How boring was life before internet and social media became big?

[Gracious Warrior]

Not boring at all. We were outside, playing all sorts of sports, hiking, doing road trips, fucking, etc. Now people stage pics of doing those things. Progress.

Yeah I kinda agree with this a little. I find myself doing things just so I can post pics on my socials, instead of actually doing things to enjoy them.

 

[Gracious Warrior]

I'm 42 years old and I didn't have high speed internet until I was around 20 years old, back in 2000. Growing up without the internet and social media in the 90s was a blessing. We rode bikes around town with our friends, we hung out at the mall, we communicated face to face. We had mini adventures all day long well into my late teenage years. Plus, our attention spans were longer and the simpler things gave us happiness. And it wasn't the internet that was our real downfall as much as it was smart phones and social media; and it began with the iPhone coming out in 2007, and then when Facebook and Twitter created their smartphone apps, it changed our society for the worse, forever.

It's been 15+ years now since social media took off. I think we are still learning about the ramifications of letting kids use this stuff, let alone adults.

My hope is that the next decade will be more focused on educating people of all ages on the responsible use of SM.

 

[Gracious Warrior]

This is probably the most sad and accurate thing ever said about the internet; that because of it, there's no mystery to life anymore since the time between not knowing something and knowing something is just a google search away. There literally was a time when you didn't know something, and it remained unknown for a long time - but when you finally got around to knowing it, the rush it gave you validated life's purpose.

Yup. Someone posted that the Internet killed the excitement of music too. Waiting for your favorite artist/band to release a new album was one the many joys of being a kid. Now I imagine there's very little excitement and suspense around music when most artist directly release music to spotify. No journey to the record store, no opening up the package and seeing liner notes and lyrics and band pictures which all contribute to the artistry of the music.

 

[Gracious Warrior]

Life was LESS boring. Now when people get together they just play with their cell phones. There's a bus stop near me where 25 or so high schoolers wait each morning. No one stands near each other or speaks to one another. They just stare at their phones. Life years ago was more exciting because we explored things on our own. We didn't check the internet for reviews and pictures first. We let real life dictate our thoughts and actions and opinions. Not some joker on the internet. We didn't watch much television either. Wasn't much on and it would take us away from more fun things like playing sports and games and riding bikes and climbing trees or going skiing and sledding. Come to think of it I don't remember a single fat kid growing up. Now I look around and half the population of all ages are a bunch of sedentary tubbies.

I think everyone hates this about smartphones and social media, how it distracts people during important or intimate moments. I often go to restaurants and see two people on a date sitting across from each other both looking at their phones. Like what's the point of being g on the date when both your minds are clearly somewhere else?

 

[Monkadelic]

I used to look forward to buying new albums on CD on the day they were released, heading back to the home of one of my friends and listening to them in their entirety.

Maybe huff some brand new video game manuals, too.

Good times.

 

[HHJ]

I'm 42 years old and I didn't have high speed internet until I was around 20 years old, back in 2000. Growing up without the internet and social media in the 90s was a blessing. We rode bikes around town with our friends, we hung out at the mall, we communicated face to face. We had mini adventures all day long well into my late teenage years. Plus, our attention spans were longer and the simpler things gave us happiness. And it wasn't the internet that was our real downfall as much as it was smart phones and social media; and it began with the iPhone coming out in 2007, and then when Facebook and Twitter created their smartphone apps, it changed our society for the worse, forever.

Yep...

Me and my boy would go out just to do it,see who or what we would run into. See if such and such is on this block etc. or go to the LES and try to pick up chicks.

 

[GtehMVP]

The internet is amazing. I love having my book of answers, or vast amounts of entertainment, seconds/clicks away. What's better, it would harder to not find a movie, book (audio or pdf), game, tv show for free, than not at all. I hated how difficult/expensive obtaining classic games was before widespread internet access.

I don't know why anyone would crave a time before that aspect. I do enjoy getting away from it all, but I would never want to go back.

I was a kid in the 80's, so I grew up without these conveniences, so I can fully appreciate them.

The only real negative I see, and it's a big one, is the voice is gives to woke retards. Social media is generally cancer, but you can avoid it. The influence of the woke mob is practically inescapable though. They have infiltrated so many mediums, and this never would have happened without the internet.

 

[roman510]

Not the best idea to start this thread on a boomer forum my dude.

You got flamed on, as expected.

40 years from now, people your age are going to reminisce about the smart phone era exactly the same way people here are reminiscing about the bicycle era, just like people before them did about the riding horses era. Is normal

 

[tuckermaclain]

Life before cellphones and social media was awesome. Nobody expected 24/7 instant access. “He’s out of the office and won’t return until next week” was a perfectly acceptable response. How cool would that be now?

