Redditors 40 and older, do you miss the days of no smartphones and tablets? Why or why not?
Posted by nonmagnon@reddit | Xennials | View on Reddit | 231 comments
hopewhatsthat@reddit
IMHO the smart phones were when we jumped the shark.
Social media wasn't so crazy when you had to be on your computer to use it.
Phones weren't so bad when they could only call or text.
Combined, they are causing many problems.
But with all the apps and crap you can't really not have one these days.
DBE113301@reddit
In my life, it's actually impossible to go without one. My job requires a smartphone with internet access just for me to be able to do my job, e.g. log-in credentials, software programs with functions only available on smartphone apps and not through web browsers (such as notifications of all things), etc. With my bank and my retirement account, it's the same thing. A couple months ago, I forgot to bring my smartphone with me to work, so I needed to go back home and get it because I couldn't do my job otherwise. The world assumes that everyone has a smartphone, so we've made them indispensable. And I really wish we hadn't.
drawgs@reddit
I remember the first time I worked for a small startup and they decided to not spend the money on a landline system because we all had cell phones. I didn’t. I wish I could go back to that point but as a tool they are so useful and service at one point was cheaper than landline.
no1kn0wsm3@reddit
I deleted social media, streaming and gaming apps on my phone over a dozen years ago and I've never been happier.
Phone lasts 3-4 days between charges of 10-90% USB-A slow charge.
bev665@reddit
I agree. Having the Internet on your phone? Awesome. Having social media available at all times? Ughhhhh.
no1kn0wsm3@reddit
I deleted social media, streaming and gaming apps on my phone over a dozen years ago and I've never been happier.
fermentedradical@reddit
Yes. As a professor I loved the days before students were addicted to technology and the Internet.
fleetiebelle@reddit
Now I can't find it, but I recently read an article that bullying and fighting in schools is decreased when kids don't have their phones all day.
Parents resist for safety reasons , but when we were young it would have been at least mildly embarrassing to be in contact with your mom all day.
Twirlmom9504_@reddit
This!! I would have been so embarrassed if I had to constantly check in with my mom all day. Also, we were able to be reached at the phone in the office if needed and vice versa.
MadPopette@reddit
As a parent, I concur.
Twirlmom9504_@reddit
Absolutely. If I could change it back I would for the sake of the kids who grew up with them. Nothing in my Life is that much better and stress levels were so much h lower.
Al_Tilly_the_Bum@reddit
Remember when you would ask your parents a question that they didn't know and you would just not learn that info?
I love that ability to access all the info in the world but humanity would have been better off if social media was never invented (def includes reddit)
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Worse yet they'd make something up and you'd believe ot half your life.
CSATTS@reddit
I thought my dad knew everything. Half of my adult life has been realizing he was just making shit up and/or repeating things he'd heard. I try to be much more honest with my kids about things I don't know and we use it as an opportunity to learn something new together.
Peanut083@reddit
Yeah, imagine believing your dad when he told you that the Great Wall of China was built by Emperor Nasi Goreng to keep the rabbits out.
snot_cat@reddit
I still do this to my coworkers. Apparently I have a pretty good poker face and they almost always believe me.
Grundle95@reddit
Half the C&H strips featuring Calvin’s dad wouldn’t work anymore and that’s just sad
DetroitsGoingToWin@reddit
Arguing with people (and wrongly convincing) on the simplest facts. Only time we get to do this now is deep woods camping.
Commies-Fan@reddit
Id wager people are actually less informed even with a “computer” with everything they could ever want to know in their pocket. I can speak for myself on this but I made an effort to learn when I was young. I read and I used hands on experience to learn. I was managing a business at 18 that did $75-100k in cash deposits weekly. My daughter is 18 and she is so uninformed and ill prepared for adult life its not even funny. Before anyone blames me I had custody of her from her 16th birthday on. Kids today are for from smart unfortunately. The internet today is meant to serve people social media. Not educate.
elizable9@reddit
I agree. There was something cool about having to go to the library and read and book or search out your answers. Being able to Google it in seconds kills curiosity for me.
Repulsive_Tie_7941@reddit
In a house with a dictionary and encyclopedia, dad just told us to “look it up”
cheeker_sutherland@reddit
Remember when we thought the internet would make us all smarter and it was such a great thing to have access to information? I think if we all had computers in the house and no phones then maybe that would be the case but phones and social have fucked that all up.
One-Earth9294@reddit
The ability to identify good information and suss out poor or misleading information is the cheat code to life in the modern age.
I don't know how you could teach or explain that to a person, I think it's just coincident to someone's intelligence.
Vegetable_Burrito@reddit
My dad and I would always look up stuff he didn’t know. And he knew A LOT OF STUFF because he loved looking stuff up, learning, and passing on that knowledge. My grandparents had some kick ass encyclopedias and other reference books.
I totally agree about social media. Shit sucks.
Asleep_Onion@reddit
Haha, yeah that is so true.
1995 me: I wonder who that actor is on this show, and what else they've been in. I guess I'll never know. Hey, maybe I'll just rewind it and look for their name in the opening credits. Oh wait, I can't rewind a TV show, I'm never going to be able to see this episode again until it hits reruns.
Whenever you had a fleeting question about something, you never actually got the answer for it. It was never more than a question that just fizzled out and went away, lost to the dustbin in the back of your brain.
It's so nice to be able to just Google every single stupid-ass question I have every day now.
MaddyKet@reddit
Me on Saturday afternoon watching one of the local channels.
Damn it’s 2:02. Now I’ll never know what this movie is called.
Asleep_Onion@reddit
Funny thing, I recently used AI to find the title of a movie I saw on TV in the late 1980's. Of course it had already started before I tuned in, so I never got the title. I only remembered that it was hilarious to me at the time, and that it was about a husband and wife who kept trying to kill each other and hilariously failing. 35 years later I was like "hey, I can probably just ask AI what movie that was" and right away it was like "That was definitely Assault and Matrimony, a 1987 made for TV movie."
35 freaking years later that nagging question is finally answered.
