[Ember]

What would your life be without computers (includes all sorts or 'smart' gadgets) and the internet? Not that they are suddenly taken away but never existed in the first place.

I'd be reading all sorts of stuff and giving more time to sketching, writing, etc. I'd open my life to a whole lot of creative/arty stuff.

I'd probably study a little more and I have no clue what others would think of me.

No internet, no computers (or variants, thereof), no portable music players, no phones, etc. Basically, nothing that helps you stay connected virtually or things which help you share media. No televisions or radios, either.

 

[feefafo]

If we lived without the internet...yeah, I'd probably just spend more time doing the other stuff I like to do. That might be kind of different without having the internet to discover cool stuff in the first place. Maybe I'd have more of a social life. :/

 

[Sleeve Of Wizard]

No Internet?! No Videogames?! No Music?! No TV?!

It saddens me to think that there might be another me out there in an alternate universe without those things. I'd probably just default to books and science magazines.

Would power tools exist?

 

[Ember]

Would power tools exist?

No internet, no computers (or variants, thereof), no portable music players, no phones, etc. Basically, nothing that helps you stay connected virtually or things which help you share media. No televisions or radios, either.

 

[humansponge]

I'd be a shut in for sure.

 

[Sleeve Of Wizard]

No internet, no computers (or variants, thereof), no portable music players, no phones, etc. Basically, nothing that helps you stay connected virtually or things which help you share media. No televisions or radios, either.

Ok, so there is electricity though? Power tools would be a nono since you'd need a microchip (I think?). Hmmm....the cars would also be extremely basic, not to mention much rarer without computers to help mass produce them.
Well, whatever I end up doing for a career I can tell you I wouldn't enjoy it that much. Maybe becoming an author would be my only escape. Printing methods would be ancient and expensive too I suspect.

*shudders*

 

[SomeWeirdGuy]

No radio or TV.

That would imply a time before the 1880s. Shit, that would suck.

 

[Longdove]

Are cameras included as gadgets? Cause then I'd be out of a job too...

 

[Ember]

Are cameras included as gadgets? Cause then I'd be out of a job too...

Ha, yeah cameras exist!

 

[nadjasix]

I was young for a while before there was an internet or cell phones or social media of any kind.

Most of the truly productive things I've done were accomplished during that time, including the bulk of my reading. I used to be able to turn boredom into productivity. Now I just read through the comments sections on NY Times articles.

You guys have no idea how big of an annoyance cell phones are to those of us who didn't grow up with one glued to our hands...It's fucking annoying, I don't need to be "available" 24/7.

 

[this is my username]

I'd live out in the middle of no where and I'd grow food and have chickens and goats. Planning for all of that would probably take up most of my time, especially with food preparation.

 

[Ember]

You guys have no idea how big of an annoyance cell phones are to those of us who didn't grow up with one glued to our hands...It's fucking annoying, I don't need to be "available" 24/7.

I feel the same regardless of my generation.

 

[Longdove]

Ha, yeah cameras exist!

Hmm, ok well then, you made it harder for me...

I would definitely pursue my familiarity with playing a musical instrument further, whether it be the keyboard or guitar, electric or otherwise, I have a guitar here right in my room but I hardly make use of it or experiment with it because honestly the internet does take up my time, but though I was an amature - I used to spend my times at night composing short melodies on the keyboard I used to have, that within my limited knowledge of notes and theory, but without the internet to keep me glued in, I would no doubt try to develop my musical knowledge further.

 

[Longdove]

And haha if not keyboard because it's electric... PIANO, then.

 

[ClockMan]

I'd be inventing the computer and internet.

 

[RogueWave]

I'm not old by any means, but I do remember a significant period of time in my life when I simply did not have access to computers, the internet, or cell phones, and I was just fine. I went outside more, I did more physical exploring, I daydreamed more, I drew constantly, and I read more frequently.

Even now, I don't use computers as an ends to themselves. I'm not one to get all hot and chubbed up over gadgets and technology. I make it a point periodically "un-plug". I haven't played a video game in 12 years. I check my e-mail once a day. I don't have a Facebook. I ignore my phone, better referred to as a "clock I sometimes make calls with". AND IT'S A FLIP PHONE!!!!!1111*le gasp*

But I would miss my iPod immensely. But even then, I would still have music, it just wouldn't be as convenient. Being "hipster-lite" I have a turn table and vinyl. Portable music devices and the shuffle feature have ruined our musical attention span and killed the concept album.

