Do you remember when there was no internet?

I sure do remember when there was no internet. Two things that were better before was tv shows and telephone reception. It seems back then commercials didn't quite have the foothold on tv that they do now and most everyone still had a land line which was way more secure and they had a lot less static, no dropped calls.

I think people are more stressed and paranoid. The internet has opened our horizons to an extent that we may not be ready for. We are exposed to so much more of the world and the worlds problems as if the daily news wasn't enough. It has also decreased our privacy considerably but the consolation prize there is that with so many computers clogging the ether the chances of being singled out for anything are getting slimmer and slimmer.

On the good side the internet has given us so many alternatives. Giving us reach far beyond what we had before, connecting the world and bringing so many people together of diverse backgrounds. The opportunities are limitless now, marketers have a wider range of potential buyers, writers have a chance to be read, it's so easy to share daily life and pictures with family no matter how far away they are.

They funny thing is I imagine that if something major happened to our internet capabilities I think people at this point would bounce back very quickly from the loss.

Ha ha! Yes!

I remember going to a seminar where the guy was saying this thing called the internet was coming, and that it had been used in government departments as an 'intranet' for years, and that it would be a whole 'world-wide-web'!

I also remember year 10 computer studies, where our teacher spoke about the internet and computing leading us towards an era where everything would be automated and everyone would have all this extra leisure time on their hands to socialize with friends and family ... ummmm, ok?

In fact, even though the internet has given business, individuals, and society many benefits and conveniences, I think it has had the opposite effect in some ways - people spend more time on the internet after work hours, 'working' at home rather than going out to spend their time playing. But as to whether the hours they spend on the computer is productive, necessary, or income generating is another matter. I have friends who have internet on their phones, and I see them constantly using their phones to post irrelevant stuff online about 'where I am', and 'what I am eating at the moment' etc. Seriously, why?

It has created within businesses an expectation that more volume of work can be done in a shorter time frame because of intranets, email, etc, which creates a constant sense of urgency for people trying to juggle multiple tasks and communicate with multiple people at once.

I think it comes down to how people use it - if you can recognize what is productive and what is time-wasting ... if you use it to pay bills and shop for convenience ... if you use it to assist in information gathering or research - it can be a really useful tool as long as it does not become an addictive habit.

Personally, I think I am on the computer a little too much - I do a lot of research and work online, but I also do get distracted a lot while browsing. I prefer to have days (such as weekends) where the computer just stays off all day. That way I can say to myself 'today is MY time, for me and family, and I will not waste it'.

This answer was edited by E-Herbalist 111 days ago.

Reason: Typo

I do remember a world without the internet and without cellphones, too. In many ways, I miss those days.

Before the internet, privacy was a little bit easier to come by. Now pretty much anyone can find you anytime they want to, even people who you would rather not ever have to deal with. Of course, on the good side, thanks to the internet, there are ways to help you make a better income without leaving your home, and as a stay at home mother, this is a good thing.

As for cellphones, my mother had a friend who asked the question back in the early 80's, "I leave my house to get away from my phone, why would I want to take it with me?" Now, you are condemned if you don't have your phone with you 24/7. I admit that I shut my phone off or just "forget" my phone at the house because I really don't want to be bothered while I am out. I know you didn't ask about the phones, but those were the times before the internet.

Yes I remember when there was no internet. Sometimes I think we changed for the better but then other time it seems like things were much simpler back then when there was no web. I guess you could say that all of the drama that went on with my family I never really got to know about because we weren't connected and things were fine to me. But now with the internet and Facebook sometimes my family members drive me crazy with all their drama and all their postings wanting me to respond. So yeah, sometimes I would like to go back to the way it was but it does have its nice advantages here and there, like Webanswers. We would not be on here right now with all kinds of useful information if the net wasn't here!

Interesting and in depth answers, they were an interesting read. I think the internet has had many positive effects, more so on business and education. However, I also think that people are less secure and worry too much about things that are out of their control, things which they would not know much about without the internet.