I love the internet. It’s my friend, my mentor, my grocery store, my phone, well… you get it. For obvious reasons, the internet has brought much more good to the world than bad, but there are some things I miss about the world, pre-easy-internet.
Here’s 5 of the big ones.
Wonder-full curiosity.
When I was a kid, it was common practice to ask the adults obscure questions that they probably didn’t know the answer to.
- Why is the sky blue?
- How long does it take a watermelon seed to grow into a full watermelon?
- How much does a train weigh?
- Do monkeys enjoy the taste of water?
- Is my cat’s blood the same as mine, and if not, what is different about it?
With Google and other search engine now, though, all that mystery is gone.
Now instead of having stumbled upon something that was still mysterious in this world, the basic answer is, “I dunno, google it.” In fact, it’s becoming increasingly ridiculous to ask the question in the first place, whereas I remember many long, late-night discussions centered around an idea that could have been resolved with a mere search.
I miss rampant, quick-witted curiosity.
Slow-growth fads.
“Back in the day”, fads, fashions, and jokes grew on a community like a warm welcome fungus: Slowly!
Now, if you sleep in too long, you miss out on a world-wide joke, a new meme, an internationally known joke, and all your clothes are out of date. It’s a shock to the system really and not nearly as fun as spreading the message of a new fad and watching it ink it’s way into your own society.
Thick, full, beautiful magazines.
Magazines and newspapers used to have a point. Regardless of how silly that point really was, they rejoiced in their purpose! Each issue or edition was chock-full of information, fun quizzes, new writers, letters from the editors, and more.
Nowadays, most magazines are nothing but a redirect to an internet page. It’s too bad, because I miss the joys of flipping through a magazine with friends.
Mild-mannered spontaneity.
We used to go to theaters before we were absolutely sure what they were playing. We tried new restaurants without knowing if our friends ever ate there, or if some stranger enjoyed their experience. We agreed to meet at places, only to find out when we all got there, that they closed in 10 minutes.
Sometimes those experiences resulted in long lines and headaches, sometimes they were full of laughter and incredibly memorable moments, but almost always they resulted in something truly … unexpected.
Simple parties.
Rawr! (Source: Unknown Pinterest Magician)
No matter how much I love to know all the various ways a watermelon can be made to look like something else, I can’t seem to remember how no one ever really wants the watermelon at a party. What’s wrong with a soda from cans without little themed umbrellas? What’s wrong with cutting a hole in a bag of baby carrots, opening a few bags of chips, and setting out a few vats of homemade dip? Party on, my friends. No frills required.
I’ve always loved to throw themed parties myself, but more and more it seems to be a requirement, not an indulgence.
I miss the days of pre-internet when 1-year-olds celebrated their birthdays with cakes bought at the grocery store, and balloons that didn’t have LED lights or professional dancers inside.
Of course, even as I write that, I have an internet tab open researching the best ways to make all my Thanksgiving food offerings shaped like dinosaurs.
Don’t judge me.
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Do you miss anything from the days before internet? Um, are you even old enough to remember the days before internet? Can you answer my silly questions without using Google? Just for old times’ sake?
