Life Before the Internet
Gasp. Yes, I’m that old to remember life without the internet and cell phones. LOL
My perspective on this topic is different than most Gen X’ers because my Dad was a computer programmer who built mainframes for the Air Force, had the first home computer, and we had “internet” before anyone else due to his job. The early “dial-up” internet was a pain and disrupted anyone who wanted to use the phone because it tapped into the phone line to work. Heaven help you if you accidentally picked up the phone while he was working and dialed the phone, he wouldn’t be happy.
Simple Days
Life before the internet was simpler. As kids we weren’t tied to a screen, we were outside playing and exploring. The knowledge we gained was from books which we had to ride our bikes to the library to get. I spent countless hours in the library researching for school assignments or just reading for pleasure. Before the internet, we actually talked to people! There were no dating apps that you swiped right or left. You actually met people first and if there was a connection, you moved on from there. Dating today is very impersonal, if someone loses interest they “ghost” you without explanation.
Too Much Information
The internet has also fed the world’s need to know everything, especially when it comes to celebrities. Back in the day, we didn’t know anything until it was either reported on the 5 or 6 o’clock news or the radio. Nothing is held sacred, not even autopsy reports. Why do people believe they have the right to know how a famous person died?
Life without the internet was much calmer and less stressful than it is now. There wasn’t a need to always be connected to work. When you clocked out at the end of the day, you left work at the door. There was plenty of time to recharge because there wasn’t this constant need to check emails, texts, or social media. Today, it’s harder to get away from all the stress caused by the sensory overload that being plugged in 24/7 causes.
The internet has done some great things too. It allows people to stay connected in a way we could never be before. It was our lifeline during Covid when the world stopped and isolation was a necessity. Going back to college was a dream I always had and was attainable because of the internet. After 6 long years and all the hardships, I graduated with a BFA in Graphic Design and an MFA in Media Design, a feat I would have never been able to do without the internet.
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