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Life before smartphones (2020)

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Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#11

Post by r00fus »

jeffbee wrote: post #7

The thing that rings out for me in this essay: "Once plans were made, I showed up without any further contact to check whether we were, in fact, “still on for tonight,”" I miss that. Used to be that if you made plans to meet someone, they would come to that time and place. Amazing! And the difference is not even limited to your friends and dating. Now we can't even count on regularly scheduled activities to happen as…

(Pre cellphones, early 90s era) My problem with that is that my friend group were not exactly punctual (myself included). So that meant a lot of waiting around, and in some cases, your group may not show up. Being near a pay-phone or begging a phone call from an establishment helped some.

Also - you remembered your friends phone numbers (or had a black book).

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#12

Post by ahofmann »

tboyd47 wrote: post #6
Ajay-p wrote: post #2

I have never truly known a period of time without a smart device. The last watch I had was when I was a small child and it was only a few years ago I found a street "atlas". I have a feeling that I've missed a building block of the digital age by not experiencing an evolutionary phase.

You can always go back, any time! Get a dumb phone. It's great. Engage with others more authentically, more meaningfully, and more consistently.

Tried it, hated it. Everyone is using WhatsApp, Telegram, whatever. Try typing a sms with those tiny buttons, it sucks. There is a reason why some people have a smartphone but not a computer.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#13

Post by jbay808 »

tboyd47 wrote: post #6
Ajay-p wrote: post #2

I have never truly known a period of time without a smart device. The last watch I had was when I was a small child and it was only a few years ago I found a street "atlas". I have a feeling that I've missed a building block of the digital age by not experiencing an evolutionary phase.

You can always go back, any time! Get a dumb phone. It's great. Engage with others more authentically, more meaningfully, and more consistently.

Unfortunately you can't; society has changed too, in many ways. Even some government services now require either an iOS or Android device to access (like vaccination records here in BC).

A dumb phone does less for you now than it did in 2005, just like a horse does less for you now than it did in 1895. Even if you really like horses, you can't ride them on the same streets you once could.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#14

Post by kernoble »

The unmentioned thing here is why? Why does the world with a smartphone and today's hyper-connectivity seem so different now compared to what it used to?

Did people feel the same way when the railroad and other forms of rapid transport showed up?

What makes things feel so different? Is it more competition, and for what? Is it that things are just faster, and the certainties have changed? Has it fundamentally changed how we experience relationships with people?

Are our standards now higher, and is that a good thing?

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#15

Post by jeffbee »

r00fus wrote: post #11
jeffbee wrote: post #7

The thing that rings out for me in this essay: "Once plans were made, I showed up without any further contact to check whether we were, in fact, “still on for tonight,”" I miss that. Used to be that if you made plans to meet someone, they would come to that time and place. Amazing! And the difference is not even limited to your friends and dating. Now we can't even count on regularly scheduled activities to happen as…

(Pre cellphones, early 90s era) My problem with that is that my friend group were not exactly punctual (myself included). So that meant a lot of waiting around, and in some cases, your group may not show up. Being near a pay-phone or begging a phone call from an establishment helped some. Also - you remembered your friends phone numbers (or had a black book).

Obviously! I still remember my high school friends' phone numbers and I haven't needed to dial any of them in thirty years.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#18

Post by jacquesm »

ahofmann wrote: post #12
tboyd47 wrote: post #6

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You can always go back, any time! Get a dumb phone. It's great. Engage with others more authentically, more meaningfully, and more consistently.

Tried it, hated it. Everyone is using WhatsApp, Telegram, whatever. Try typing a sms with those tiny buttons, it sucks. There is a reason why some people have a smartphone but not a computer.

I find that the quality of the communications increases with the resistance to communicate.

Re: Life before smartphones (2020)

#20

Post by ASalazarMX »

r00fus wrote: post #11
jeffbee wrote: post #7

The thing that rings out for me in this essay: "Once plans were made, I showed up without any further contact to check whether we were, in fact, “still on for tonight,”" I miss that. Used to be that if you made plans to meet someone, they would come to that time and place. Amazing! And the difference is not even limited to your friends and dating. Now we can't even count on regularly scheduled activities to happen as…

(Pre cellphones, early 90s era) My problem with that is that my friend group were not exactly punctual (myself included). So that meant a lot of waiting around, and in some cases, your group may not show up. Being near a pay-phone or begging a phone call from an establishment helped some. Also - you remembered your friends phone numbers (or had a black book).

Man, using a pay phone with a card instead of coins felt like the future, ha ha.

Also, if you went out without telling your family where, you became unreachable for the whole day(s). Going dark that way nowadays is almost unthinkable.

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