20 Nostalgic Struggles of Growing Up Without the Internet
Image credit: Ai
In today’s world, it’s almost impossible to imagine life without the internet. Yet, for those of us born before 1985, there was a time when life was completely different—simpler in many ways, yet filled with its unique challenges. As we look back, it’s hard not to smile at the struggles we faced, which today’s younger generations might find hard to believe.
Growing up, weekends weren’t spent binge-watching the latest series. Instead, we’d be outside, playing until the sun dipped below the horizon. The streets were our playgrounds, and our imaginations were our entertainment. We’d come home only when we heard the distant call of our parents, signaling dinner time.
Saturday mornings were a treasure trove of cartoons. Waking up early, grabbing a bowl of our favorite cereal, and huddling around the TV with our siblings was the highlight of the week. It wasn’t about selecting from endless choices online; it was about catching your favorite show right when it aired, with no reruns or streaming to fall back on.
Homework was a different beast altogether. There were no instant Google searches or online resources. Instead, we had encyclopedias—massive, heavy books that were our go-to source of knowledge. If the answers weren’t there, a trip to the local library was in order, where we’d navigate through endless rows of books in search of the information we needed.
Music wasn’t at our fingertips either. Mixtapes, painstakingly recorded from the radio, were our prized possessions. We’d wait patiently for our favorite songs to play, ready to hit the record button at just the right moment, hoping the DJ wouldn’t talk over the intro.
And then there were the phone booths—those glass boxes scattered around town. Making a call meant having a pocket full of coins and hoping the person you were calling was home to pick up. Memorizing phone numbers was a necessity, not a choice.
These experiences, though they might seem like struggles now, were the threads that wove our childhoods together. They taught us patience, resourcefulness, and the joy of simple pleasures—lessons that, in our fast-paced digital world, feel more valuable than ever.
Sushmita Chowdhary, Staff Reporter.
