith in Pocahontas? I’m onto you…

16. What did you have to do if you broke down on the side of the road? I know, I know. Payphones existed. But did they exist everywhere? Were you, like, the subject of a Lifetime movie where you had to walk the streets until you found a house and hope a rapist/murderer didn’t open the door after you knocked?

17. How did you always have change on you to use these pay phones? Did you really carry a bunch of cash and coins on you??? LOL, WHAT IS MONEY THAT IS NOT ON A CREDIT CARD.

18. How did you research anything for school? Did you have to go through the Encyclopedia? Do youths even know what Encyclopedias are? Because I doubt it. But anyway, how did you pass school?

19. How did you find out about the weather? Did you have to watch The Weather Channel? Because, if so, that sucks.

20. How did you stay in touch with friends? Did you only have, like, 3 friends? Because that is a huge undertaking to keep in touch with any more than 3 people on a regular basis via a phone you could only use at home. I can barely stay in touch with people through texting and gchat and email and Facebook and Instagram and Twitter… Life must have been real hard back then, guys.

So wait. We are all totally screwed now. From my above questioning, you can see that we have mass anxiety and cannot handle the thought of not being in constant communication with anyone and everyone. That is not okay. We also are super lazy and hate the thought of doing anything that involves effort. And we know way too much about everything and everyone. There are no mysteries to life anymore. Excitement is basically gone.

http://forevertwentysomethings.com/...ere-in-their-20s-before-cell-phones-internet/

 

[goofyintoronto]

Ah, the good ol' days. No cell phones. We had to call people on the land line. And yes, payphones. They were everywhere back then. But now? I dont see them anymore. My how things have changed.

 

[Tuffcookie]

Heard this on local WGN radio this morning, interesting. Life was tough in the 'old' days.

(not sure if already posted, did not see it here)



http://forevertwentysomethings.com/...ere-in-their-20s-before-cell-phones-internet/

LOL! When I was in high school we still used typewriters. Computers were way in the future in the 1960's!

 

[JanaDee]

LOL! When I was in high school we still used typewriters. Computers were way in the future in the 1960's!

I was in high school in the early 90's. We still used typewriters, along with computers.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

I am going to copy and paste it for easier reference:

20 Questions I Have For People Who Were In Their 20s Before Cell Phones & Internet
I got my first screen name in the 3rd grade. It was Sammi123. I didn’t even spell my name with an “i,” nor did I really go by “Sammy,” so I have no idea where that screen name came from (nor do I understand where glitrgrl88, messedcheerleadr, & dancer4lyfe45 came from later in life either) but whatever – this has nothing to do with the rest of the “article.” The point is that I’ve been messed up in this world of technology and instant communication since I was, like, 8 years old and it has posed a huge problem for me: I cannot survive without technology.

That’s why it is so hard for me to understand how people lived before the internet. And cell phones. And texting. And Google Maps. And blogs. And Tinder. Seriously. How did people do it???



Below are many questions I have for people who spent their twenties living without all of the above things mentioned. And before you start rolling your eyes, I know there are actual answers to all of these questions and I know our generation (and basically every generation to come) is privileged beyond belief to not actually KNOW the answers to these questions, but hey — that’s the point. Enjoy.

1. How did you make plans? But seriously. HOW DID YOU MAKE PLANS. THIS REMAINS A MYSTERY.

2. How did you CANCEL plans? So you’re stuck in traffic and you’re not going to make it to dinner with your friend. How in the WORLD did you let this friend know? You didn’t have a cell phone. He/she didn’t have a cell phone. People must have gotten stood up on back then… a lot.

3. How did you know who was calling you before you picked up the phone? Did you just answer the phone without knowing who was going to be on the other end? That sounds so…adventurous.

4. How did you rid of the fear that is calling people? I’m the girl who has skipped appointments and put off apartment hunting just because I have no interest dealing with phone conversations with someone other than my mom or boyfriend.

5. How did you find out information about people before you went on dates with them?Like, you couldn’t Google them… so how did you find out about them? Did you, like, have to talk to them to find out information? What if they lied? How could you trust them? HOW COULD YOU TRUST ANYONE?

6. How did you find people to date in the first place??? It’s hard enough to find someone to date online these days. How did you so many people find significant others back then?

7. How did you keep tabs on exes? Oh wait, you didn’t? That sounds smart. And also healthy. TOO BAD THE INTERNET HAPPENED.

