I’ve been thinking a lot about how much of my daily life is filled with little interactions on my phone. Checking notifications first thing in the morning, scrolling when we have downtime, using apps to plan trips, or even just having background noise at all times. But what was it like before smartphones?
If you woke up and had some time to kill before work or school, what did you do? When you had an hour between events, how did you pass the time? Did people just sit in silence more often, or was there always a book, magazine, or some other way to pass the time?
What about after work? How did people unwind without endless scrolling? What did a sick day look like when you couldn’t just binge a show on your phone? And when it came to planning vacations, how much of that had to be done in person or over the phone?
Did boredom just exist more, or did people actively fight it in different ways? I’m curious to hear from people who remember that time. what did life feel like before? How does your life feel different now?
Follow up questions:
From responses so far it seems like people mostly did the same things. But does it feel different? Now that connection, entertainment, and information is instant and always within reach,
has the quality of these experiences changed, or just the accessibility? Do we actually feel more connected or just less alone? Does it feel cheaper? More disposable? Has the way we interact with silence changed in a way that makes life feel different?
Comments
I didn’t get a phone until senior year of high school. Before that, life was pretty ordinary. Went to school, every class had a clock so you knew what time it was, go home afterwards or club, say hi to friends, do homework, and watch tv.
A lot of people brought books to read when they had to kill time. Magazines were definitely popular in school. Most of the time we were talking to each other lmao.
After school and homework, I mostly watched tv. I remember as a kid I also did random stuff to pass the time, like writing stuff, drawing, playing games with family members.
Tbh I felt less bored back then. Maybe it’s because I was a kid and I always came up with what to do, but I think having social media to scroll kills my creativity too.
You think that without smartphones there’s nothing but boredom? Damn. The vast majority of our history wasn’t just waiting for smartphones to heroically save us from boredom.
We had interactions with other people, we read books, we went outside and enjoyed the fresh air. There is always something else to do, people just don’t do them anymore.
Lots of reading.
I didn’t get a cell phone until my mid 20s or so, and even then we’re talking Nokia 5150 stuff. Only game was Snake. No internet. A lot of my off time was either reading books, magazines, watching VHS movies, or playing the same game again and again because I can’t go to the Babbage’s at the mall to buy a new one.
I used to read a new book like every week or two. I even had a membership to some of those book clubs where they send you 5 new ones every month or something. Now? I haven’t read a book in years.
People would turn on the TV and flip through the channels and call friends to talk on the phone for fun. People read books and magazines. They were not bored but also not programmed as much to seek constant entertainment. Its really different now…
Call people. TV. A lot more shampoo bottle reading.
Not much different just more annoying and harder.
When you wake up you do the same things you do now just without checking your phone every few seconds. You’d get up, likely put the TV on for the news or whatever. Hop on the computer for a bit basically checking all the shit you’d check with smartphone lol.
People still had magazines, books, tv, movies, computers. Before I had a smartphone I’d still be able to do almost everything I do now just slower and on a desktop PC. Still downloaded movies, listened to music, fucked around on the internet.
When we were with our buddies on a weekend or something we’d hang out, listen to music and drink beer.
Travel agents were a thing but I never went to one. I got a smartphone when I was like 20/21 so I wasn’t planning my own vacations.
You did have to print out directions from mapquest or use an actual map or atlas. Annoying as fuck.
Boredom definitely did, because you didn’t have answers to things immediately. If you wanted to know something like, who was the actor in x movie, you would just have a discussion about it, and if nobody knew then that was the end of that. But you could always go to the library to reduce your boredom, or call people on a landline?
>If you woke up and had some time to kill before work or school, what did you do?
Read , watch TV, listen to radio or your personal music
>When you had an hour between events, how did you pass the time?
Found things to do this was very situation dependent and person dependent. You might browse stores nearby. If you with a group of friends, you just you know talked and interacted with your friends. Some people always had a book with them. You find a coffee shop and get a cup sit and people watch. Many other things
>What about after work? How did people unwind without endless scrolling?
Very person dependent and generation dependent. My generation, gen x, flipped channels on TV or you had shows you had recorded on your vcr. Read a book. If family was home talked with them about your day
>What did a sick day look like when you couldn’t just binge a show on your phone?
TV whatever was playing. Watched lots of crappy day time talk shows, game shows and just whatever was playing on network TV
>And when it came to planning vacations, how much of that had to be done in person or over the phone?
