A Millennial Asks, 'What Did We Do With All Our Time Before Social Media And Smartphones? Does Anyone Remember?'

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A recent question on Reddit hit a nostalgic nerve for many millennials: “What did we used to do with all our time before social media and smartphones? Does anyone remember?”

The thread quickly filled with replies ranging from funny to deeply reflective. What started as a simple curiosity turned into a wide-ranging collective memory of pre-digital life.

We Read. A Lot.

The most common answer? Reading. Books, magazines, newspapers, and even shampoo bottles in the bathroom.

One person shared, “I read all the time, I didn’t watch TV but I was always outside. When I was home I just messed around listening to music, daydreaming and ironing my clothes.”

Others fondly remembered reading magazines cover-to-cover during flights or finding random newspapers in waiting rooms and break rooms.

One person noted, “Waiting rooms had the best magazines, Highlights was entertaining for a good 30 minutes.”

Music Was Everything

Without TikTok and YouTube to fill every spare minute, many spent downtime getting lost in albums.

A person recalled, “I would listen to albums on repeat until I knew every moment of the songs, then listen while reading the lyrics.”

Music wasn’t background noise; it was an experience.

Some dug for MP3s on LimeWire or made mix CDs. Others sat by radios, discovering new tracks and arguing with siblings over which station to play.

We Were Always Moving

Many millennials recalled just being outside. Riding bikes for hours, hanging at the mall, rollerblading, skateboarding, or walking aimlessly.

“We always found a way to do something,” one commenter wrote.

Others mentioned cul-de-sacs filled with neighborhood kids, pool parties, and hours spent exploring parks, fields, and forests.

And even when we weren’t actively doing anything, we were just being.

Several people said they spent time staring out the window, watching trees sway in the wind, or lying on the grass, letting their minds wander.

We Were Bored—And That Was Fine

Before smartphones, boredom was a regular part of life. And according to many in the thread, it wasn’t all that bad.

One person said, “There is lovely space just behind your eyes. This space is pre-populated with a thing called ‘imagination.'”

People talked about inventing games with rocks, writing in journals, making comics, and even just thinking.

Others pointed out how boredom used to be part of rest, part of presence, not something that had to be eliminated.

Social Time Meant Actual Face Time

Before social media DMs and Discord chats, people called friends on the phone, knocked on doors, or just showed up to hang out.

Lunch breaks, bus rides, and after-school hours were filled with gossip, laughter, card games, or just being around each other.

One person summed it up simply: “We had friends, would talk to them on the phone, and hang out with them.”

Technology Wasn’t Always with Us

A recurring theme in the thread was how intentional tech use used to be. People used the internet in short bursts, logging onto AIM, forums, or LiveJournal only when sitting at the family computer.

Phones weren’t handheld distractions. A flip phone might have had Snake or a flashlight, but it stayed in your bag or pocket most of the day.

Smart devices didn’t become default companions until well into the 2010s.

Looking Back, Looking Forward

Some Redditors shared that they’ve tried going back to those slower habits.

One said, “I’ve removed social media from my phone… I’ve felt so much more peace and feel better overall.”

Others reflected on the cultural shift. “There was a time when it felt like there were common cultural connections, but now… everything is fragmented.”

And many simply miss the quiet.

As one person wrote: “I have a vivid memory I cherish now of waking up in my childhood bed with no phone. I’d just stare out the window at this one tree moving in the wind. I remember every detail of the tree… I don’t think I’ve looked at a tree for more than 10 seconds at a time since phones were invented.”

That comment, like so many others, wasn’t just about remembering the past. It was about what we might want to reclaim.