HamboneBanjo@reddit
I had a full set of encyclopedias and some type of other reference books. The information was as accurate as those sources. I learned early most people think they know stuff that they actually know little about, certainly including me.
mmoonbelly@reddit
I wish the encyclopedia Britannica was still in print. The amount of extra marks I got for my homework whether through junior school (they bundled the entire children’s Britannica in for free) or secondary school was insane.
There was also the rabbit holes of discovery - just browsing for the fun of it, led to the fun of research in the library at uni.
Wikipedia just isn’t the same.
Jd11347@reddit
We used to have encyclopedia's for that sort of thing. It was the internet of it's day.
Stang1776@reddit
Ive learned a lot being on reddit. Shit i wouldn't think about reading, let alone finding, on my own. Reddit is nothing more than all the other online forums. Its why the internet was created so we could share information.
Its the needing to know every aspect of everybody's lives that is the downfall. Everybody is constantly comparing their life to others. What never gets posted on other forms of social media is all the mundane and terrible shit going on in everybody's life.
PresentationLost1006@reddit
My mother would just make things up that sounded plausible. At the time, I appreciated her willingness to just spitball an answer (and really didn’t give her any other choice as a curious kid. I think I probably would do the same in that situation, but in this timeline, I love saying to my own kids, “I don’t know, but that’s a good question. Look it up and let me know what you find out.”
surfacing_husky@reddit
My brother and i would write questions down and beg to go to the library to prove eachother wrong, now we just yell at the alexa when we visit our parents lmao.
SpecialEd521@reddit
Go look it up in the encyclopedia!!!
DingbattheGreat@reddit
No. Because libraries still existed.
hacksawomission@reddit
Dont__Grumpy__Stop@reddit
Pete Holmes has a great bit on “not knowing” things.
TheLakeWitch@reddit
My mom rarely answered those questions anyway and always told me to “look it up.” I got very used to trekking to the library to do so because I was curious and actually wanted to learn the info.
Chade_X@reddit
I only miss it because of the human interaction factor. Seeing kids at a bus stop not talking to each other or even knowing each other’s names… eff’n tragic. But, the convenience of having a device at hand can’t be beat. I don’t miss the days when I didn’t have a calculator in my pocket at all times!
Archibald_80@reddit
What I miss is going home and being disconnected from work. I hate that work has bled into personal life so much
cheeker_sutherland@reddit
I know this is different for everyone but I run my own business and basically as soon as 4:00 pm hits the phone is off and I stick to that religiously. I really don’t care. I will call or email you at 8:00 am the next day. I’ve never had one customer that has been upset about this. I run a service business where we come to your house so in my mind what’s the difference between me calling you back and 4:30 or 8:00 am?
Archibald_80@reddit
That’s fair enough and I’m not judging people who work later work on the weekends. I do too. The challenge is the expectation.
For example, our CEO thinks that if he texts or emails at 2 PM on a Saturday that he’s out a response within five minutes
That shit’s not OK
cheeker_sutherland@reddit
To me that depends on your pay and position but if you are a regular worker then hell no. If you are his right hand man then sure.
elizable9@reddit
I use my personal mobile and don't have a work one but all work stuff is muted at 5pm. I do t have work emails or any apps that I use for work on my phone. It was the same when I was employed 6 years ago. Nothing work related went onto my phone.
Ok-Necessary123@reddit
Seriously they just text and email all evening. Even if you don’t respond they still do it
Archibald_80@reddit
For real and this is just me being old I guess but our CEO now likes to hire these 20-year-old MBA’s because they don’t really have a life outside of work and they’re all hungry to grow their career so they responded all hours of the day setting a ridiculous president.
Of course they make tons of mistakes, but it doesn’t matter what he’s looking for is just the will to do whatever he wants
Versus me, I don’t really make mistake mistakes and I hit all my numbers, but I also don’t really give a shit what he thinks and that’s a problem apparently
Ok-Necessary123@reddit
Yep….it’s 7am on a Saturday morning and they are texting back and worth about AI nonsense….why????
Archibald_80@reddit
💯 this!
The_Infinite_Carrot@reddit
In some eu countries there is a “right to disconnect” when not at work:
“It is not strictly illegal for a company to email you outside of working hours in the EU, but there is a strong push for a "right to disconnect," meaning employers should not routinely email or contact employees after hours, and employees have the right to not respond without penalty. While the specific laws vary by country, many, like Ireland, have implemented codes of practice that discourage after-hours communication, and a European-level push is in motion to create stronger legislation.”
the__ghola__hayt@reddit
I have a MS Teams number for all work stuff. Only HR and my direct manager have my personal number (and my manager is the "Millennial Manager" stereotype who respects work/life balance). My email and work number get put on "quiet mode" (i.e., it doesn't notify me of emails or calls) during non-work hours/days. Even my work from home space is sectioned off with room dividers.
I refuse to let work bleed into my home life, and my job allows me to keep it that way. UNIONIZE!
Economy-Mango7875@reddit
Yes. Because we had human contact. Be it your dad with crappy advice or you and your buddies trying to see if you could light a fart on fire there was always interaction face to face. Now you can just Google it to find that out. And yes, you can light a fart on fire. Or was it his shorts? Delete my browser history if anything happens to me
Konnorwolf@reddit
I love my smartphone as a tool. It allows me to do a lot.
I first bought a smartphone in 2009.
Last_Result_3920@reddit
remember meeting your friends at an event, If you didn't actually get in the car with them good luck finding them at the primus concert. the may have never made it out of the parking lot
odin_the_wiggler@reddit
Pros:
Access to knowledge and information
Paying bills
Buying hard to find items
Cons:
fleetiebelle@reddit
There's a thread going on in the GenX thread about Apple, etc Pay, and I keep a firm line that I don't want my phone to be my wallet or my ID. I don't want to have a phone and nothing else.
RaisinToastie@reddit
Amen
LatinBotPointTwo@reddit
It makes my job possible. That's a pro for me.
cheeker_sutherland@reddit
Nailed it.