 

[Chad R. Thundercock]

This is really sad. I understand you are a product of your times, but it is pathetic to me that you cannot conceive of an interesting life without internet and social media. Do you really think countless generations that preceded you sat around being bored?

As someone who was in his 20s by the time the internet was a thing, I can tell you my young adult life was plenty stimulating despite growing up in a relatively small town.

I was into music and learned how to play guitar, formed a band in high school. We spent many weekends jamming and practicing, trying to learn the songs of our favorite bands. started with classic rock like The Who and AC/DC but got into metal as we improved on our instruments. when we could pull off Metallica's For Whom the Bell Tolls, we really thought we were awesome. our bassist could even do a decent Cliff Burton solo, complete with distorted wah bass

I had my driver's licence at 16, had my first car at 17, we were driving all over the place for concerts. Packed my Toyota and drove two hours for the Clash of Titans tour... Slayer, Megadeth, Anthrax. It was fucking great

Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, and Alice in Chains were on that tour too, right?

 

[Billthebutcher]

Life is never boring, live it to the fullest.
It's ok to enjoy entertainment value of social media and being online, but dont be one of these idiots walking like a zombie, head down, glued to your phone, living in a self-involved pseudo fantasy. These inattentive people are also prime targets for pickpockets and robbery. You see it while driving too, people at the stoplight texting on their phones, or worse-while driving down the highway.
Short life expectancy for these folks, it's death that's boring.

 

[DrakeEB2]

I'm 42 years old and I didn't have high speed internet until I was around 20 years old, back in 2000. Growing up without the internet and social media in the 90s was a blessing. We rode bikes around town with our friends, we hung out at the mall, we communicated face to face. We had mini adventures all day long well into my late teenage years. Plus, our attention spans were longer and the simpler things gave us happiness. And it wasn't the internet that was our real downfall as much as it was smart phones and social media; and it began with the iPhone coming out in 2007, and then when Facebook and Twitter created their smartphone apps, it changed our society for the worse, forever.

100% accurate. I can concur, i'm 43.

 

[Timetravel_0]

Life is much more boring now. Everyone just stares at their fucking phones all day. Or they sit on their couch playing PS5 while their girl is snapchatting other dudes.

 

[Natural Order]

I'm 42 years old and I didn't have high speed internet until I was around 20 years old, back in 2000. Growing up without the internet and social media in the 90s was a blessing. We rode bikes around town with our friends, we hung out at the mall, we communicated face to face. We had mini adventures all day long well into my late teenage years. Plus, our attention spans were longer and the simpler things gave us happiness. And it wasn't the internet that was our real downfall as much as it was smart phones and social media; and it began with the iPhone coming out in 2007, and then when Facebook and Twitter created their smartphone apps, it changed our society for the worse, forever.

/thread

 

[Natural Order]

Internet ruined the surprise. It’s fundamentally about the surprise.

 

[William Huggins]

Not the best idea to start this thread on a boomer forum my dude.

You got flamed on, as expected.

40 years from now, people your age are going to reminisce about the smart phone era exactly the same way people here are reminiscing about the bicycle era, just like people before them did about the riding horses era. Is normal

There isn't actually many boomers on this forum, how many 58+ year olds are there on Sherdog?

Comparison between modern social media, accessable 24/7 via a smart phone and a bicycle.........lol is that the best you could come up with....... Are you a Zoomer....?

 

[Bos Docken]

Suicidal Tendencies, Testament, and Alice in Chains were on that tour too, right?

Alice in Chains opened, yeah! To be honest, the audience didn't really appreciate them because they weren't thrash metal and no one knew their songs. The singer could sing his ass off, though.

I think Suicidal and Testament were only on the European tour

 

[roman510]

There isn't actually many boomers on this forum, how many 58+ year olds are there on Sherdog?

Comparison between modern social media, accessable 24/7 via a smart phone and a bicycle.........lol is that the best you could come up with....... Are you a Zoomer....?

Nope. It's just an example.

What I meant is that older people in 1899 were bitching about the industrialization and doomed new generations exactly the same way, as boomers are bitching about the gen Z right now. They genuinely thought, that they had a better youth that modern kids.

But none of it was true. Same as now. It's not better, only different

 

[William Huggins]

Nope. It's just an example.

What I meant is that older people in 1899 were bitching about the industrialization and doomed new generations exactly the same way, as boomers are bitching about the gen Z right now. They genuinely thought, that they had a better youth that modern kids.

But none of it was true. Same as now. It's not better, only different

Yes you will always have people bitching about something but to say that children having less and less real world physical interaction with other humans as just different, is at best naive.......... humans aren't built that way.......... The industrial revolution started to free up peoples time, what people have filled that time with is now becoming an issue.

 

[Quinton Overeem]

Hanging outside with friends/family, playing video games, biking, playing basketball/soccer, reading books, cartoons, manga.

Life was fun.