Nowadays, if the phone rings or if someone knocks on the door, it causes fear and anxiety.
When I was a kid, if the house phone rang or there was a knock at the door, we'd rush to answer in excitement. "the cousins are coming over."
simpler times
I miss getting on the computer and AIM and chatting with friends.
I miss being able to make embarrassing mistakes without the risk of it being recorded and shared with the world. It's not even that I make a lot of them, or that anyone would care, I just hate the principle that anything could potentially be used against you. It's more that the threat itself takes the enjoyment out of being outside, like everyone has to be so guarded and fake all the time.
The first time I saw this was in the early days of YouTube and smart phones, some kids had found a video of a teacher who was peer pressured by some people into very shyly singing a popular song, which they put on YouTube. After that nobody took him seriously anymore.
Note: this is for actual small silly things only, the kind that can happen to anyone. I absolutely do not support people who try to excuse their crimes, harassment or bigotry as "it was just an embarrassing mistake when I was young haha", that sort of thing absolutely should be used against them later.
Things that happened at the party, mostly stayed at the party. Now you can find yourself on TikTok the next morning
The shared experience of Television and Movies.
Nearly everyone watched The Simpsons, for instance. It was more reliable than Game of Thrones ever was.
More truth and fewer media bubbles. The "WMDs in Iraq" lie was a huge understanding, and not everyone believed it, just enough. Now you can do that more easily with some social media accounts and algorithms. People just choose their own news.
it was quieter. it was easier to avoid distractions.
The computer experience used to happen at home at a desktop. It wasn’t something you could carry around in your pocket
We would meet up on aim and then do our best to meet up in real life.
We had MapQuest when we need to get somewhere. But we had to print that stuff out, and it wasn’t always Fail safe.
Being inaccessible was a hidden pleasure. Just be where you are
The 'treasure hunting' aspect to discovering music, art, books, and events. Information overload seems to suck the joy out of these things and to shut down enlivened exploration.
Being bored from time to time
Boredom is underrated.
Being bored means you are really excited when the next thing comes along.
Being bored means you are motivated to create something yourself.
Being bored means you'll try something you normally would shun.
Honestly, I don't like boredom. I had to accept early on that I'd be bored a lot but it doesn't mean I like it. Then again, I'm constantly bored. I'm not saying I'm bored a lot, I'm saying that is my default state. People are constantly explaining things to me I already understand or otherwise tell me things that do not matter. It's noise to fill space because they're uncomfortable with silence and unable to make interesting conversation. At work, if I'm not actively fixing a problem, the boredom is there.
So I make things. I print things out, clean them up, paint them to keep my attention. I build contraptions and devices. I fiddle with settings and make pictures I took look just how I want them. All of this and more just to keep the boredom away for a short time
Being bored means you are motivated to create something yourself. You kinda proved my point for me.
Thanks.
Yes, I create stuff but my point is that it's less a choice to do so and more a bandaid. Like having an itch in your palm that can only be fixed with the tooth bite maneuver or something. The instant relief is there but it'll come back very shortly. My brain is constantly going. Even with medication, it still constantly goes. Yeah, I can make connections that others don't or find patterns faster than my peers but the constant search for dopamine is exhausting as fuck
Have you tried meditation?
I've attempted but my brain is not meant for meditation, I fear
Anyone can learn.
It took me a while, but it clicked eventually.
Sometimes, repetitive physical activity can help. Walking, knitting, riding a bike, or swimming.
Start small. 30 seconds will lead to longer stretches.
I've always had the same attitude as Betty Draper when it comes to boredom. Only boring people get bored. At the very least, there's always something interesting to think about.
See, you say that but when you are literally always thinking about things, making connections, finding patterns, and such, it's exhausting and there is no off switch
I not only say it, I live it. There is an off switch of sorts, it's called sleep.
those analog landline phones were good
when you mad at someone you could just slam it, nowadays the touchscreen hanging up is not the same effect
They were also way cheaper. $200-500 for a smart phone when it first came out was considered crazy.
Having face to face conversations with my friends after playing on the streets. Getting bored because there was nothing to do or to watch on TV. Time used to pass real slowly back then. I miss that.
Boredom is a big one. Getting bored at the bus stops or in the waiting rooms. If you didn't carry a book or a Walkman you'd be totally alone with your imagination. No wonder I still smoked back then.
Top 40 Radio. It was the default in most stores and restaurants.
You didn't have to go hunting for music, music came to you.
People in small towns were hearing Motown and people in the city were hearing Johnny Cash and Dolly Parton.
These days, most of the places I go into have a 1980s station on.
Also, variety TV shows.
Top 40 Radio. It was the default in most stores and restaurants.
You didn’t have to go hunting for music, music came to you.
that was one of the most awful parts of this era, and it continues to this fucking day.
Maybe if you typed the question as text instead of a screenshot, you might get some folks to accept the question as legitimate.
It can't be overstated how basic tasks or minor inconveniences would turn into multi-day quests.
Tons of movies spin up a whole plot based on a car breaking down and it'll be a week before the part can get there. Or trying to find the one guy that knows about the thing you need to know about, because he has the right book that the library doesnt have. It was an easy way to meet interesting people and learn stuff.
What I don't miss is even looking for a basic thing that's out of stock and calling 7 stores asking "hi, do you have _____ right now? No? OK, thanks." Then calling back the next week.
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