Everything_Xen_@reddit
This fits under the first point I suppose, but specifically, maps.
odin_the_wiggler@reddit
True.
Funny enough, I just bought a laminated folding map for my car as a "just in case".
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Bingo
opelaceles@reddit
just need to say that your username is the best
throwawayfromPA1701@reddit
I'm self aware enough to know we're all addicted to them and think the worst thing you can give a baby is a screen.
Yes, I used my phone to post this.
Proud-Negotiation-64@reddit
Yes I miss it. I miss not constantly seeing bad news. I miss not knowing what everyone is doing all the time. I miss not feeling required to connected by everything!
duckparade4@reddit
It was nice that you didn’t have to be like camera ready everywhere you went, every single day.
canadagooses62@reddit
Can I answer if I’m 39?
The answer is a resounding “yes.” In my friend group, we had the one guy whose house was THE hangout spot. We’d go there all the time and just, you know, talk and hang out. We’d do dumb shit like spread out across the room and just throw a ball to each other while talking. Play poker once a week. Go for walks. End up at Waffle House at 1AM. We formed deep connections with one and other, and no one from school was excluded or ostracized if they showed up occasionally. We were sort of like That 70s Show.
And you know, I started college before smart phones were a thing too. And I’ve been friends with the guys I met there for 20 years. Still talk everyday- though being able to maintain that connection so long is absolutely due to smart phones.
But some of the best times I had in high school were just throwing a ball, seeing how long we could keep it up before someone missed a catch.
nonmagnon@reddit (OP)
Are you a Xennial?
canadagooses62@reddit
I don’t know if I technically fit in, but I have an older brother who definitely does and so my entire young life was just doing and experiencing what HE was doing
nonmagnon@reddit (OP)
It is generally believed that Xennials were born between 1977 and 1984
As this is the tail end of 2025 I'm using people's 40s to cover all Xennials.
Next_Distribution683@reddit
I HATE carrying a phone! It has become my biggest source of stress, hands down
Helo7606@reddit
I honestly miss the days of not social media. It's ruined our society.
The_Pandalorian@reddit
I miss the days when the internet wasn't just a tool for Nazis to gain power and sociopathic technoassholes to get rich.
The devices don't bother me (other than for kids). The content and use of the internet these days bothers me greatly.
2099AD@reddit
The devices are fine in-and-of themselves. But the way they get used is the problem. People just need to learn better self-control.
I don't drive, so I need to keep my smart phone for food delivery and ride share apps. But honestly, if not for those, I'd dump the smart phone and go back to a flip phone. I don't need all the extra shit on the smart phone 99% of the time.
BiggestTaco@reddit
I’ve worked in restaurants since the late 90’s. It KILLS me to see so many family meals spent looking at stupid tablets.
My favorite was a couple having a romantic Valentine’s Day dinner at a fancy, expensive restaurant where the guy spent the entire meal watching hockey on his phone and his gorgeous date looked sad and bored.
Smorgas_of_borg@reddit
Not particularly. It's easy to wax nostalgic about the good old days but I don't miss having to write checks and mail them out to pay the bills. I don't miss having to call the bank or hit up an ATM to know what my balance is, or have to keep a register and write in it by hand to keep track.
Fun-Community3120@reddit
I refuse to go back to printing out MapQuest! I also enjoy the benefits of being able to communicate on the go in case of emergencies. Everything else related to smartphones I don't believe I would miss.
abking_84@reddit
I do; I feel very tied to a screen which I think isn't healthy. I took a cruise in 2014, so there was no signal for my BlackBerry. Use at that time was significantly less than my current iphone, but it was so peaceful not being attached to the phone, that I vowed I would go back to a flip phone when back home. I didn't - but still think how nice it could be on occasion, Then, I pull up Reddit on my phone and forget again.
Bellatrix_Shimmers@reddit
I wonder if there will be a return to grass roots like Gen Alpha or maybe all of us in the next few years will realize the time suck and damage a doom scrolling echo chamber has caused and will refuse to pay $1000s of dollars for a lil spying data goblin in our pockets that controls us in ways known and unknown.
If we all just get flip phones and actually talk to people or better yet we make plans to meet up in person.
Possibly have a sandbox device so you can still keep the good parts of technology and information/learning connecting without the downsides.
Idk I am on one today I think don’t pay me any mind 😄
firstlight777@reddit
Yes, I'm 47 and Its obvious that social skills and personal interaction has gone the way of the carriage. It's sad to see my kids generation struggle with simple things, and miss out on so much individual thought, Hobby's, exploring new things with other people outside of video games and YouTube. Phones are not a hobby, Hobby's enrich and ignite thought and passion, phones can be a tool but they have become a hobby to most people, just looking at people doing rather than doing.
firstlight777@reddit
Yes, I'm 47 and Its obvious that social skills and personal interaction has gone the way of the carriage. It's sad to see my kids generation struggle with simple things, and miss out on so much individual thought, Hobby's, exploring new things with other people outside of video games and YouTube. Phones are not a hobby, Hobby's enrich and ignite thought and passion, phones can be a tool but they have become a hobby to most people, just looking at people doing rather than doing.
firstlight777@reddit
Yes, I'm 47 and Its obvious that social skills and personal interaction has gone the way of the carriage. It's sad to see my kids generation struggle with simple things, and miss out on so much individual thought, Hobby's, exploring new things with other people outside of video games and YouTube. Phones are not a hobby, Hobby's enrich and ignite thought and passion, phones can be a tool but they have become a hobby to most people, just looking at people doing rather than doing.
firstlight777@reddit
People are smarter with smartphones the same way people are better at math with a calculator.
