These days, it's hard to picture what life was like before the internet and social media. But when Reddit user u/Daredevils9 asked people who are old enough to remember life pre-internet, "What is something you miss about that time?" they delivered and brought ALL the nostalgia. Here are their responses:
1. "People actually hanging out outside with no distractions. I miss just being gone all day riding bikes with friends or at the mall."
2. "Honestly? How small the world felt. I didn't have to always hear about conflict every day. I could just go about my day, do my stuff, and enjoy my life without hearing about all the conflict and anger around the world."
3. "Boredom. Yes, boredom. Because that was time to get creative, try something new, make up a game, get really into a book, practice drawing, wander around and explore, or just hang out and talk about whatever random stuff, etc. Boredom gave curiosity, creativity, and focus. Nowadays, most of that is shot — easily/constantly interrupted, or just pre-empted. Too easy to lose interest, and there's always something else to do."
4. "You didn’t have to be constantly connected. There was no expectation that people could reach you 24/7. If they called your house and you were out, they’d just have to wait until you got home. They couldn’t message you on five different social media platforms."
5. "The neighborhood kids playing hide and seek outside."
6. "How magical video games felt as you were discovering their secrets. I remember we played Super Mario World a lot, but it wasn't until we visited a cousin that we found out about Star Road and Special Road."
7. "All games came in a physical package. You paid once, and it was yours forever. No pay-in-game shit with a zillion updates and bug fixes."
8. "Not knowing things. Like, as a kid, if I had a question about something and the answer wasn't in our encyclopedia set, it became this great mystery to find out. My imagination would run wild for months sometimes, or I'd go on hunts to find people who knew, or scavenger hunt for books on topics at museums and libraries. If the question was about a geographical place, I would write it down and count the days until our next roadtrip or vacation to that place. Now, you just Google."
9. "This is something small and very random, but I absolutely LOVED looking in the newspaper to see what movies were showing at the theater on the weekend. The best was when the new releases popped up on Thursday or Friday. Such an exciting time for 11-year-old me."
10. "I miss when people used to visit each other for many occasions. Like when you got sick, or when you celebrated something, they used to come and share this with you. Now, they call you or text you."
11. "Dating was so much easier. People met at parties, clubs, or bars. Nobody felt 'creeped out' by being approached by someone to strike up a conversation. People's communication skills were so much better back then, too, because never having communicated primarily via text and apps, people were much better at reading body language, tone of voice, picking up on jokes and sarcasm, and being able to tell if someone you were interested in was into you or not."
12. "Having an attention span. Mine is shot now. I'm lucky to make it through a movie without being distracted these days. I don't even own a smartphone, yet feel the pull of Reddit and YouTube from my laptop."
13. "Music was more special. You’d spend days and weeks delving into one good album, reading the liner notes, and poring over the artwork and lyrics."
14. "Civility. People say things on the internet they wouldn't dare say to someone's face for fear of being assaulted. Especially if it's in a format where they can be anonymous."
15. "Getting letters and cards in the mail."
16. "Ringing my buddy's doorbell at 7 a.m., asking him if he wants to play."
17. And finally, "The art of small talk. I feel like with the expansion of having internet friends who you likely meet through a shared portal of interest, people have forgotten how to interact with people who don't share the same interests."
Is there anything you miss about life pre-internet? Tell us in the comments.
Note: Responses have been edited for length/clarity.