You went to book store and bought a guide book for the place you were going. Planned from there plus travel agents were big. You don’t pay a travel agent they get commission on what they set up for you.
>Did boredom just exist more,
Honestly I’m bored more often now then I was back in the 80’s 90 and early 2000’s
Just took a while longer to find the information needed, coordinate things with several people, or even getting in touch with someone was sometimes difficult. Have to check the yellow/white pages, or call the operator if don’t have the yellowbook ready. Have to pre-determine the route to wherever you’re going before actually going, sometimes getting lost, asking for directions. Have to wait for the paper to check the scores, unless a dj blasted it on the radio.
You spent more time wondering and not knowing things, and had to plan more in advance. I often think that this aspect of experiencing the limits of your knowledge and lack of control over time and space was valuable for its humbling nature.
The biggest difference to me was that there was far less entertainment available, and the cost of actually speaking to someone was drastically higher. I had to either call them when they were at home or track them down and speak face-to-face. Life was a lot more lonely, but also a lot more free. I grew up on a farm in a county of Southern Illinois in which there were about 5000 people total. Entertainment options were limited to books, VHS tapes, and what ever happened to be on one of four television networks. As far as communicating with others, my options were family and classmates. That’s it. Today there are virtually no limitations. There are more people saved in the context list of my phone that I had met by the time I was a teenager. I have the ability to text more people within the next five minutes than I had spoken to in my first 15 years of life
How old are you? “That time” wasn’t that long ago. lol
For context, I graduated high school in 2000. We socialized more, had hobbies. I was constantly at my friends houses just screwing around, riding bikes, partaking in various shenanigans. Vacation planning was done through a travel agent or if you need a flight, you can call the airline directly. I had a horrible sense of direction so I was all about MapQuest (and I still got lost). Thankfully, that doesn’t happen much any more.
To me, it was so much more fun. Some of us used MySpace, most of us didn’t bother and we weren’t tied down. We didn’t have to pretend to be someone one we weren’t and could just be “us” and we were happy. I feel so bad for the younger generations that now have to deal with a different type of stress than we did. Growing up is hard as it is.
So, you know all those things you do on your phone? Play games, talk to friends, read the news, watch movies and tv shows? We did all of that.
If you woke up and had some time to kill, you would watch tv or read the news.
What did we do after work? Talked to friends, watched the news, did a crossword puzzle
A sick day? Reading and watching movies and tv
Planning vacations? We got reviews from friends, magazines, newspapers, or travel agencies.
We did all the same things you do, just in a different way.
I feel ancient in this thread, but I haven’t seen anyone mention newspapers. A lot of older people grew up reading a newspaper during breakfast, or on the way to and from work or school.
Day to day life? Pretty much the same. Went to school/work, socialized, entertained ourselves with hobbies and activities, did chores, went to bed and repeated. Our methods might be slightly different, but the day to day life was pretty much the same.
I love the question, but honestly I think the simplest answer is “you don’t miss what you don’t have”.
These days I’m so dependent on my phone (about 6 hours a day screen time) and I can’t imagine life without it. But honestly, I used to get along just fine.
I had TV and DVDs, I had the internet on my desktop PC, we had email, I had video games. Life was 100% fine. Kind of sobering when I think about the time I’m spending on the phone today.
I got in the habit of carrying a book. In high school for those times in between bells and after classwork was done, Dr offices…anywhere I would have wait times.
We had interactions with real live people. Made eye contact. Spoke to others. Read books. Didn’t feel like we had to know every fart let in the day to day of our friends, family or even worse, strangers.
Had some peace.
A lot of your replies are weirdly combative, but I think it’s an interesting question. I’m 48, for reference, and I didn’t start using a smartphone until 2015. My reply got very long (this is a risk when an old person reminisces 😅) but maybe there’s something of interest to you, idk.
I was (and still am) a heavy PC user, since the mid-90s, and I’ve always done some of the things you mentioned on PCs. That’s something that’s surprising to me, the amount of things people use their phones for instead of computers. I’d never binge a new-to-me show on my phone. I recently booked airline tickets using my phone and I was not a fan of that experience. I really prefer doing these types of things on a computer. To me phones are all about showing you things sort of like what you want, not giving you precise info.