Noodle-Torpedo@reddit
I miss them and wish they’d never been created but I can’t tell if this is just general nostalgia around simpler times. But also understanding that simpler times was being a kid and having no job or responsibilities
Gab83IMO@reddit
I love the ability to know anything at the tip of my fingertips but I do miss the slower feeling of the days. I liked that I could go off somewhere, and no one could find me unless I wanted them to. When you went somewhere, you already had to know where you were going or search with a paper map, I miss that self reliance you developed but not the bs of the navigation. Back when I was a tween, you could go borrow a cup of sugar from the neighbor and that was common. People look at you like your nuts if you do that now. People went to the Airshows, Rodeos, Movie Theaters, Drive-in, Malls, etc because that was the entertainment. We didn't have a huge number of movies or channels to watch, phones or computers to get lost in. Since we didn't have social media we have actual social interactions.
teriKatty@reddit
No. I was still glued to the computer even before smartphone. I was just discussing this with 2 different people the other day. I was talking to my mom about the TomTom GPS she got me so I wouldn’t get lost back in my 20s and how now the smartphone does that. Separate conversation with someone else about how I got a video camera for Christmas one year when I already had one I didn’t use because I used my smartphone to record videos. SO no I don’t miss having to carry around multiple devices like a camera, GPS, and a phone.
GeetarEnthusiast85@reddit
Yes. I miss the monoculture where everyone got their information from (mostly) the same sources and had the same sources for entertainment. It's been over 10 years since the last time I recall going into work and everyone was talking about the same thing we watched the night before.
I miss not being plugged in all the time. It can still be that way on a personal level and I'm trying to make a conscious effort to be less online and less on my phone. But it's hard. We're all addicted in one way or another.
FidgitForgotHisL-P@reddit
Game Of Thrones early seasons were probably the last time we had a shared media experience I think.
Does any streamer even try to do “one episode a week” now?
GeetarEnthusiast85@reddit
I know Amazon Prime and HBO do it. They release the first two episodes on the same night, then release subsequent episodes on a weekly basis.
WarpGremlin@reddit
HBO did and is doing it with The Pitt
Pinklady777@reddit
For me The Sweet spot was when I had a flip phone and a GPS for my car.
Magpie_Coin@reddit
For a multitude of reasons, but mainly because people treated each other more like people. The listened, got together, didn’t just regurgitate tired crap and slang they see on social media ad nauseam, actually watched concerts instead of filming, etc.
berdulf@reddit
As an information addict and keeper of copious notes, I think they’re great. My ex would always say I’m addicted to my phone. Nope. If it weren’t for the phone, I’d be constantly at the computer, the library, bookstore, or some desk combing through books, papers, and magazines. The phone is shit for deep search, so I’m still at the computer constantly looking up something or reading for hours at a time.
LineImpossible3958@reddit
No I don’t miss those days. Having smart phones is great.
TIRACS@reddit
Yes.
Acrobatic-Ad8365@reddit
I definitely miss it! I think even with all the negatives of technology and smartphones I think technology has done just about the same amount of good as it has bad. I think it's really tricky.
chongax@reddit
Yes. Because people talked.
tweek264@reddit
YES! Because not everything needs to be recorded and posted on the internet for fake approval from strangers.
Blando-Cartesian@reddit
I was a lonely teenager who went to movies alone. From the theater door until the movie started, it was an intensely miserable experience every time. There was nothing to do but contemplate loneliness among all the people who came with friends or partners.
As I write this, I’m having lunch alone in a restaurant, pretty contently distracted while among people. I absolutely do not miss not having a smartphone.
papercranium@reddit
Yes and no.
I love some aspects of the technology. GPS? Portable camera? Being able to borrow and return library books without getting out of bed? Video chatting with my nieces out of state? Talking on the phone during long, boring drives? Those are amazing.
But it's definitely too easy to get sucked into social media. I hate that spam calls follow me around all day instead of staying at home. I'm sad that teens feel constantly surveiled because there will always be photo and video evidence of them awkwardly trying to figure out who they are.
Blood_And_Thunder6@reddit
Everyday
fleetiebelle@reddit
I liked being able to go out (or stay in, even) with no expectation that you had to be immediately available. If someone called, you'd find out when you got home and checked the machine.
1upjohn@reddit
And because we're always on our phones, you can't get away with not responding right away. God forbid you're busy with something or want to disconnect. Some people get really angry if you don't respond right away.
wanna_be_green8@reddit
Set expectations. Anyone i care about who gets my number also gets my spiel informing them i am not attached to my phone and often ignore tests for hours or days, warning them not to take it personal.
Some people don't believe me at first. I actually got dumped as a new friend last year for not responding fast enough. Said 'clearly i didn't care.' Wasn't true but i cannot accomodate her needs to text paragraphs of conversation regularly so oh well.
BF lives on her phone. She loves me so has accepted the timetable. My family knows to call if it's important. These boundaries have given me a lot of peace.
Ok-Necessary123@reddit
This is the problem I am dealing with now. I should not have to explain why I didn’t instantly respond. People are like well you always have your phone on you. Umm no I don’t
imascoobie@reddit
I have no sense of direction, I would get so anxious driving places I've never been. I would still get lost with my printed out mapquest directions. I'd still be a nervous wreck if it wasn't for my google maps app.
Cali_Anne@reddit
Omg are you me? I spent so much time stopping at minimarts and service stations asking for directions from people who said useless things like “head East.”
imascoobie@reddit
Yes! I'm like, right or left?
S1nnah2@reddit
I remember doing homework and the only resources to pull from at home was a battered 1950s encyclopedia set. Failure to find the info needed (often) would result in a trip to the library.
Not having to be sat down by my parents and told about the dangers of posting pictures of my cock online.
Going to raves and gigs with no phones or camera. Living in the moment, not trying to save it for prosperity.
Few_Ad8372@reddit
All day, every day. Don’t get me wrong, the interweb is cool but nah.
M0ntgomatron@reddit
I'm not sure what's worse, misinformation now, or misinformation then.
Repulsive_Tie_7941@reddit
I miss the ability to jump in a pool in my clothes if the opportunity arose without worrying about electronics in my pockets.
kremlingrasso@reddit
Well I don't miss being bored out of my mind all the time. Feels like you waste half of your life waiting for things starting at the wall. Transport, school, doctors, bureaucracy.
