As @maflynn, @BigMcGuire, @mollyc and I (among others) have all stressed, we weren't bored, or lonely, and neither was it the Dark Ages.
There were some differences between then and now: One was that kids had lives that were less controlled and less structured - and they were out and about a lot more, especially in summer.
We were encouraged to use our imaginations and to actually do things, (rather than "consume" material).
The other was our relationship to time. Time was also a lot less structured (outside of school, chores, homework, family meals, etc), especially in summer.
The OP asks about how we lived pre-internet; I would argue that mobile phones were at least as transformational (as the internet) in having an influence on how people lived their lives, and in how people relate to time.
Pre-mobile phones, you weren't on call, publicly or privately 24/7. Everyone understood that you were out of reach; if you needed to contact someone by phone, you used the landline, at home, and, outside, you used public phones, that is, public payphones, (a staple of many a movie) sometimes, waiting in a queue to be able to use the phone. Friends used public pay phones to contact you (not all student houses - or, houses rented by students - had landlines, or were connected to their own independent phone lines).
So, you made arrangements to see people in advance; you planned things. Thus, time was organised differently.
Of course, once phone cards (rather than money) could be used in public payphones, my father (bless him) always ensured that I had a decent supply of them, so that I could phone home, contact home, if in need of something, or to let them know I was travelling home for a week-end or, if I expected to be out late; but, that was student days. Prior to that, one lived "off-grid" from adult supervision for hours and hours and hours on end each day, and this was not a cause of concern for anyone.
Now, while the internet can be an incredible source of amazing information, - the expectation that one should be contactable 24/7 is something that I, personally, dislike (yes, I suffer it, endure it, barely tolerate it, at times, in a professional context, but I loathe it).
There were some differences between then and now: One was that kids had lives that were less controlled and less structured - and they were out and about a lot more, especially in summer.
We were encouraged to use our imaginations and to actually do things, (rather than "consume" material).
The other was our relationship to time. Time was also a lot less structured (outside of school, chores, homework, family meals, etc), especially in summer.
The OP asks about how we lived pre-internet; I would argue that mobile phones were at least as transformational (as the internet) in having an influence on how people lived their lives, and in how people relate to time.
Pre-mobile phones, you weren't on call, publicly or privately 24/7. Everyone understood that you were out of reach; if you needed to contact someone by phone, you used the landline, at home, and, outside, you used public phones, that is, public payphones, (a staple of many a movie) sometimes, waiting in a queue to be able to use the phone. Friends used public pay phones to contact you (not all student houses - or, houses rented by students - had landlines, or were connected to their own independent phone lines).
So, you made arrangements to see people in advance; you planned things. Thus, time was organised differently.
Of course, once phone cards (rather than money) could be used in public payphones, my father (bless him) always ensured that I had a decent supply of them, so that I could phone home, contact home, if in need of something, or to let them know I was travelling home for a week-end or, if I expected to be out late; but, that was student days. Prior to that, one lived "off-grid" from adult supervision for hours and hours and hours on end each day, and this was not a cause of concern for anyone.
Now, while the internet can be an incredible source of amazing information, - the expectation that one should be contactable 24/7 is something that I, personally, dislike (yes, I suffer it, endure it, barely tolerate it, at times, in a professional context, but I loathe it).
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