8. How did you keep tabs on what your entire graduating class from high school was doing? You mean that’s was reunions were for? I thought reunions were for seeing all those people you witnessed becoming fat on Facebook in person.

9. How did you look for jobs? And then apply to jobs? But seriously. This is a legit question. And when you did find jobs, how did you apply? Did you manually write cover letters? And resumes? THE HORROR.

10. How did your parents get in touch with you when you were out? This might have been the only perk of life before internet. Less annoying parents.

11. How did your survive waiting for meetings, appointments, trains, or anything without being able to pass time by pretending to look busy on your phone? Like how did you avoid eye contact with people? Did you READ A BOOK? Did you stare at the wall? Did you play with your fingers? Confused.

12. How did you do ANYTHING at work before email? Now if the internet doesn’t work, offices basically shut down. But once upon a time internet didn’t work, so please someone tell me how that all went down.

13. How did you tell co-workers (or someone else you were meeting) that you were going to be late when you were stuck in traffic or stuck on some disabled subway car? Did you just risk getting fired all the time? Or was life better because people didn’t expect you to be in constant communication all the time. Probs that.

14. How did you sign up for classes at the gym? Did you have to like, physically GO to the gym and sign up by writing your name on a piece of paper hours or days before the class took place? Because that’s just, like, a huuuuge inconvenience.

15. How did you know where you were or where you were going ever? Did you have carry around a real live map on you at all times? Did you also have a compass? Were you also John Smith in Pocahontas? I’m onto you…

16. What did you have to do if you broke down on the side of the road? I know, I know. Payphones existed. But did they exist everywhere? Were you, like, the subject of a Lifetime movie where you had to walk the streets until you found a house and hope a rapist/murderer didn’t open the door after you knocked?

17. How did you always have change on you to use these pay phones? Did you really carry a bunch of cash and coins on you??? LOL, WHAT IS MONEY THAT IS NOT ON A CREDIT CARD.

18. How did you research anything for school? Did you have to go through the Encyclopedia? Do youths even know what Encyclopedias are? Because I doubt it. But anyway, how did you pass school?

19. How did you find out about the weather? Did you have to watch The Weather Channel? Because, if so, that sucks.

20. How did you stay in touch with friends? Did you only have, like, 3 friends? Because that is a huge undertaking to keep in touch with any more than 3 people on a regular basis via a phone you could only use at home. I can barely stay in touch with people through texting and gchat and email and Facebook and Instagram and Twitter… Life must have been real hard back then, guys.

So wait. We are all totally screwed now. From my above questioning, you can see that we have mass anxiety and cannot handle the thought of not being in constant communication with anyone and everyone. That is not okay. We also are super lazy and hate the thought of doing anything that involves effort. And we know way too much about everything and everyone. There are no mysteries to life anymore. Excitement is basically gone.

At least this is accurate about life before the internet.



I’m going to go refresh my Instagram feed now. Bye.

 

[Tiffylv]

.

 

[lizabu]

Does this person not have parents? Seriously I'm always telling my kids how easy they have it.

Back in my day, when you had a school project you took the city bus down to the library and looked up the subject in the library card catalogue. Then you found the book and researched. If it was a reference book you weren't allowed to check those out so you has to make notes by hand or once they got a photocopier you could photocopy the page. Now you can look it up on the Internet in seconds.

 

[Breezy_Carol]

I remember party lines. When you picked up the land line house phone, you had to be sure there wasn't another family using it. We shared with another phone number. This was in Baltimore in the 60's.

And imagine this, when I was in college we used to hand write letters between my parents, brother and myself.

LOL! When I was in high school we still used typewriters. Computers were way in the future in the 1960's!

I am really old. We used slide rules before calculators were invented. Just started with them in college.

 

[chiefmickeymouse]

We were stationed in England when cell phones and the internet became widespread. Most of the people we knew in the Air Force couldn't afford either one. When we came back to the states, EVERYONE had both. It was sort of a culture shock. I still miss card catalogs at the library and being able to get away from the phone sometimes.