RoundTheBend6@reddit
Yeah I miss society. This is not society.
Expensive-Ad1609@reddit
43F
No, I don't. I love having access to so much information.
Unpainted-Fruit-Log@reddit
I miss the feeling of an actual social fabric. The attention economy and the corporate takeover of human interaction has been so profound. It breaks my heart thinking that my daughter will never know a world that wasn’t like this.
SlayerAlexxx@reddit
I do to a degree. But I think there was a golden sweet spot. Where internet was helpful but not overwhelmed with influencers
Pygmy_Nuthatch@reddit
I could recall 25 phone numbers by memory. People were present and all facing the same direction at concerts. Everyone smoked.
Yes, I miss those days. My major regret is not having a camera. Digital and consumer grade film cameras were garbage. There's little to no record of the best years of my life, but they were the best for the same reason.
DJWGibson@reddit
Do I miss the days of not always having a phone that can call 9-1-1 anywhere? The safety of knowing my young son and frail elderly mother can always reach me and contact help.
A camera on me at all times for when I see a spontaneous moment of beauty?
Access to the internet at all places, so I can fulfill a need for random trivia or answer a question? Access to all the world's knowledge at all times.
The ability to listen to whatever song I want whenever I want even if I don't own the album? Plus audio books and e-books.
The option to watch a TV show on the bus, picking a new favourite or beloved classic?
Being able to write and take notes at any time that will be saved between devices and not deleted.
The freedom of being able to pay for groceries with two taps of a button and a look at my face, even if my wallet is at home.
And, of course, porn 24-7.
Farahild@reddit
Yes. I think we had the perfect level of technology with the Internet on home computers and regular cell phones. I don’t think it’s doing us any good to have smart phones but it’s pretty hard to get rid of them again…
BrontosaurusB@reddit
I miss rewatching the same two vhs, rereading a book 5 times, reading every word of a Disney adventure magazine, riding my bike thru my neighborhood, knocking on friends doors to come out and play, playing NES together. But mostly I just miss things feeling novel, new media felt rare. I didn’t even have cable until I was a grown up.
projectx51@reddit
Yes. I also miss having no cameras. There was a time where, if you didn't physically tell someone what you were doing or where you were going, no one would have any clue. You could actually have, you know, privacy.
CunnyMaggots@reddit
Sending a page with my phone number and * 411 * 36 so they'd know it was me and I needed the info lol
TheGhostofChuckPyle@reddit
As a 43-year-old dude, I can honestly say I don't miss them at all.
If only because I've only ever owned flip phones. I still spend more than a few chunks of my free time looking at my laptop's screen. But when I'm out of the house, I don't have any ability to look at anything on the internet. It feels pretty great, I can't lie.
Cali_Anne@reddit
God, I wish I had the wherewithal to do this.
akerasi@reddit
Honestly, no, but only because I've chosen sane manners of dealing with them. I rarely even touch my smartphone or my tablet, unless I need it. I prefer computer interfaces (proper keyboard and mouse) to touchscreens. I have Google Voice and that's the number I give everyone; this means that whatever device I'm using/near rings if someone calls. I usually make calls alert me, but texts, only look at when I choose to look at them. When interacting with people in person, my phone never comes out unless someone calls me... and around the house, it sits on a charger, waiting for the next time I need to go out somewhere.
Still_Top_7923@reddit
I miss the T9 and slider phone eras. We could still text and be connected but also be present when out with people living life. That was the peak
Soggy_Porpoise@reddit
The tech is good. All the worlds knowledge at our fingertips. It's social media and the content barrage of ads and propaganda that sucks.
K_Linkmaster@reddit
I am about 6 months from a flip phone for when I leave the house and a tablet for any "apps" at home. Fuck this. Fuck them. Fuck that. Fuck you.
Dry_Inspection_4583@reddit
Oh the number of fallacies told. However when the world was smaller people were more relaxed and less afraid, to mean there were always that number of murders around, you just didn't know back then.
Away-Quantity928@reddit
We all miss it but none of us would go back.
BigBadJeebus@reddit
yes. Not that life was better without, but I feel like it forced me to be more creative and ambitious. Now I never get bored enough to create something new or to have a wild idea...
luxtabula@reddit
no.
the only thing I'm grateful for is that I didn't have this stuff as a teenager because I would have made a total ass of myself before I was more mature.
I think smartphones, tablets, laptops, and the Internet are great. they provide me with way more knowledge than I ever had access to as a kid.
I couldn't afford encyclopedia Britannica. the closest I had were those animal fact cards. the library was a mess and difficult to get to since it was on the other side of town.
I had shitty teachers that taught me completely made up bullshit I still remember to this day. like the word fuck was an acronym from the revolutionary war meaning found under carnal knowledge. total bullshit I can instantly fact check or talk to other educated people with an interest in these things to get to the bottom of things.
I taught myself calculus because of the Internet. My work involves making web pages on the Internet. I no longer have to concern myself with stupid things like black Friday because people shop online freeing up traffic. I can talk to you guys, get into heated arguments, learn new things from those arguments, and make new acquaintances.
going back would be the equivalent of a dark age for me and countless others. though the Internet has a lot of real problems, the pluses far outweigh the minuses.
MaddyKet@reddit
Yeah I feel like we lucked out and it was timed perfectly. Just started getting Nokia cell phones in college, so we get all the benefits of having one as an adult and none of the downsides of having one as a teenager.
CaptZombieHero@reddit
I do. The world is so much worse because of constant access
stadtgaertner@reddit
not at all.
ReggaeForPresident@reddit
Boomers weren’t as crazy
lulzbot@reddit
“Our parents warned us the internet would break our brains. It broke theirs instead.”
MaddyKet@reddit
Mom in 1995: Don’t believe you read on the internet!
Mom in 2025: Believes everything she reads on the internet
🫤
MaddyKet@reddit
I love texting and mobile ordering.
Smartphones are an introverts best friend.
