Re:What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
by cempaka on Saturday July 08, 2023 @12:05AM
(#36641265)
In 1999, I went with my mother to tour universities I was considering attending on the East Coast. We had both lived in a small town in Montana for 15 years at that point. Without any GPS to assist us, we used maps to drive and navigate through Boston, New York City, Philadelphia, and Washington DC. Nowadays, I barely even know the names of the streets near where I live.
Re:What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
by meristohm on Saturday July 08, 2023 @12:20AM
(#36641315)
No one can remember? I'll take the bait-
Star Wars Generation kid here, grew up in rural Minnesota with a rotary phone and eventually a black and white television with two channels. Wanted to watch a moving picture? We rented the VHS tape AND the player (this is how I first saw Episode IV, though my mom says she brought me to see The Return of the Jefi in the theater). Like another commenter(s), I usually had a book and/or notebook/sketchbook with me, and I spent a lot of time daydreaming.
Re:What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
by ksec on Saturday July 08, 2023 @12:21AM
(#36641318)
You mean before you have a device that is constantly connected to the Internet?
I go to bookstore, library and spend my time reading long, detail, well prepped and thought out content. Whether that is a Novel, Book or some Manual for certain thing to actually understand how things work.
A GameBoy Black and White. Even Gaming was fun back in the old days. Now most Smartphone Games are loot box Gambling alike. And the two Company have no shame in helping them simply because they collect 30% of it.
> NO one can remember....
I automatically assumes the author is under 30 where most of his life and memories were in smartphone era.
Re:What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
by musicale on Saturday July 08, 2023 @12:33AM
(#36641374)
> We did nothing, and it was horrible.
Actually having time to think about things and to observe and experience your environment isn't so bad. Books, magazines, newspapers, comics and graphic novels, paper notebooks/journals, and sketchbooks aren't bad either.
On the video game side, portable game systems have existed for decades. Game Boy and Game Boy Advance had some of the same great game series (Zelda, Mario, Pokémon, Final Fantasy) that we enjoy today on Switch. The games weren't cheap, but they also weren't tainted by obnoxious "f2p" monetization schemes. Video games also used to come with printed manuals that were fun to read. On Sega's Game Gear you could even watch TV.
Portable music players have also been a thing for decades, from the cassette walkman to the minidisc to the iPod. Not to mention portable radios.
Pre-iPhone I had single-purpose devices like a terrific compact digital camera and an iPod.
If all of those media and technology options fail(ed), you could even consider striking up a conversation with someone.
Re:What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
by dazc on Saturday July 08, 2023 @12:39AM
(#36641391)
People were nicer to each other. The incentive to seek approval from thousands of strangers one would never meet simply didn't exist. What real people thought of you was more important.
Re:What Did People Do Before Smartphones?
by rex_gallorum2 on Saturday July 08, 2023 @12:58AM
(#36641473)
This one irritated me.
There was (and is) so much to do. People used to talk to each other and interact with other and with their environment more though. It's vastly harder now.
Star Wars Generation kid here, grew up in rural Minnesota with a rotary phone and eventually a black and white television with two channels. Wanted to watch a moving picture? We rented the VHS tape AND the player (this is how I first saw Episode IV, though my mom says she brought me to see The Return of the Jefi in the theater). Like another commenter(s), I usually had a book and/or notebook/sketchbook with me, and I spent a lot of time daydreaming.
I go to bookstore, library and spend my time reading long, detail, well prepped and thought out content. Whether that is a Novel, Book or some Manual for certain thing to actually understand how things work.
A GameBoy Black and White. Even Gaming was fun back in the old days. Now most Smartphone Games are loot box Gambling alike. And the two Company have no shame in helping them simply because they collect 30% of it.
> NO one can remember....
I automatically assumes the author is under 30 where most of his life and memories were in smartphone era.
Actually having time to think about things and to observe and experience your environment isn't so bad. Books, magazines, newspapers, comics and graphic novels, paper notebooks/journals, and sketchbooks aren't bad either.
On the video game side, portable game systems have existed for decades. Game Boy and Game Boy Advance had some of the same great game series (Zelda, Mario, Pokémon, Final Fantasy) that we enjoy today on Switch. The games weren't cheap, but they also weren't tainted by obnoxious "f2p" monetization schemes. Video games also used to come with printed manuals that were fun to read. On Sega's Game Gear you could even watch TV.
Portable music players have also been a thing for decades, from the cassette walkman to the minidisc to the iPod. Not to mention portable radios.
Pre-iPhone I had single-purpose devices like a terrific compact digital camera and an iPod.
If all of those media and technology options fail(ed), you could even consider striking up a conversation with someone.
Yes, stupid things did not follow you around, but there were also bad people that were not held accountable.
Indeed they were but I am grateful those people didn't have the power to amplify their meanness as they are able to today.
There was (and is) so much to do. People used to talk to each other and interact with other and with their environment more though. It's vastly harder now.
Disconnecting from time to time is refreshing.