Life before social media was more real and less pretentious. Days were simpler back then when we used to click photos with Polaroid cameras and play retro games like Pacman, Tetris, Sonic, Street Fighter, etc., and that was the epitome of dopamine. We used to shop and dine outside because there was no concept of tapping some buttons on a screen to get the orders delivered. Life felt slower pre-internet because we would not get busy scrolling feeds while eating, waiting for the bus, or talking to someone. However, as per a recent report, 4.9 billion people use social media worldwide, i.e. 59.9% of the global population and 92.7% of all internet users.
These were the times when:
- We used to call things beautiful instead of “Instagrammable.”
- “Tweeting” used to be the sweet chirping sounds of birds only.
- We used to watch TV instead of “Netflixing.”
Wondering what was life like before social media? Read on to relive the memories of World before social media!
5 Activities We Used to Enjoy Life Before Social Media Took Over Us
We used to do many activities before the arrival of social media was this much popular instead of just switching browsing apps and doom scrolling.
1. We had More Free Time
Nowadays, people don’t want to get bored. Not even for a few minutes. Therefore, they always occupy themselves with tons of distractions and activities.
Back in the day, we used to complete our tasks within set time frames and then have playtime. We used to go out and have fun with friends. Now, whenever we find ourselves free or sleepless at night, we doom scroll until we doze off.
2. Trend of Phone Books, Yellow Pages, VCR, DVDs and Catalogs
There was a unique charm and romance to Phone books, handwritten letters, and VCRs. Since there was no social media or smartphones to contact people, we used to write their numbers and addresses in dedicated diaries.
The Yellow Pages were bulky books in which you could find the contacts of different businesses, organizations, and service providers.
Since there was no Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other video streaming platform, we used to watch movies and films on CDs and DVDs.
If you ask older people, they will tell you their own stories of life before the internet changed the meaning of everything.
“Passing notes in class and the euphoric feeling when you opened the mailbox, and there was snail mail waiting for you. Letters from friends and magazines with pretty pictures of things you’d never seen before. It was astounding!”
Via: Erika Sauter on Quora
3. Scrapbooks and Making Real Photo Albums
Scrapbooking, journaling, and collecting photos used to be top hobbies where we pour out our maximum artistic skills and creativity. Despite the trend of scrapbooking, there was no urge to capture every moment of life.
We used to live for ourselves rather than for making online vlogs and videos. Our schedules and day plans were more similar to how we like to spend our days rather than how people want to see us live.
Life before technology was indeed more simple!
4. Gossips with Friends and Family
Since there were board games, TVs, and outdoor games, people spent more time with friends and family, talking about general stuff. It was more comforting and relieving than chatting with friends on social media apps like Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp.
In fact, according to the study, face-to-face contact has a strong connection with overall life satisfaction, which is why people of that era were more content with their lives.
5. Autographs and Fan Mails instead of Selfies
Celebrities felt very far from fans in those times. Content about your favorite athlete or film star was scarce. You don’t used to see them making reels or YouTube videos in the pre-internet era.
Therefore, people used to go to every extent to get their autographs or send them fan mail. It was a euphoric feeling to see your favorite star off-screen in real life.
However, life before and after the internet is almost the same in one aspect—getting signed books from celebrity writers. People still enthusiastically do that. The procedure to win an autographed book might have been digitized, but the charm of a handwritten, personalized note from your favorite author is the same.
5 Pros and Cons of Social Media You Should Know
Every coin has two sides. Social media is no exception.
For many people, it has given them freedom and a chance to be connected with someone who makes them happy. For others, it has brought only negativity and criticism.
Here are the 5 pros and cons of the internet (or social media, to be specific) on all ages of people that make it a bittersweet place.
| Why Social Media is Good (Pros) | Why Social Media is Bad (Cons) |
| You can engage with people from all over the world and from different cultural backgrounds. | Cause anxiety, depression, and other mental illnesses. |
| Provide everything from education to entertainment. | Privacy issues are a serious concern. Many people face cyberbullying every day. |
| It has transformed how businesses and markets operate in the world. | Unlimited use of social media platforms lead youth to watching bad content like pornography etc. |
| It spreads awareness like wildfire and compels people to have their say in society. | Fear of missing out (FOMO) has emerged due to the abundance of social media sites. |
| You can get innovative ideas and new job opportunities by communicating with people of your interest. | Social media addiction has become a real health concern. |
Conclusion
Social media and the internet as a whole are changing society’s metric of success, good and bad. From materials to feelings, everything has been digitized in one way or the other. People had telephone directories, DVDs, and notebooks rather than iPhones. Times were simpler and slower. Going to libraries, shopping centers, and restaurants in person was a trend, and we used to live in the moment without the urge to vlog everything.
“All in all, it was a better way to be.”
Thatguygreg, a 40-year-old person on Reddit
About the Author: Muhammad Moazzan
