People who were teenagers before social media existed, what was life actually like? (AskReddit)
Some responses:
- We actually talked in person all the time.
- I read a lot more. Like, all the time.
- We had parties in the woods that were mostly sitting around on blankets and talking. Definitely a lot more face to face interaction. I’d talk to my best friends on the landline after school.
- We didn’t text to confirm plans so most plans did not fall through.
- You could do something stupid at 15 and only the 3 people there remembered it, not the entire internet forever.
- We memorized most people's phone numbers since we didn't have cell phones either.
- If I was going to call my girlfriend, I’d call her house number and have to talk to her mom or dad before they put her on the phone. Her parents would complain if she was on the phone too long.
- Lot more social. If you wanted to meet someone you had to leave the house. Pubs, bars, clubs were packed out at weekends. No mobile phones so you had to remember numbers, or if you forgot it go to the exact same club the following week and hope they turned up.
- "Hey mom, I'm going out to ride my bike." That meant I was riding around the neighborhood to see what other kids were up to. Maybe I'd join an on-going game of kick the can or join Steve who was already shooting hoops in his driveway.
- The anticipation of not knowing how your photos would turn out when using a single-use, disposable camera, and then bringing the developed packet of photos to school to look through them with your friends, was SO MUCH FUN.
- Just rode around town on a bicycle randomly visiting friends without prior confirmation. World felt very small — everyone knew everyone because there was no background noise.
- It was messy and real, friendships happened face-to-face, mistakes didn’t follow you online, and boredom somehow made life magical.
- People answered the phone and door happily. People met up daily. People left the house and did things. People learned how to act around other people. People learned how to respectfully debate with each other.
- We used to go to our friend's house, knock on the door and ask his parents "Is so-and-so coming outside to play?"
Scott's Thoughts:
- Yep. I played board games, rode a bike, talked to friends in person, and most of all... chased girls. Mostly unsuccessfully mind you.
- Extra curricular activities after school ate up most of my time.
- Now I too can't function without my phone in my hand.