People Who Were Teenagers Before Social Media Existed Are Sharing What Life Was Like

“If I wanted to call my girlfriend, I had to call her house phone and talk to her mom or dad before they put her on the line.”

"That was always so nerve-wracking. Sometimes it took me 10 minutes to work up the courage to call. It felt like saying, 'Hello, I'm trying to date your daughter — could you put her on the phone?'"

"When you finally get home, you're in minor trouble. There's a note stuck in the door from Dave saying he stopped by with Dean and Mike, and they went to the park. A normal day when I was about 12."

"Without social media, you could focus more on your own life. Every day felt a little different, and the world felt full of possibility — not content."

"It could also be difficult to find your friends sometimes — lots of missed connections. One clear positive, though: none of the stupid things I did as a teenager are preserved forever online. And people generally had longer attention spans."

"It may seem inconsequential with everything else kids are up against today, but having those outlets — things that didn't just occupy time but inspired creativity and gave people something to connect over — was a beautiful thing. 

Now, in many cases, that space has been replaced by niche memes, social anxiety, and people turning to AI chatbots instead of asking real people for answers. It's all so sickly and devoid of meaning. It's sad."