 

[barkley]

I am truly a dinosaur regarding this stuff-took actual typing on a typewriter in high school so I could type homework up for college, and college assignments were done using a brick and mortar library. didn't get a cell phone until well after ds was born, dh wore a pager during both of my pregnancies with the kids. I remember actually going into businesses to look for jobs/fill out applications (and the potential employer could see ME filling out the application and confirm I could write legibly/spell correctly). I remember planning trips and schlepping to the local triple A office to get maps and their travel books (to see what lodging/restaurants they recommended), and ALWAYS using a travel agent to make airline reservations (if you needed once b/c it was common place to walk into SFO to see if they had room on an outbound flight and just pay cash to get on-no i.d. required, no 2 hour pre flight arrival-I could catch the red eye at midnight down to LAX for $25 and that included free snack and beverage service).

I think it's easier to some extent now, but when a computer system for an entity I'm doing business with hiccups or crashes it's sure nice to at least be aware of potential options on how to get things done 'manually'-when dd was registering (on-line of course) for classes last term and there was a glitch with the university's system my first response was 'go to the registrar's office to get everything straightened out', and it was at that point I came to realize that despite being in her second year of attending college-she's never stepped foot into the admissions and registration office b/c everything is done on-line so she had no idea where it was. I mean when I went to college we practically camped out there at least in the days surrounding open registration-cuz we had to manually fill out the names of the classes we wanted from the paper catalogs, stand in line for hours, and have back-up schedules in hand in case the handwritten lists the registration staff had said a particular class was full or cancelled.

 

[momz]

I will attempt to answer.

1.calendars have been around for eons.
2. Just like today, don't schedule yourself so tight that you don't allow time for the possibility of traffic. Cell phones, or not, one should consider commute time.
3. Answer the dang phone! Big deal, learn to communicate with people...if it's someone you don't want to talk to the tell them you are busy and can't talk...how hard is that?
4. I don't understand this one. Fear of calling people? Uh, maybe counseling...nut then, you'd have to call and make an appointment for that.
5. In my day, you meet someone, you interact, then, if there is an attraction, the two of you will meet again, thus getting to know each other through conversation and mutual experiences. How is that different?
6. See number 5...talk to people!
7. The author clearly has stalker tendencies.
8. See number 7. I'm not obsessed with the members of my class. If we were friends then, we are friends now..I call them or...wait for it...write a letter...imagine! Oh the horror.
9. Newspapers have help wanted ads. Or, you enter an establishment, request to speak to the manager and...get this....talk to them! This strategy still works today btw.
10. My parents asked me, before I went out, where are you going, who will you be with, what will you be doing, when will you be back. No need for a constant connection...time to cut that umbilical cord don't ya think?
11. Books, magazines, and something meant youth lack, conversational skills. There was also an interesting invention called radio.
12. Colleagues would talk to each other...are you seeing a pattern here?
13. See number 2
14. Gyms did not exist. There were organized leagues for sports, mostly coed softball, bowling, golfing. But also, people took walks, took kids to the park. Also, people did their own yard work and whatnot, not as much sitting around as happens now.
15. Generally, I would turn left out of my drive way, walk about a quarter mile to the bus stop and catch the bus.
16. Breaking down on the road. People would stop to help, or you could knock on someone's door. There were some scary houses I would never approach, but generally this was not a scary thing. It happened. Don't enter the house, but ask the person to make the call for you.
17. Pay phones cost a dime when I was in high school. There was one phone at the end of the hall. After practice or club whatever, the kids would line up to use the phone. I kept my dime in my shoe all day.

18. Libraries. Card catalog. This skill was taught very young. We learned how to use a library as we learned to read.
19. Newspapers would have a forecast. Also, we looked out the window. You should try it. Generally, it was hot in summer and cold in winter.
20. Lol. Phone, letters, seeing them face to face. Christmas cards with yearly updates are a thing of the past.


Those were the days. Who on here remembers party lines? And those mimeograph machines at school. You had to stand there and turn the crank to copy the ink onto each paper...I can still remember the smell and the feel of the wet paper. Before that, we each had our own personal chalk board, chalk and eraser. We would copy the work onto the chalkboard, the teacher would check it, rinse and repeat.

The biggest change is that now we literally have a world of information in our hand.






https://www.facebook.com/lisa.bray.39395/posts/1528744520719149

 

[The Mystery Machine]

We used land lines to keep in touch and people were just as lazy back then as they are now.

Watch the Weather Channel? LOL, that did not even exist. You just watched the news.

Cars breaking down was a PITA, I will admit that was irritating. Esp. with the oil burning monsters we drove.

Oh and we used the newspaper and Auto Trader to buy and sell our used cars or other stuff. Now we use Craigslist for FREE, it is great.