Sharpshooter188@reddit
Yes and no. The convenience of having the internet in my pocket can be extremely useful when utilized properly. I need to correct a document or maybe something I forgot how to do during a report with excel etc. But I do hate how everyone is constantly glued to their phones. Like someone loses their phone and suddenly the world comes crashing down.
Past that the only thing I miss before smartphones and tablets is my youth. Lol
londongas@reddit
I miss it for travelling. There is way less of a sense of adventure after smartphones became popular.
ConsciousChicken1249@reddit
Yes because suspense, mystery and surprise could still be a part of everyday life
DuckIcy9744@reddit
I do. I wouldn’t have a reason to be on my phone right now.
ZealousidealPound460@reddit
Logistically: no.
Academically: no.
Socially: yes.
HowOtterlyTerrible@reddit
I like being able to buy stuff conveniently and looking things up online.
I dislike always being available and stupid people now having voices that drown out subject matter experts because of social media.
t0xicfemininity@reddit
Yes and no. Utility type apps (healthcare, banking, email) are so helpful! I love my tap to pay. Otherwise it is meh. Who knew access to all the information in the world would make the world dumber?
Careless_Lion_3817@reddit
💯. I fought that shit so hard until I was a solo parent mom of a baby just trying to get beyond making ends meet…boss basically told me…get a smartphone or lose…I chose to @win” with that boss I guess and understandably so 🤷🏻♀️
Exciting_Squirrel_84@reddit
Yes. I felt like I could disappear.
TheNaughtyDragon@reddit
People don't want to interact with each other anymore, just stare down at their phone. I try to force myself not to do it so much as well.
CarlSpackler22@reddit
No
Swayze_Castle@reddit
The biggest downside is googling answers to questions instead of knowing a guy who knew a guy that was a cousin to the person in question.
hypno4you@reddit
Yes, the interactions and relationships people were nice
Separate-Relative-83@reddit
I miss people having more individuality. I feel like that’s too much influence on people and it’s like we’re in an echo chamber, and it’s moved past the internet. Like I miss things being regional and being excited to see and experience new things. Like reality is so homogenized.
Whatscheiser@reddit
Yes I do. People used to move their car when a traffic light turned green and not half drive themselves into the ditch on a daily basis. I have a 8 minute commute to work. The amount of this I run into in the short period I am on the road for is fucking insane. You can call it some get off my lawn energy or whatever, but you absolutely cannot convince me that drivers have done nothing but get worse at driving since the cellphone became a thing.
That's aside from the fact that I just dislike them in general. I only ever really use them to call people and send music to a bluetooth speaker. I have a computer for literally everything else that I'd rather use. If there is one invention I could do away with its the cellphone.
ebzees@reddit
YES
Basic-Biscotti-2375@reddit
Not really. I like the security of having a phone on me in case of car trouble or an emergency. Plus it's nice not having to read the same old magazine for a month straight while pooping.
idleat1100@reddit
Yes. Being lost in the world and lost to others. The world felt large and things felt special.
JollyJeanGiant83@reddit
I miss the old internet. When people made things for fun and not everything was over -capitalism-ed to death. Tablets are awesome. Smartphones have their ups and downs.
lulzbot@reddit
This is a good one. I miss that irreverent and whimsical internet. It feels like everything now is hustle culture influencer and/or rage bait
lulzbot@reddit
No. I enjoy things technology provides. I try hard (and sometimes even succeed) to curate my feeds / limit social media usage. I also don’t mind seeing people glued to their phones all the time. BUT I do mind the effect smart phones (mostly social media) is having on society. Smart phones are component of a macro problem.
Peaceloveandtattoos@reddit
Yes and no. I’ve always been super into mobile technology- jumped on the pager train in the 90s, cell phone as early as I could. Been that way ever since. BUT (and this is a big but…) I do think that they are overused and definitely make real interpersonal relationships fewer and far between. Less connection, more typing to strangers on the internet. My kids adolescence has been mostly screens and that makes me sad. I miss being bored hahaha that sounds weird but now when there’s nothing to do, I reach for my phone. It would be much better for me to meditate or even just look for shapes in the clouds (i know i can still do those things and i do but there is definitely a level of screen addiction present in most people I know) Just different times.
Cyberdork2000@reddit
100%. This year my resolution was to get rid of as much tech as possible. I cancelled my social media and really focused on actively leaving my phone in the car when I go in a restaurant or spending time with friends. It was really making a difference in my mood and I found I was WAY happier.
Then I got laid off in February and had to spend all my time making a new linked in and undoing all the progress. Now I’ve had a job for a couple months now and I’m going back to low tech.
It’s really opened my eyes to screen addiction and you start to see it all around. I was at a play last night and someone around 65-70 was constantly pulling up his phone and texting. I knew that because the light was blaring in my face. No one is living in the present around them, it’s all through a lens.
No-Atmosphere-2873@reddit
I am so sick of the fucking politics in my face. It fucking makes me sick.
geezorious@reddit
Golden era was when I was age 7-12. NES, hot wheels, RC cars, biking with a pack of friends, making wooden swords, etc.
WhatTheCluck802@reddit
Yes. Other than Reddit I’ve withdrawn from all social media and have really tried to pivot back to analog life much more. I waste wayyyyy too much time on this thing.
fairlyaveragetrader@reddit
Totally, people were a lot more social, today you have all these anxiety ridden introverts that are so annoying
dandelion_galah@reddit
I miss how when email first came out people didn't expect you to reply for a week. And when people called and you weren't there it was okay to take a couple of hours to call back. Now, it seems like you're expected to respond to everything immediately.
AttilaTheFun818@reddit
Yes and no.
I appreciate having the knowledge of the world at my fingertips and apps like Waze
I do however miss being really disconnected from the world.
bargman@reddit
No. But you got to log off every now and then. It's good to be connected, but sometimes it's nice to not be found.
Spatularo@reddit
Fuck yes. This is part of why the nostalgia for the 90s is so strong with our generation.
Ok_West5887@reddit
I liked coming home from work/school and checking the ANSWERING MACHINE.
