Technology

The idea is very different than the reality. The freedom of information, communication, and variety are so much better now.

Need a job, get a newspaper for classified ads and take whatever you can get, or start calling friends and networking when you're lucky to get a voicemail.

Want to unwind and watch something? You can spend all evening flipping through channel after channel of garbage.

Need to learn something, prepare to spend days going to different public libraries to find anything useful. Most people don't learn anything. Most people's only adult social connection is though religion. It is a small dumb world where I grew up.

Ah, the good old romantization of the things you don't know.

If they're so eager about it, they can try taking their hands off the phone, for change.

Edit: typo

I was just thinking this earlier today. Life just seemed more simple.

No way, maps and GPS are far too useful.

I have to wonder if the real discussion here is between 'pre-internet' or 'not the internet where you're the product being sold and sold to', because I strongly suspect it's the latter that's the issue here.

I'm just barely old enough to recall how things worked before the internet and I don't think people would ever really want to go back to not being able to watch anything they want, any time they want, or not having turn-by-turn directions or even things like ordering a pizza by having to call someone on the phone.

Not sure who they are asking or if the poll is being manipulated, but I really can't see the majority of Americans wanting this. I lived recently in a retirement community, so boomers and older. And they all use and love the internet and cell phones. And everyone younger I run across uses a cell phone (and a computer both with internet).

I wouldn't... No GPS or computerized banking, having to go to a physical store or order from a crappy catalog. Nah, no way would I ever.

I wonder if 'majority of Americans' really means the guy who wrote this article.

Though in all seriousness I just cannot comprehend that there are people out there who really think the negatives of all this tech outweigh the positives.

AT THE TONE THE TIME WILL BE 12:49 AND 50 SECONDS. BEEP!

No thanks. I like my internet time sync and GPS navigation.

Cellphones are amazing, actually. I would hate to not be able to contact the authorities or really any kind of help with as much ease as cellphones provide. There are a lot of times having a cellphone potentially saved my life.

I, for one, don't miss waiting 2 hours to try and meet up with people who might have forgotten when or where we decided to meet up at, three weeks ago.

As an elder millenial, I wonder if the only people they asked were elder millenials and boomers? Because I certainly wouldn't like to go back. Sure, I have a certain romanticism about the past (90s were the best, etc etc), I got to experience growing up both before and during the technological boom which gave a sort of "generational/technological whiplash" in a unique time in history. I remember using a corded button dial phone and the actual rotary phone my parents used to keep around for nostalgia.

But man, the internet, for better or worse, opened my eyes to so many things that I would've been oblivious to if not for that. So many social causes, injustices, climate and political issues, so many different communities. If it wasn't for the internet, I never would have met a great community in college that ended up gaining me a lot of friends and a job, and so many wonderful experiences. If not for cell phones, I'd have no way of calling for help when my car broke down (one of many times) in the middle of the expressway at night, or when making plans with friends or trying to find directions to some place.

No thanks, I would very much like to stay in the present.

The problem with polls like this is that the Internet means something different to everyone. To some Facebook and the like is the entire internet.

Imagine going on a road trip and getting stuck somewhere 3 hours from home with no cell phone

I would like to return to a time where we had the Internet, but not everyone was on it. i.e. your grandfather, your drunk neighbor upstairs, etc.

At least I would like to return to a point where we didn't have Social Media... No twitter. No Reddit even which would kill this website i guess heh. But I wouldn't mind going back to the olden days of Forums and BBS Boards.

shit sucked before, shit sucks now. shit will always suck.

Do we miss a time before the internet? Or do we miss a pre-2008 time when real wages were higher but also houses and cars were cheaper?

@dystop bullshit.
you think you do, but you don't

I think there is some merit of wanting to be less forced into being connected all the time but I think a lot of these people that want to go back to a time before cell phones and the Internet are forgetting all the good parts. Like no internet at all means in order to connect with friends or communities around the world you either have to send snail mail or schedule phone calls to take place on land lines. The Internet has brought so many people together in such good ways and throwing that out would be a huge shame. Meanwhile cell phones being gone mean if you're stranded in the middle of nowhere you are now stuck and have no way of calling for help and have to find some way to get to a phone. Also no cell phones means of you are in a dangerous situation you can't notify emergency contacts quickly or again call for help.

I get there are a lot of downsides to the Internet and cell phones but to just ignore all the wonderful and good things this technology has brought is not good. The technology isn't the issue it's the people and if we want to be better we need to start training ourselves and others to be better instead of just taking away good and helpful tools

TLDR: Technology has done a lot of good for the world and taking it away would cause a lot of problems I don't think people like this realize. Better solution is to grow and be better people