I did not get a cell phone until I was in my 30's.

 

[Luvchefmic]

I WISH we would go back to how it used to be applying for a job. You bought a newspaper, you read the classifieds, you called for an interview apt, and most times you found out you got the job right then and there. People shook hands and made eye contact.

How did we survive without everything that was mentioned ? We did, you don't miss what you don't have. I was 18 and took a cross country trip, no cell phones, an adventure

 

[barkley]

I remember party lines, and having to wait until another member of the party was off the phone to make my phone call. mimeograph machines-I spent many hours using one as a TA in high school. I had to explain to dd the scene in fast times at ridgemont high where the kids are smelling the newly handed out tests from the teacher because she had no idea, same thing with a reference in a movie to the dewey decimal system (for you young-uns it's a library term). to keep up with the kids I went to high school with I only had to call my mom who still lived in the town I grew up in-she read the actual paper version of the newspaper daily so if she started any conversation with "did you know/go to school with..."
I knew they were either listed in the obituaries or the police blotter.

 

[PigletsPal2]

Heard this on local WGN radio this morning, interesting. Life was tough in the 'old' days.

(not sure if already posted, did not see it here)



http://forevertwentysomethings.com/...ere-in-their-20s-before-cell-phones-internet/

Heard this on local WGN radio this morning, interesting. Life was tough in the 'old' days.

(not sure if already posted, did not see it here)



http://forevertwentysomethings.com/...ere-in-their-20s-before-cell-phones-internet/

1. We made plans in advance whenever we were with our friends, family, etc. For example, at the dinner table on Sundays, we all reviewed our family plans for the week. On the school bus, we planned our get-togethers with friends.

2. We added a caveat to our plans - "If I'm not there by 4:00, it means I'm not able to make it; start without me. I'll call you later." Friends and family understood that things happen and that you wouldn't intentionally blow them off (you wouldn't would you?)

3. You didn't know who was calling, you took your chances.

4. Never had a fear of using the phone.

5 & 6 go together. I only DATED men I knew, either from school, work, church or some other activity I participated in. If a friend wanted to introduce me to someone, we would double-date. We "vetted" potential dates with mutual acquaintances. My DH lived down the street from me from the time I was three and he was five. Although I dated other men (and was engaged at one time to someone else), I knew from the time I was 15 that I wanted to marry DH.

7 & 8 also go together. We didn't really "keep tabs" on exes. When the relationship was over, he was free to do as he pleased, and so was I. School friends kept in touch through cards, letters, and occasional phone calls. Five-year high school or college reunions gave us the chance to catch up with more casual acquaintances. Interestingly, quite a few of the men in DH's HS graduating class married women from my HS graduating class, so we killed two birds with one reunion.

9. We looked for jobs in the newspaper. The ads usually provided a job description and instructions to send resume and cover letter (which we prepared on a [probably] manual typewriter) to a P.O. box. If a company was interested, they would call you to arrange an interview. When I arrived home after my first job interview, the phone was ringing as I walked in the door; it was my interviewer, offering me the job. Good thing I wasn't afraid to answer the phone! We also networked, although I don't think it was called networking back then.

10. They didn't get in touch with us, although as a courtesy and because it made good sense, we told our parents where we would be.

11. I always kept a paperback book in my handbag.

12 & 13. We used the inter-office telephone or got off our duffs and walked to a co-worker's office. Managers were (usually) understanding about traffic and bad weather, especially if you lived/worked in an area where these were viable concerns.

14. Didn't go to the gym, so not an issue.

15. If I didn't already know where I was or how to get where I wanted to be, I asked around until I found someone who did. I never did learn how to read a map.

16 & 17. Yep, looked until you found a pay phone. Everyone usually carried a small amount of change with them for just this purpose. To give you an idea of how old am, I remember when pay phones were five cents for a thee-minute call and how outraged I was when a call went up to 25 cents!

18. Yep, library research, or if you were "lucky," your family had a Collier's Encyclopedia or an Encyclopedia Britannica.

19. We called WE-6-1212 for a daily recorded and hourly updated weather report (at least in the Washington, DC area).

20. We made the effort it takes to keep in touch with those who were important to us. And even in this day and age of instant communication, it still requires an effort. I appreciate those who make the effort to keep in touch with me and I try very hard to reciprocate.

And this may set the record for my longest post!