I'm picturing myself in 2045 dressed in rags and a flak jacket, clutching an AK-47 in the back of a rusted out Toyota pick-up with other Luddites doing battle with Ray Kurzweil and his army of singurlized cyborgs, quadrotor flying drones, and giant walking robots.

 

[L]

I would have died about a year ago.

 

[BUtheBabyUnicorn]

Hmm... I'd probably just read more.
Although no ipod? NOOOOOOO....
Oh well. More reasons for me to buy a turn table and the awesome bright blue Tom Milsom vinyl, of which there are only 32 left to be bought.

I was young for a while before there was an internet or cell phones or social media of any kind.

Most of the truly productive things I've done were accomplished during that time, including the bulk of my reading. I used to be able to turn boredom into productivity. Now I just read through the comments sections on NY Times articles.

You guys have no idea how big of an annoyance cell phones are to those of us who didn't grow up with one glued to our hands...It's fucking annoying, I don't need to be "available" 24/7.

I don't bother with answering my cell phone. I don't like to and I would prefer that someone actually be in my presence when they take up my time.

I would have died about a year ago.

But would this be an immediate change, like all of the current tech blown up, all of the computer experts killed, etc.
Or would it be as if computers had never existed? Can you miss something that was never there?
And I still love your avatars.

I'm not old by any means, but I do remember a significant period of time in my life when I simply did not have access to computers, the internet, or cell phones, and I was just fine. I went outside more, I did more physical exploring, I daydreamed more, I drew constantly, and I read more frequently.

I make it a point periodically "un-plug". I haven't played a video game in 12 years. I check my e-mail once a day. I don't have a Facebook. I ignore my phone, better referred to as a "clock I sometimes make calls with". AND IT'S A FLIP PHONE!!!!!1111*le gasp
But I would miss my iPod immensely. But even then, I would still have music, it just wouldn't be as convenient. Being "hipster-lite" I have a turn table and vinyl. Portable music devices and the shuffle feature have ruined our musical attention span and killed the concept album.

I too miss the days when I actually read more, went outside, etc.
I hate the shuffle feature. Despite my spontaneous nature, I prefer to anticipate the next song, I look forward to hearing the next song. I also use albums and such as an approximate clock.
However, I do like playlists and listening to the same songs over and over. I've listened to some songs a couple thousand times, just over and over again. But I also like albums.
I've been meaning to buy a turntable, just because I think they're cool and it would be interesting to have. A nice contrast too, compared to the tech that's in my room...

 

[Promethea]

I didn't have internet until I was 16. I didn't have a cellphone for longer. I want my cell phone but I barely use it. I just want it around in case of getting lost, car trouble, etc. just needs..

I NEED INTERNET OMG. I get twitchy if I have to go too long without it. Zomg my email! Mai informashuns! Social networking updates to a lesser degree but I sure do check in a lot. There were like ten times on this roadtrip I took last week where I was like fuuuuck.. this would be so much easier if I had internet access to find out the answer to that right now. Like, wheres a motel 6, wheres this, wheres that.. oh google? tell me all about types of [random curiosity].

I went on a camping trip and I couldn't use the internet for most of it, well I wrote down a list of things I was burning to google as soon as I had access. It was not a short list.

If I absolutely couldn't use internet.. I would be at a library a lot.. I guaran-damn-tee it.

 

[BUtheBabyUnicorn]

I didn't have internet until I was 16. I didn't have a cellphone for longer. I want my cell phone but I barely use it. I NEED INTERNET OMG. I get twitchy if I have to go too long without it. Zomg my email! Mai informashuns! Social networking updates to a lesser degree but I sure do check in a lot.

At the peak of my internet addiction, I was in 6th grade. I swear I almost fell into depression when I went to summer camp for a week. It was freaking horrible.
I've curbed it a little bit now, but still...
I also hate most social networking sites. Facebook annoys me to no end. No, I don't want some random person friending me and taking up my time! I use Twitter, deviantART, tumblr, and formspring on occasion, though.