Top 16: What Was Life Like Before the Internet?

16. GPS didn't exist.

Nowadays, we use all kinds of applications directly integrated into our smartphones to find our way, like Waze or Google Maps . The road maps are constantly updated automatically , and we can be informed of various practical information, for example traffic, thanks to the satellite . 🛰️

However, before , it was necessary to buy paper maps ! 🗺️ It took a lot of time to plan your route, as well as choose the best route to save as much time as possible. Unlike current GPS, if you made a mistake, it was impossible to automatically recalculate your path ! You had to do everything by hand and rely on your sense of direction .

It goes without saying that the sense of orientation of individuals was much more developed in the past : in fact, where today there is no longer the slightest effort to make to find one's way, it was not the case before! If you're wondering why your dad knows all the right paths, you finally have the explanation within your reach.

15. A true search for art.

Before , design was much more elaborate , whether in advertising posters or in design in general. Today , the need to go ever faster and build ever more requires a style that is much quicker and more efficient to implement, which tends to reduce artistic quality .

Our vintage posters are an example of this forgotten past where art was not neglected:

14. No Google to find the answer to his question.

Today , search engines have invaded our lives and are very practical . They allow us to search for information, find a restaurant, know the weather, etc. They provide enormous services and save enormous amounts of time for everyone who uses them.

Back then, you had to fend for yourself . If one was looking for an answer to existential questions, such as The Big Question About Life, the Universe and Everything Else , it was necessary to go to a library to hope to find an answer. And yes, it was not uncommon for the library not to have the right book! Dozens of phone calls were sometimes necessary to finally find the Holy Grail...

For the wealthiest who owned a computer 🖥️ (reminder: computers did n't have internet at the time!), most used Microsoft Encarta , ancestor of Wikipedia and encyclopedia including all possible subjects. Encarta was discontinued in 2009, where it took 2% market share, compared to 97% for Wikipedia.

13. Video games with friends were at home.

Fortnite is one of the most popular online games these days . Thousands of players compete with their friends in order to win the game using pickaxes, guns, and Minecraft construction. Voice chat allows everyone to communicate with others, making the experience more friendly and warm.

Conversely, in the past , it was necessary to invite your friends to your house if you wanted to play a game with them. For console users (players playing on a console), the Nintendo 64 was particularly suitable given that it had 4 controller holders and gave birth to the well-known Super Smash Bros series. The television screen was divided into 4, each part representing a player. 🕹️

On the PC players side, things were more complicated ! In fact, to play with your friend, you had to completely move your PC and all the accessories that go with it: keyboard, screen, mouse, etc. It was then necessary to connect the different computers via a "HUB" , allowing the computers to communicate with each other. Doom , Duke Nukem 3D and Quake made the heyday of multiplayer games. 🖱️

12. Everyone read the news in real newspapers.

Today we are used to finding out about current events by consulting online newspapers . With a single click, we can access a phenomenal amount of information , and can know what is happening around the world.

If you wanted to get information at the time , you had to go to your bookseller and buy a paper newspaper . 📰 Many people read it at breakfast before going to work, or on public transport. Any opportunity was good to read your favorite newspaper and not take your eyes off it!

Doesn’t this “disconnected” aspect of reality remind you of anything? If today people find it difficult to leave their smartphone, at that time, it was their newspaper. Judge for yourself:

11. People listened to all sounds, even those they didn't like.

Spotify allows anyone to have access to an infinite catalog of music of all kinds, and this... for free . Its very advanced features allow the user to find music related to what they are listening to, thus providing them with the best possible music. Spotify can be used everywhere , on your computer or on your smartphone.

Before , to obtain an album or a single, it was necessary to go to a record store . In general, vinyl singles were less good value for money , which meant that it was often more interesting to buy albums. This meant that people were used to listening to sounds they didn't necessarily like, but in return had greater musical diversity . 🎶

Today , vinyl records are new in fashion, particularly thanks to their covers : they are particularly appreciated for vintage decorations .

👉 Do you like the vinyl look ? So discover without further delay our magnificent vinyl record clock .

10. “Netflix & Chill”? No !

During this period of confinement , we are used to watching films and series on Netflix . The latter offers us tons of content to watch, available immediately, all for a paltry subscription of around ten euros .

However, at the time , all of this did not exist . If we tried to find an equivalent to Netflix in the past, it would be nothing other than video stores or television . 📺 Or to a lesser extent, cinema . In any case, it was much more difficult and expensive to be able to be entertained by series and films.

9. The FAX, precursor of email.

Nothing is easier than sending a message these days . If we immediately think of instant messaging like WhatsApp , we must not forget email which remains a good means of communication, particularly for professional activities.

