I didn't own a cell phone until 2006. I was late to the smartphone game as well, receiving my first iPhone in 2015 at the ripe old age of 27. Before cell phones, things were different. The only distractions I had on my commute, if I was lucky, were a walkman or my homework. Netflix arrived via DVD. If I made plans, and my friends were late, I'd have to call them on a pay phone. I had all their phone numbers memorized. These days, I'm lucky if I can remember my parents' numbers.
While I can look back on this era wistfully, there are plenty of Gen Z-ers who will never know the joy of not being able to be reached at all hours by your boss or your crazy ex. One such youngster decided to ask the r/redscarepod subreddit what daily life was like before smartphones. And as a card-carrying elder millennial, I have to say: the responses were right on the money.
