While I’m feeling pretty old being born in the mid 80s, my entire adult life has been experienced with a phone or smartphone. I often wonder how different life would be as an adult without this communication safety net and crutch. While I have small bits of my childhood and early teens that were phone free, it’s definitely not the same as living an adult life with all the excitement and dangers it brings with it. We’ve done it for thousands of years and I feel like maybe I’m/we’re missing out on something only gained from living a life that isn’t so connected to everything everywhere at once.
As a Dad now I wouldn’t be able to experiment with this experience, but to any older 'nauts with experience as adults without the tether, if you’re out there, what’s your take on life with these gadgets now that it’s likely been almost as long with than without in your adult life?
Being born in the 70s, I know a bit about that. It’s a lot faster these days if you have car trouble that’s for sure. Though, I haven’t had cars with that much trouble since I was younger and didn’t have a phone. My kids though have called me a few times for various car things.
I used to call and talk to people on the phone in the 80s. I don’t really talk to people on the phone these days unless it’s important.
As far as the computing/network aspect I’ve been on the internet and BBSes since the beginning of the 90s, so not much difference there other than speeds, and types of data/media available now.
I don’t think phones are the problem for us any more than I think crack pipes are the problem for crackheads, it’s what you access with them that ruins lives.
I didn’t have my first cell phone until I worked in the cellular industry and then watched phones go from little bricks to little sandwiches to little computers.
The utility of a smartphone is hidden behind a wall of distractions and it’s worth is only as good as your own self-restraint.
My self-restraint is fucking garbage, so I don’t have a fancy phone, and I sure am glad to not work with them anymore because nothing gets people more fired up than problems with their crack supply.
I was in grad school when smartphones became a real thing.
I am able to not look at my phone for hours at a time, and I think that’s probably the biggest difference between me (a late Xer) and people even 5 years younger than me.
Given the progress of wearables now and in the near future, I think focusing on the phone is horse out of the stable status at this point.
Born in ‘82 and I’m pretty glad about that because I experienced the before and after of the internet becoming mainstream. As for being tethered to a phone, it’s more about self-restraint and deleting the apps/feeds that you don’t need in your life. This is more a reminder to myself than to OP. For example, when I’m not looking for gear, I delete Reverb.
The best thing I can do with my phone is things like when spouse is asleep, putting the phone to bed too so I can art and clean without reflexive pageflipping. When I’m also twitchy and doing that in public I’ll also just put it away in a bag.
Thanks for the insight. Aside from conveniences though I had also wondered if with the advent of these gadgets life seems faster/accelerated altogether. Maybe even less immersive or personal now that everything is searchable and the wonder can be lost in the sauce as they say.
Not really for me, but I see that with a lot of people.
I do check my messages pretty frequently, but I’m not horribly tied to it. I also refuse to install anything from work on it (like Teams and Outlook) for example. When I’m not at work or on call for work, I do not interact with work. Some people that work here don’t ever seem to detach at all, and I don’t think that’s very healthy.
If I know something important is happening with work, I’ll check my email through web mail, but that’s as connected as I allow for that. If there’s a real emergency one of a few key people can text me from work.
I had a phone back then, but people didn’t wave them around and take videos of the people playing. early-mid 90s. It either stayed in the car, or when they got a bit smaller, in my pocket. I did have a pager though.
I had a bit of this in my teens and yeah. Waiting, not knowing. Can’t imagine it now, but was totally regular.
As a kid/teen I would basically just say “bye mom!” and they would have no contact point with me other than to call peoples houses I said/might be at. They would just expect me home by a certain time unless I called for the most part. Tough to imagine now with my kid when he gets older. I also think kids are missing out on this somehow. Of course it’s much safer this way, but I dunno I wish kids still had that somewhat.
I’m waiting out my phone contract before switching back to something much less smart.
Probably an old Nokia or something, but I think I might go for one of these newfangled light phone things, as they can tether the screen in my car to the Internet for satnav, tunes etc when I’m in the car, which is the only good things left about my phone.
I joined the phone party pretty late (about 26 before I consistently owned any sort of mobile phone) but I spend way too much time on mine now and it’s ruining my parenting.
Born early eighties and certainly remember the time without phones.
It felt more adventurous, with the plus being the excitement of having to do a lot more by yourself without safety net. It brings you to less common places, feeling more fresh.
It felt more connected to the people that were around me. While with a phone, it feels more connected to the people that I already know.
Downside is that you need to find it out yourself and therefore there are more chances you end up in places/situations you don’t like.
I guess it learns you to be self reliant more, instead of depending on common knowledge and trusted networks. Sure felt more in the moment for me. But maybe other people have other experiences.
In my twenties I stayed a lot at a place where there was no internet (nor running water, gas and electricity). And the human connections and joy from that were awesome. Be free, live your life and don’t be bombarded by everyone elses opinions and experiences.
I certainly know what gives me more joy (no phone, internet, basic living). However, that will only be fun if you have the character to find out on your own and enjoy living without safety net.
And to make an analogy to music making : living without phone feels like having a daw without time correct. Really exciting, but it sucks if you don’t have the skills.
Imagine meeting someone you fancy, asking for their landline number, and them giving it to you. Then having no communication with that person until you have the guts to call the number, their dad answers and you have to ask to speak to them. You then arrange to meet them at a public place at specific date and time. You then have no communication with them until the date, and you have to wait at this place with no guarantee they’ll show up.
I feel lucky to have experienced the pre digital courtship process. So much was left to your brain to generate excitement and tension.
And I imagine this is totally alien to most people now as we have a complete and curated digital public profile, non stop comms and all the genital and arse pics before you’ve even held hands.
Not sure it’s progress, but it’s definitely not as fun, confidence building, nerve wrecking and fulfilling.
It’s a lot faster these days if you have car trouble that’s for sure. Though, I haven’t had cars with that much trouble since I was younger and didn’t have a phone. My kids though have called me a few times for various car things. 
