this post was submitted on 17 Jun 2023
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Seventy-seven percent of middle-age Americans (35-54 years old) say they want to return to a time before society was “plugged in,” meaning a time before there was widespread internet and cell phone usage. As told by a new Harris Poll (via Fast Company), 63% of younger folks (18-34 years old) were also keen on returning to a pre-plugged-in world, despite that being a world they largely never had a chance to occupy.

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[–] gapbetweenus@feddit.de 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

Everyone can do it for them-self, just don't use a smartphone or a cell phone if you want to go more hardcore.

[–] idealium@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (4 children)

I know you mean well but this is kind of a privileged take. Not everyone who wants to disconnect can afford to. It's kind of like how many people can't afford to just not use the internet, without it they will likely lose access to many essential resources.

"Just" not using a smartphone is viable for an increasingly vanishing portion of the population, in the US at least.

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[–] Mikelius@beehaw.org 5 points 1 year ago (1 children)

I like having the internet and technology. It's the abusive use of it that I don't like.I am also one who wishes phones were of no necessary use. Why do I need a phone number to sign up to an online service? Why must I have an email address and internet access just to see what lab results came in from the doctor's office? What use is my email address being "real" to some online community and services? I would be okay in a world where the phone and emails were just a nice thing to have and not required. I understand that everyone is saying "just turn off the phone, watch tv, unplug the computer"... But with how just about every company in the world requires this to even function, it's a lot easier said than done. I think the real thing folks on surveys like this are looking for is a world where the internet, phones, computers, etc are nice to have but not needed to live a life. Or maybe I'm just unique in how I feel, dunno, just had to share my thoughts lol.

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[–] sexy_peach@feddit.de 4 points 1 year ago (2 children)
[–] hannes3120@feddit.de 3 points 1 year ago

A majority of people prefer living in the past (because they refuse to chance) - and that's really fucking with out chances to have a decent future...

It's really fucked up

[–] mrmanager@lemmy.today 2 points 1 year ago

I'm surprised even the younger people would say so, since they have no experience with how it was.

I guess I'm "old" now, being 47 and all, but I was part of growing up with computers and the web just before most corporations even had a homepage or had any web presence at all.

I was on irc, forums, BBS:es... The web browser was Netscape in the beginning, and later Internet Explorer. Search engine was Altavista, and the irony here was that it was so full of ads that Google got a golden opportunity to launch their Google Search with no ads whatsoever. It completely wrecked Altavista with it's clean fast design and the rest is history.

Now Google is the Altavista and we are waiting for someone to come and give us alternatives. Weather that is Kagi or some other AI based engine, we will see.

The problem is always ads. They destroy products and communities. People must change their ways and start paying a little bit for basic services like search and email and support those companies who want to provide a quality service without ads.

[–] MobBarley@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago (1 children)

anyone who says that forgets how bad tv sucked back then
I mean you'd have to at least bring back video stores or something

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[–] MeowKittyWow@beehaw.org 3 points 1 year ago

Eh. I like the internet and the connections it allows us to form. I think internet access for all is a good thing.

I do miss a time when cellphones weren't ubiquitous, though. They have their purpose but there's a certain social expectation to always be available, and I think that is a bad thing. I miss disconnecting. I guess, in principle, I could literally just do that.

[–] Skyler@kbin.social 3 points 1 year ago

they couldn’t simply text to flake out when you were already seated.

Yeah, but then they'd get stuck in traffic and you'd be sitting there increasingly uncomfortable, wondering if they stood you up, or worse, got into an accident.

[–] Bishma@readit.buzz 3 points 1 year ago (2 children)

There are a few very specific things I miss from pre-2007. For instance, I weirdly miss conversations where a whole group of people are trying to remember an answer to a question. I still find my self ask a question to a group and when someone pulls out their phone I'm disappointed because I didn't just want the answer.

But that's not a reason to go back. That's just nostalgia.

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[–] Taxxor@lemm.ee 2 points 1 year ago

Return to it and have my knowledge of all the positive and negative aspects erased would be something I’d consider. But having used all the technology for so long, I couldn’t imagine just don’t having it anymore tomorrow

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