Individual-Schemes@reddit
I miss the days before social media.
The entire mess our world is in right now is because social media tech companies are permitted to use algorithms that polarize us. Plus, they make us stupid.
randfunction@reddit
The world felt so much bigger and scarier and more intimidating before the ascendancy of the smart phone and the Internet. Driving some place unfamiliar? Good fucking luck if you got lost. And little quirky things you might discover and like, a band, a game, felt more special because it took real work to discover them. Sure, there are plenty of upsides to instant info availability and the world bend your community but id take that scary, disconnected, Luddite world a thousand times over what we have today.
LittleCeasarsFan@reddit
No, I have zero sense of direction and need google maps to survive. I got lost all the time before.
Roscoe_P_Trolltrain@reddit
nah. life just kind of goes on. whatever.
boomerdt@reddit
I don't miss anything. I wish we would limit what could be placed on social media. Just trying to limit the brain rot.....
ZipperJJ@reddit
Yes. I love my phone and am constantly glued to it and feel terribly guilty about it. And I don’t think I’m as bad about it as others. I still feel bad!
PhatBoyFlim@reddit
Computers in your pocket are cool. Social media is a poison we might not survive.
SciFi_MuffinMan@reddit
Nope. I enjoy being able to easily communicate with my BFF spouse in memes, read and listen to books, watch movies, and look up pretty much any information I want.
AlienDelarge@reddit
Sometimes, but I think the early years were nice before everything had to habe an app.
Biscuits4u2@reddit
Nope.
False_Impression8767@reddit
Thinking back to my childhood, 100% happy I grew up without this stuff.
As it came into fashion during my later teenage years up till today. I am glad I had it.
toastyhoodie@reddit
Every. Day.
MadIllLeet@reddit
I'm so glad that I was young and dumb at a time when I didn't have to worry about my stupidity going viral.
gaelorian@reddit
The pros do not outweigh the cons. It’s not going to change, though. Money will prevent meaningful regulation.
cheekynihlist@reddit
Yes I do, because my attention span has been shot to hell by this thing.
TheLakeWitch@reddit
For the most part, yes. I was the last of my friend group to get into texting, and then one of the last to get into social media when MySpace hit the scene. I just felt like it would create a fake sense of “togetherness” and that we would stop actually making an effort to connect offline. Turns out I was right.
StatementLazy1797@reddit
I miss my BlackBerry. I know that’s not the point and this question is meant to be deeper, but it’s all I think about when I read posts like these.
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
Blackberrys were all business. Apparently Eminem still uses one.
wyc1inc@reddit
No, absolutely not. Makes my life much easier and more enjoyable. The thing I wish we never had or could ban now is social media. That's been a huge net negative on society.
Brent_L@reddit
Enjoyed the internet after it was born, hate social media in general.
Xanderson@reddit
I miss looking at a paper map trying to find the X like a pirate.
quintk@reddit
Easy information lookup is great. I miss the in-person socializing I did back then but that might be more about being old with responsibilities than the tech. I used to have a longer attention span and could read longer.
Practically, I miss being able to drop my flip phone down a flight of stairs and seeing the battery and cover go flying…. Then just pop the battery back in and the phone would be undamaged
Synthnostic@reddit
yes. unlimited access to "information" made most dumber, not smarter, nor wiser
Tylerdurden389@reddit
Id be happy to revert back to somewhere in the mid or late 2000s. I still have my old GPS.
fraghead5@reddit
I enjoyed it, I don’t miss it really. I enjoy my life now. Life is all about what you make of it.
bougnvioletrosemallo@reddit
Smartphones are very convenient and useful. For example, Google maps and GPS. Everything else, I can take it or leave it, or do it on my laptop later.
I got along just fine in life with a dumb flip phone, and a sufficient amount of (much less toxic) internet on my desktop, where I internetted for discrete packets of time.
I got along just fine and dandy in this manner.
And had a lot less disdain for humanity, which has been corrupted and defiled beyond repair by social media and algorithms. And we haven't even truly entered the age of AI atrocities yet.
bassmansrc@reddit
There is no doubt that technology has brought us to a point of wonder and unprecedented access to information and convenience.
I can get nearly any meal from any restaurant in my city delivered to my home within an hour. What???
I can look up any bit of info and fall into a pit of research on any topic from my mother’s particular type of dementia to who is this guy in this thing and where do I know him from. What???
Never question the advancement itself. It is the pinnacle of human ingenuity and achievement.
It’s just now a matter of reconciling how we use it. How we manage life with and without. How we want to live.
I struggle like all of us do. I spend too much time here or scrolling on the socials. I let hours slip by. That’s on me to figure out. I’m working on it.
But should we go back (there is no going back)? No
J_Robert_Matthewson@reddit
The technology isn't the problem. I love the tech. I like having my entire music collection in my pocket. I like being able to look up mass transit schedules and maps pretty much at any time. I basically have the real-world equivalent of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in my pocket which is what I've wanted since I was 12.
I hate that the corps made the tech pretty much dedicated to making a small number of people money and that's it. I hate that everything is a subscription service and that the internet is now 5 sites (4 of which are awful).
What I miss is the OLD internet and honestly, it would've been great with this tech.
FoppyRETURNS@reddit
I like the technology, but recognize it took that "world" away. We don't givr up the tech brcause nothing will bring that world back.
manfromfuture@reddit
I miss printing out MapQuest directions.
OneManLost@reddit
In some ways yes, but for the most part, no. I used to carry several magazines around with me for work when I wasn't busy. Now I only need to carry my phone and I have access to a lot more info while I'm bored. I prefer physical books over reading a book on a device. Having a camera on hand is extremely helpful for work. I don't care for how connected we are to everyone. People used to just stop by out of boredom, now everyone needs an appointment to visit their friends. The internet pulled everyone indoors and social interactions changed. I moved far away from my friends and adopted family, but now keeping up with them is more than a phone call or a letter with photos, it's quick text. My best friend of over 30 years and I will still call each other randomly to talk. Difference is we aren't stuck in the house to make the call, we can do so while both stuck driving in traffic.