Queen Colleen

 

[Cannot_Wait_4Disney]

Darn these kids and their high tech skateboards. When I was their age, we nailed metal wheels to a two by four and WE LOVED IT!!!!

 

[kaytieeldr]

19. Newspapers would have a forecast. Also, we looked out the window. You should try it. Generally, it was hot in summer and cold in winter.

Or, network news. Or what the meteorologists seem to do - look out the window.

 

[Andipandi]

I wish we could go back to the way it used to be. It was so much easier. People actually held conversations face to face. No one was interested in what you ate for breakfast or where you were every second of the day. I remember no cell phones. When I was dating my husband I lived in an apartment and didn't have a phone. I would drive into town and use the pay phone to call him. When traveling anywhere you got directions and wrote them down on paper. You made plans with your friends on the telephone that was hanging on the wall in your kitchen. You knew how to communicate, I mean really communicate. When you went out with your friends to dinner you laughed and joked and looked each other in the eye, not at your cell phone every other minute. No one brought a camera to dinner to take selfies. LOL Oh the good old days!! Record players, phones with cords attached to the wall, typewriters and so much more.......those were the days.

 

[eliza61]

OMG this was sooo funny. I feel bad for the author. she sounds like an anxiety filled mess.

Anyhoo my answers are in red.

1. How did you make plans? But seriously. HOW DID YOU MAKE PLANS. THIS REMAINS A MYSTERY.
We actually talked to one another and decided on what we wanted to do. some times we actually had to call someone to get more information.

2. How did you CANCEL plans? So you’re stuck in traffic and you’re not going to make it to dinner with your friend. How in the WORLD did you let this friend know? You didn’t have a cell phone. He/she didn’t have a cell phone. People must have gotten stood up on back then… a lot.

See back in the good ole days your friends actually had common sense. they didn't need a blow by blow description. If you were running late your friends just simply assumed that there was traffic. No we didn't get stood up.

3. How did you know who was calling you before you picked up the phone? Did you just answer the phone without knowing who was going to be on the other end? That sounds so… adventurous. We didn't but then again we didn't have 50 gazillion telemarkets calling all day and night so people who called usually were some one you knew.

4. How did you rid of the fear that is calling people? I’m the girl who has skipped appointments and put off apartment hunting just because I have no interest dealing with phone conversations with someone other than my mom or boyfriend.

ok that's a little sad and scary. We did not have "fear" of talking to people. We went to the bank and talked ot the tellers, we went to the post office and talked to the clerks, *** gasp*** some of us were really adventurous and spoke with our mailman.

5. How did you find out information about people before you went on dates with them? Like, you couldn’t Google them… so how did you find out about them? Did you, like, have to talk to them to find out information? What if they lied? How could you trust them? HOW COULD YOU TRUST ANYONE?

Well we had this really weird thing, called "TAKE YOUR TIME". We generally didn't hop into bed with some one just because we brushed up against them. You went on a first date, then a second, etc etc. YOu meet the persons family, you spent time with them THEN you trusted them.
6. How did you find people to date in the first place??? It’s hard enough to find someone to date online these days. How did you so many people find significant others back then?
We went out and when we did go out we did not have our face stuck in a cell phone. We went to nightclubs, ball games, parks. You know all those places where people congregate in to have a good time??


7. How did you keep tabs on exes? Oh wait, you didn’t? That sounds smart. And also healthy. TOO BAD THE INTERNET HAPPENED.

We called it stalking. it's illegal
8. How did you keep tabs on what your entire graduating class from high school was doing? You mean that’s was reunions were for? I thought reunions were for seeing all those people you witnessed becoming fat on Facebook in person.

9. How did you look for jobs? And then apply to jobs? But seriously. This is a legit question. And when you did find jobs, how did you apply? Did you manually write cover letters? And resumes? THE HORROR.

10. How did your parents get in touch with you when you were out? This might have been the only perk of life before internet. Less annoying parents.

- See more at: http://forevertwentysomethings.com/...re-cell-phones-internet/#sthash.mJtWsBvg.dpuf

 

[Patch'sD]

I would rather meet up with friends at a local bar than Facebook

I would much rather not feel that I have a teether on me which is called a Cell Phone.

I would much rather have my kids to be able to go out all day and come back at Dinner, rather than these days with all the sicko's out there.

I thank God for the DVR and the ability to Fast Forward Through Commercials.