Life prior to social media was a different pace—one that was quieter, more intimate, and possibly more genuine. The world was never connected online. Individuals were present in the moment, talked to one another face-to-face, and formed more genuine, richer relationships without the necessity of constant online validation. While today’s digital age has its undeniable benefits, looking into the past of life pre-social media takes a refreshing look at the way life was lived in previous times.
In the pre-social media times, things were done on purpose. Calling, visiting the home of someone, and mailing letters were the primary means of staying in contact. There was effort and sincerity in the manner in which people stayed in contact. A birthday wish was a call or a hand-written message, not a quick tag on the friend’s wall. Friends and family members would sit and talk for hours without interruptions from alerts or the necessity to record everything on a camera.
Privacy was also characteristic of the era. Your life was not an open book. What you were wearing, what you ate for dinner, and where you were going were personal experiences, not to be posted. No need to blog while on vacation, an achievement, or even on a daily occurrence. This not sharing everything all the time was less about comparing and more about embracing one’s own existence. Individuals were not always comparing themselves in terms of likes, shares, or followers.
Entertainment was also different. Instead of scrolling through endless feeds, people read books, watched television as a family, or played outside games. Children spent hours outside playing and gaining real-life social skills. Neighborhoods were more intimate. Neighbors interacted and there was more interaction at neighborhood gatherings, schools, and churches. People connected by real interactions and not by artificially constructed online identities.
News and information came from quality sources like newspapers, the radio, and television. While it was slower in coming, it was also less sensational and misleading. Folks could sit and think about things and make up their minds without being bombarded with a flood of information on the web. People talked in person, often with more sophistication and respect than we do now on comment streams and the web forums.
Of course, life prior to social media was not ideal. Long-distance communication was more difficult, information was limited, and individuals had fewer channels by which to express themselves. But there was also some tranquility in never feeling plugged in. Life was slower, but maybe that left more room for lucidity, concentration, and emotional resonance.
Since we are now in a globalized world, reminiscing about life before social media makes us remember how simple human connection was, uninterrupted time was, and the simplicity of living without having to seek validation all the time. We cannot turn back time, but we can definitely bring some of those values to our contemporary lives—by unplugging more frequently, being present, and fostering real-life relationships with compassion.