But on to your question. When I was young, I read a lot of magazines, newspapers, and books; I watched more TV; and I played PC games. The sort of “time-filler” activity for me that you’re asking about really was reading. I always carried a paperback in my bag. I also used to do crossword puzzles (in magazines) to fall asleep at night. These activities are not all that different from the ways I waste time on a phone.
I’ve never liked just watching whatever’s on TV (broadcast TV), so for me, choosing what I watch is very important. But I’m an oddball about this. I have friends my age and even younger who like just mindless TV watching, where maybe you catch something you wanna see. I don’t think I could ever go back to that, though I do have good memories of watching MTV and Comedy Central that way as a teen.
I also listened to a lot of music. Any older person would love to talk to you about the technology they used to listen to music. As a kid I listened to the radio and watched MTV, and I also bought a lot of music. Then as a teen, I traded bootleg copies of albums with my friends. I used to record videos on MTV (using a VCR) to watch later. I had stacks of those tapes and was very into it. One of my friends talks about how she used to write out lyrics to songs by hand, just to enjoy them; the internet has made that unnecessary, for the most part, though you will still find obscure media that has never been collected on lyrics sites. But all of that kind of thing would kill a lot of time, in the ways you’re asking about.
I was a kid so I watched spongebob on tv haha. after school i went to my friend’s house and we did homework for an hour then played till like 5/6/7pm, then at home I watched disney channel or organized my room. I hated going back home bc I would have too much fun w my friend. Also bc I’m an only child. Now I barely go out bc of my phone addiction but I’m starting to force myself to do so!
Talked with family, went to see friends, went for a walk.
I remember having newspapers, magazines, and books to read for down time.
You listened to music either by turning on the radio or playing music on vinyl, cassette, or compact disc.
We got together with friends or neighbors in person for activities.
Weekly card games, board games, or going to the park for chess games.
We had a crappy black & white tv, plus tons of junk food. Not saying this combo is better than a smart phone?
When not watching crap programming and or eating crap food, we got into trouble in our ‘hood. I do mean “hood”. Complete w bullies & weirdos…
prolly better now w smartphones
Life was better than
Computers and the internet already existed, but they were mostly stationed at home. If I was at home, I was probably on my computer all the time. If I was away, I was usually heading to class or calling my friends to see where they were. Either eating, hanging out at a coffee shop, or doing homework at the library.
Gosh, I miss that simple life.
Honestly people watched tons of television. But we would also talk on the phone a lot sometimes for hours.
We argued over the correct way to fold a paper map
I killed time by reading a lot of books after school until around 4pm. After that I rode my bicycle to my friend’s house and played with them. In the afternoon, back to books again until my sleep time.
Had I gone back, I wouldn’t have survived with just doing that all the time. In the end it would have all been boring
I had to drive thirty miles in an ice storm to get my wife at the airport only to find the airport closed. That’s how it was
Cable, books, spending time outside.
Boring as fuck.
We had a yabba dabba do time before smartphones.
We sent smoke signals and banged on rocks.
Glorious…life before smartphones was Glorious! You weren’t readily reachable 24x7x365.
If you spent a lot of time on the toilet you either brought reading material, like a magazine, or you read the ingredients list on the shampoo bottle or toothpaste tube.
I was an awkward introvert and was anchored to my desktop computer for hours as a young teen. Now I can be an introvert in public which allows me to bounce between spontaneous conversations with strangers or using my phone when my social anxiety kicks in or an awkward lull in convo happens. I think I benefited from growing up with both worlds as a millennial. But I do absolutely hate the obsession with taking pictures or posting on socials constantly.
We sat at computers
Basically the same as today, just without smart phones
I know this isn’t exactly the topic but, I remember how censorship was funny. You’d watch Robocop on tv a bunch of times no problem, and then you’d finally see the uncut version and be totally traumatized lol
Went to the library to loan books a lot. Spent a lot on magazines.
Lots of idle TV. I used to leave on reruns of shows I didn’t give the tiniest shit about. I read a lot more.
But the main thing was AOL Instant Messenger and MMOs. I would sit online for hours talking to friends all over the place.
For me it was a lot of reading and some TV. I also played The Sims a lot when that was first popular. I also taught myself to cook and bake and I’m very good at it now.
A technology existed to provide portable reading material for anyone who needed it. “Paperback books” were available in multiple genres including thriller, romance, Western, mystery, science-fiction, erotica, fantasy, and true-crime.
