20 Weird Things We Could Be Found Doing Before Smart Phones Existed

Without us even realizing it, smartphones have taken over our lives. Most of us can’t go much longer than 10 minutes before we check our phones and if we find ourselves without the device, we can feel more than a little lost. There was a time, however, before smartphones even existed. Amazingly, we managed to function without the electronic devices and in some cases, even thrived. We can’t believe that we actually did these things without smartphones; who knew that the recent past could feel so lost in time?

Watching Gigs Without Being Compelled To Film

Before smartphones took over our lives, we actually watched concerts with our eyes. Now, seeing anything that isn’t framed by a miniature screen just feels wrong, but before, we didn’t even blink an eye at the crisp quality of live images.

Turning Up Late Without Consequences

If you didn’t own a watch, there was virtually no way that you could turn up on time. When we didn’t have constant access to digitally accurate devices, our tardiness was completely out of our control, and could always be excused.

Reading Real Newspapers

The feel of real paper on our skin is something that most of us fail to remember any more. There was a time, however, when we all used to buy real newspapers in order to access the latest news. We shudder at the thought.

Somehow Enduring Awkward Situations

Mornings spent on public transport or in the company of strangers was somehow endured before the arrival of the smartphone. We must have had nerves of steel before because now, looking anywhere other than your phone screen in awkward scenarios just feels wrong.

Trying And Failing To Date Other People

Dating without the help of the smartphone was a very real and painful situation. The sheer terror of actually having to approach a real person, in real life, is utterly unthinkable and we can all let out a sigh of relief for the invention of dating apps.

Getting Genuinely Lost

Before access to online maps was a regular part of our world, we faced the very real danger of getting lost and having no idea how to get out. The fact that more of us didn’t vanish off the face of the earth is frankly a miracle.

Making Proper Mixtapes, On Real Tapes

If we wanted to express how we felt to another person, we had to go to all of the effort of finding real CDs and somehow, recording all of the best bits onto another blank disc. That was love. Now, we’re just all a bit lazy.

Learning Phone Numbers Off By Heart

If we wanted to call our beloved out of the blue, we had to commit their digits to memory. The fact that we managed to memorize all of our essential numbers is an incredible feat and should be celebrated.

Relying On Home Answering Machines

Our answering machines were a major part of our lives and if we weren’t at home, we relied on the clunky machines to collect all of the essential information. Ah, to be unreachable again.

Calling Random Numbers And Hanging Up

Prank calling numbers was one of the joys of the pre-smartphone days. When phone users had no access to the number they were being called from, anything was possible. Now, thanks to caller ID, we’re all a little more bored.

Trying To Win Arguments Through Willpower

Arguments before smartphones were about one thing and one thing only: Being right. With no instant access to search engine information, or online encyclopedias, we had to take information at face value, and could argue our position until the cows came home.

Keeping Random Updates To Yourself

If we were grabbing a coffee, or trying a new place for lunch, we used to just keep the information to ourselves. Before access to social media was the norm, very few people knew what we were doing, at all times.

Perfecting Your Handwriting With Pens

Back in the day, we all sported handwriting that looked as if it had been lifted directly from the 17th century. Investing in good pens was just another part of life and if you couldn’t write well, you were a nobody.

Using Disposable Cameras For Memories

Essential memories were either forgotten or captured on dodgy disposable cameras. The one person that actually had a fully functioning camera was the center of attention and walked around with an aura of entitlement.

Ignoring Your Embarrassing Questions

If you wanted to find out more about a weird spot on your back, or look into a trashy celebrity’s early life, you normally just let it go. Finding out information required a lot of effort and unless you really wanted the truth, you normally forgot all about it.

Visiting Real Libraries With Real Books

Once upon a time, visiting the library was the highlight of your day. Since getting a smartphone, you can’t really remember what a real book feels like and when you actually see text on paper, your mind flips a little bit.

Arguing On Car Trips

Long car journeys were the worst thing in the world before the advent of the smartphone. Hours of road with nothing to do normally ended up in a huge family argument and by the time you arrived at your destination, you hated everyone in the car.

Revelling In Boredom

Nowadays, real boredom doesn’t really exist but in the era before the smartphone, it was a very real part of your existence. You could spend hours in a bored state, lying vegetative on your mattress.

Testing Your Brain In Pub Quizzes

Before everyone had access to all information, ever, pub quizzes were actually fun. Pooling all of your knowledge gave you a thrill that you haven’t experiences in years and even today, you miss the good old days.

Twiddling Your Thumbs On The Toilet

A trip to the toilet used to be a blank spot in the day. With nothing to look at but white walls and the ground, most of us took up thumb twiddling as a bathroom pastime, content to pass the time without any further distraction.