I've always been fascinated by technology. Guess I prefer the new world we are in but hold the memories of the old world with fondness.
New_Stats@reddit
It's complicated
I miss certain aspects of the time before I had a cell phone. I miss being able to disconnect from everything and everyone for hours or even days sometimes and when I did it I felt free. If I do that now, I get really anxious. If I went to the middle of nowhere without my phone I'd be worried that something bad would happen and I wouldn't be able to call for help
If you're asking I miss certain aspects of having a dumb phone vs a smart phone, then no. Smart phones are infinitely better in every single way.
autricia@reddit
I feel you there, though you could bring your phone still but just keep it off, or on do not disturb. And download the map for the area you're going first.
New_Stats@reddit
Turning your phone off and disconnecting for hours or days every now and then is great but its just not the same. I'm still connected to everything else. The entire world is literally at my finger tips.
Smart phones made the world so small it could fit in your pocket. There's no going back to how it was.
r_sarvas@reddit
I miss when people that could get things done while being offline. Now, it seem like when the office WiFi goes down, people are just sitting around because online services are down, and more importantly, so is Google.
ShockNoodles@reddit
Nope. I basically have my own organizer, calendar, phone book, weather pages, and mobile library in the palm of my hands. Plus, it has access to a digital Akashic Record for anything I ever want to know or learn about.
I didn't have that back in the day and for most of the things I have researched so far, I wouldn't have known where to even start, outside of picking up an already outdated encyclopedia.
theladyroy@reddit
As an anxious traveler, I love having an interactive map with visuals of where I’m headed at my finger tips, but I also miss my pre-phone attention span. There are too many options, and I just wind up spinning out all the time.
Ok-Necessary123@reddit
at this point in my life I hate it… the expectation that so many people think you are always available expect instant response or instant gratification. This includes family members and work
SlackerDS5@reddit
No. I liked looking up information. Having access to information that is not hidden behind physical barriers or distance is amazing.
As an 80s kid computer education started in my era. It’s a part of who I am. Being able to do almost every thing I could on a computer using a handheld device was a dream come true. I use them for work, hobbies and school.
Least-Task276@reddit
Give me the early 2000's internet with today's speed and the ability for more than one person to be on the internet at once.
You can have the rest.
ChristyLovesGuitars@reddit
Every single day. But my job requires I have access to both in order to be successful.
Greerio@reddit
I miss lots of things. Video stores were on my mind earlier.
ridinderty@reddit
yeah, I miss the excitement of getting a phone call. Now when the phone rings, it's 99.9% spam because people just txt
PresentationLost1006@reddit
Yeah. I think the days of a robust internet on computers but not in our pockets was the sweet spot. You could do all the cool stuff online and printout what you needed (like map directions or plane tickets), but not be tethered all the time.
IndomitableAnyBeth@reddit
I dislike how access to them is now presumed. And some ways they're used. But I'm not against their existence.
JohnnyLuchador@reddit
As someone who does tech for a living catering to elites and rich assholes, even with tech they have no clue how to use it. Life was better before the jumbled mess. Wait, life was better when social media didnt exist. Just kill socials, make people have to actually look into facts, do research. Back in my day, we didnt live day to day off what random person on the internet said.
DankRoughly@reddit
I miss people being more focused on doing things together. Now it feels like we're in our own little worlds even when physically together.
PersianCatLover419@reddit
Yes and no. I like how easy it is to stay in contact with people and look up information, but I dislike social media how people brag or make everything a contest on it, and I miss when all some people had was a personal website and they did not make the internet or how they are online their entire personality or a major defining factor of who they are.
I also do not like how kids, teens, and adults are addicted to social media and everyone is just expected to be able to easily be reached 24/7 via DM, text, email, phone, etc. I miss when the internet was for looking up information or personal hobbies such as I would trade live music with people online and buy books, and now it seems like everyone you meet in social media is involved in a pyramid or Ponzi scheme, wants attention, or wants to scam you or have you give them money. It used to be very obvious, now it is not so simple.
williecat316@reddit
Sometimes. I miss the freedom of being unavailable when I leave the house or work. People now just expect you to always respond at any time and regardless of what you are doing.
Thisisgotham@reddit
I love watching shows on my iPad and being able to take it with me into other rooms or to lie down somewhere comfortable. And having a smart phone when trying to find somewhere or something while away from the house is invaluable.
jones_qc@reddit
Yes. Also no. When I was a kid it was cool that you would just naturally find your friends out in the wild. But, the utility of an internet connected device in your pocket is hard to beat.
halfcabheartattack@reddit
Similar, I don't actively wish I could get rid of my phone but I'm glad my childhood and teenage years didn't involve one.
Wrong-Local-4283@reddit
i dont know. i do miss those days of no smart devices and friends would hang out without distractions.
but now i dont need to call a broker when i want to buy 25 shares of nvidia and 2 shares of eli lilly stock, i can just do it from an app.
sgrams04@reddit
If social media was never invented, then no I’d happy. But how society is being shaped and structured based on rich assholes shouting for attention, throw it all in the fire. I want nothing more than to return to the bygone days of actually responsible journalism and personal interactions.
guilen@reddit
No not really.
usernames_suck_ok@reddit
No.
It's one of those questions where "why or why not" makes no sense to me, even though I see people saying yes and having reasons for it. They just don't register.
_WeSellBlankets_@reddit
I just wish I had willpower. I love having Google and GPS in my pocket. It's on me to start avoiding the things I don't like about my phone.
worksnake@reddit
I do miss the time before interaction with a screen was obligatory for daily life. I understand how useful the information and communication are that we get through our devices, but that wasn't the question.
Bella4077@reddit
Yes and no. There are things I love about them but I also think they’ve made things too fast, easy, and convenient. I miss things like browsing through a record or video store and I’m certainly glad that cyber bullying wasn’t a thing back then. I was certainly bullied enough in school as it was.
Warrior-Cook@reddit
...nah, Im about to do it right now even.