An equivalent of email at the time was the FAX . 📠 A FAX is similar to a scanner , except that it allows you to send scanned content to anyone in the world . Each person with a FAX had a number that corresponded to them (similar to a telephone number). All you had to do was slide a document into the FAX, dial the remote person's FAX number, and the person received the document via a photocopy .

Here's one in action:

8. The typewriter, or the ancestor of word processors.

Writing a document is today the most basic thing there is. Various applications allow us to write documents, such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs , and we can save our documents in the cloud to take them anywhere with us.

Our parents and grandparents, for their part, only had a typewriter . With a little practice, someone who used the machine with dexterity saved a lot of time composing a document compared to someone who did it by hand. The typewriter was therefore a very popular professional tool. 📜

Did you know ? Nowadays, some writers prefer to write on a typewriter. According to them, a person typing on a computer could be tempted to be distracted (go on social networks, watch a video on YouTube, etc.): this is why they prefer to play it " old-school ".

7. Express your opinions in front of the person, not behind a screen.

Social networks are now a reality of our lives. They make it easier to keep in touch with our loved ones, and allow us to share passions with others . However, they can sometimes become a place for violent debates, as is sometimes the case on Twitter. Indeed, it is easier to be aggressive behind the screen than in front of the person themselves. 😡

So it's no wonder that in the past, people often tended to be much more peaceful, because they simply had no choice: social media didn't exist. If the debate existed, it was often limited to radio or television, or it only concerned certain so-called " intellectual " people.

Despite the consequences this may have had, we cannot deny another beneficial aspect of social media : freedom of expression . Thanks to them, everyone was able to make their voice heard more easily, and share it with others (after all, expressing yourself also means taking the risk of offending others !).

6. The media was less in the immediate.

A good journalist must respect the truth and only that. It is not his role to play politics, nor to be the advocate of good or evil. In a highly connected age, many of today's newspapers tend to report news in the moment instead of doing so more cautiously. Nearly one in two French people believe that the media frequently convey false information ! 😨

Of course, this doesn't mean that the media of yesteryear was beyond reproach, far from it. However, it was necessary for the journalist to take his time to write a story , because he was not necessarily on the lookout for everything that was happening. Like a detective, he had to gather the elements scattered here and there in order to put the pieces together and bring the truth to his readers.

5. Polaroid: selfies of yesteryear!

If we could only name one striking element of our time , it would be selfies ! 🤳 Snapchat and Instagram in particular have relied heavily on these. Selfie-stick or simply holding your smartphone, there’s something for everyone.

To take a selfie, our parents and grandparents used Polaroid cameras : they were inexpensive, easily transportable and allowed a photo to be developed instantly (unlike other cameras where you had to develop the film) . Practical for taking a photo easily!

4. People could be unreachable.

It is impossible to have peace of mind today: mobile phones have become essential, and anyone who does not have one would quickly find themselves destitute. Therefore, this is accompanied by the fact that anyone can reach the person of their choice at any time. A good as a bad , in reality.

It's hard to imagine a time when you could be gone for days, weeks, or even years and no one knew where you were or what you were doing (unless you sent a postcard or used a public telephone ! 😂); However, this was the case with the older generation ! These days, it's impossible to truly be unreachable. Thanks, technology !

3. The mystery of a first date.

Dating apps allow everyone to find their soul mate. With a simple installation, Tinder allows you to meet people near you who share your interests. When you match, the discussion begins!

Before the Internet, first dates had a mystical quality. You met someone at a party or maybe it was a mutual friend who set you up on a date. You had a few hours to find out as much as you could about them and decide if you could see the relationship growing anywhere. It was important to eliminate all the superficial but important things, like how many siblings you had, your job, your political views, etc. This added a charm, a charm that is no longer the same with mobile applications. 💕

2. Better memory.

With all the existing applications (note-taking, to-do list, etc.) it is almost impossible to forget anything . Furthermore, calendars can even remind you of an event so that you are always on time for an essential appointment. Also, it becomes impossible to forget a birthday! 🎂

Except that if we analyze the other way, it's also a problem: people no longer take the trouble to make the effort to remember. Indeed, why bother when the applications do it for us? However, taking the easy way out isn't always optimal, as this memory study shows.

Let’s take an example from the older generation in this aspect!

1. Cell phones were more durable, and their batteries lasted a week (!)

Our phones are becoming more and more intelligent and powerful. Most have the resolution of a TV, and the performance of some has no reason to be ashamed of a computer. However, one element seems to have remained at the same stage for years: the battery. For the majority of smartphones, it only lasts 3 days at most!

In distinct contrast, phones of yesteryear had batteries that lasted well over a week. The most famous cell phone of this generation was the famous Nokia 3310 . It was particularly renowned for being very sturdy: even if it was dropped several times, it continued to work perfectly. We cannot say that this is the case with our current smartphones, where a single fall can be fatal!