Honestly it felt more relaxed
I didn’t get my first cell phone till I was 26 or so, because I didn’t think it was necessary. Then, my car had a minor breakdown on a road trip and my mom freaked out, added me to the parents’ phone plan, and handed me a flip phone.
We read, a lot. I usually had a small paperback in my purse and/or sitting in my car at all times. Paper maps for navigation, and the internet was basically for browsing and posting on forums (hey, kinda like Reddit!) and chatting on instant messengers and IRC (kinda like Discord!)
I played offline computer games like the Sims, Diablo, and the like. For the news, I’d turn on the TV if I had one, or go to, say, MSN dot com and read the news if I didn’t.
We would actually talk on the landline phone to friends just to chitchat, or to make plans. Sometimes, close friends would just show up at your house and knock on the door.
I also had a VCR hooked up to the tv programmed to record CSI every week because it aired while I was at work. We’d go to Blockbuster or Hollywood Video and rent movies, or buy them when they came out on DVD.
Going for walks and no-destination drives were common and popular ways to kill a few hours of time, as was hanging out at a 24-hour diner.
It was absolutely less stressful because you never felt like you HAD to be connected at all times. Messages, posts, emails, and notifications waited until you actively chose to check them, and there was no expectation of an instant response. If you called someone and they didn’t answer, you left a message and knew they’d call you back when they were available.
As a teen, long talks on the phone with friends, or on MSN messenger, TV schedules had more meaning, there are days when you would watch a lineup of hot shows with new episodes, or days when Friends would rerun a few episodes in a row, reading, homework, getting out in nature. I was an adult for a few short years fighting the smartphone movement until I literally was forced to buy one, I usually had a book on me but definitely remember boredom waiting for a bus or metro and counting the seconds. Listening to my mp3 player!
Being bored sometimes is a good thing.
I loved magazines. I’d flip through them like you would your phone. Sometimes I’d stop and read an article, and sometimes I’d keep flipping. I’d usually be listening to music too.
I’d also talk on the phone a lot. I’d never do that now! But back then you had no choice if you wanted to talk to someone.
TV was always there too. Remember, to see what was on, you’d have to check the TV guide (a physical book), or watch the listings scroll through on some random channel from your cable provider. And you had to watch stuff live, or record it on the VCR, or you’re never going to see it.
Honestly, I was never bored.
What do you consider “before” smartphones? Your description sounds like you’re asking about 1970s or something, but like 2005 was before smartphones too.
But generally things didn’t change that much. Instead of spotify, people had casette or cd players & radios. Instead of doomscrolling in their free time, people sat infront of their TVs, barely conscious. Instead of looking at your phone on the bus/train/metro, you might’ve read the paper, or a book.
I must say that I accomplished 1000% more in a day, even accounting for the age difference……definitely too easy to waste time on the phone watching other people’s lives instead of living your own to the fullest, but it is strangely addicting! I do think that for those who live alone, as I do, it does help one to feel less lonely and more “connected” to others if only vicariously. Once the weather improves I will definitely try to spend less time on the phone.
Reading packaging and meeting friends outside
You called people on a phone hanging on a wall. You walked over to people’s houses to visit or you drove.
Watch an episode of “leave it to Beaver” or “Hazel” to watch it in action.
Reading, drawing, exploring outside, causing trouble and not being scared of getting caught/filmed/put online. Lots of sitting at friends houses and playing old videos games, watching TV, playing board/card games. Making up games with stuff like cardboard boxes and outside toys.
Talked a lot. When we got older we went out to clubs, cyber cafes, laser tag, rave parties. Smoked, drank under age, intercourse, calling over a land line and having to talk to parent before reaching friend. Calling movie line to figure out when the next film was. Going to the mall and walking the stores, hanging out at the food court and arcade. Driving around late at night after a concert, bowling or pool hall and hitting up a fast food drive through then loitering in the parking lot.
After school we would go to someplace like IHOP then over to a friends house. Some of my fondest memories is sitting on a friend’s back porch staring at the stars (chain smoking hah) and just talking about life.
When you had to wait for something it was a lot of reading or you just learned to sit still or people watch. I still sometimes just sit at the airport and watch. In a waiting room I’ll just sit quietly and look at the floor or wall and think about things. It’s interesting how now that seems odd to people. If you’re not staring at your phone it’s strange now.
All the stuff that came up the top of my head.
It was peaceful.