Teenager Before Smartphones

[tvguy]

What would be the difference between answering a personal cell phone vs a landline phone?

And you’re describing a work situation not a social one.
We use Teams at work to talk. Not cell phones.

The difference.
We used Slack where I worked, but they switched to Teams the week I retired. That was mostly for communications within the building as you can't legally access Teams (or Slack) while driving, but with sync in the company cars, you could read and respond to texts and calls hands free.

 

[Uncle Coaster]

But I'm also so much better at texting than talking. So I might have had more of a social life earlier if we'd had them.

As someone who was awkward and shy, I’m pretty sure I would have at least tried to contact some of the girls I couldn’t work up the courage to reach out to if either I could have texted them or called them without fear of a parent answering the phone and me having to ask for them.

I definitely wish every teenager had a smart phone when I was a teen.

 

[RedAngie]

But my mom was a Nurse and the hospital stepped in so they got a phone right away, but there were only enough phone circuits to get a party line. The other party on the line was informed that it was possible they may have to cut off a call if the hospital needed to get a hold of my mom.

I remember well into the late 80s or even early 90s a warning in the front pages of the phone directory. Words to the effect of:

It is unlawful to refuse to relinquish a party line when informed it is needed for emergency use. Penalties may include blah blah blah. It is also unlawful to take over a party line by falsely stating it is needed for an emergency.

I was amazed that party lines were still in existence by those years but apparently some still had them.

I’ve heard of party lines being shared by 4 or even more customers.

 

[PollyannaMom]

I was already done with college in the 80s, but DH went in the 90s and we got a Brother Word Processor then.
I thought I died and went to heaven!

I’d paid a lady $3 a page to type my papers, because, although I could type, I wasn’t that good at it on a typewriter, plus the papers themselves were so intense it was nice to just hand my chicken scratch over to her and take a breather. It wasn’t something I could really afford then but I had to. So to be able to type up DH’s papers and fix things electronically was so amazing to me! And that was even before we got home computers.

I used to say to my kids when they were in school, you have the world at your fingertips here. I spent HOURS (and lots of cash) in libraries xeroxing (copying) things out of books that I needed to know. Don’t even think about asking a [school] question that you can easily google yourself.

It would be interesting for today’s kids to get a taste of what it was like for us back then.

I saw this the other day and thought it was funny.

That was great, Pea!!

I remember trying to describe to my my DS once the living room floor full of rows of index cards that meant I was working on a term paper. They don't know how good they have it!

I was one who typed papers in college (88-92) as well. My dad was pretty into tech, so I had a computer and dot matrix printer that he set up for me. My first roommate was in awe.

 

[RedAngie]

I believe, or at least it use to be, cell phones and service is outrageously expensive compared to the rest of the world. I have no idea how it is now elsewhere, but still every time I look at cell service for a family of 4, it's $180-230/month. And yes, you are fairly well off if that's just something to pfffttt... about and that isn't any big deal to you.

I got a cell phone and regular service when I got divorced. She ran out and got a $210 plan plus 3 new iPhones. Then when she found out I got a phone, said she was going to cancel and I can take care of their phones since it's OK that I have one but not when it was the 4 of us. I would have just gone back to $5/month for texting. I'm not paying $200+ plus and buying $1500 phones just for everyone to play on FB.

That’s fine. There are lower cost options for those who don’t want smart phones, just calls and texts. No need to spend a lot if you aren’t going to use the expensive features.

I don’t wish to comment about whatever issues you have with your ex-wife. Do what’s best for you.

 

[CdnCarrie]

The difference.
We used Slack where I worked, but they switched to Teams the week I retired. That was mostly for communications within the building as you can't legally access Teams (or Slack) while driving, but with sync in the company cars, you could read and respond to texts and calls hands free.

Okay but my original post was regarding point that people are being less social due to cell phones. Which I disagree with or at least haven’t experienced.
Nothing to do with work.

 

[tvguy]

Okay but my original post was regarding point that people are being less social due to cell phones. Which I disagree with or at least haven’t experienced.
Nothing to do with work.

And my comment is that people in my experience are a whole lot less social, beginning with their work behavior which carries into their use of their personal cell phones. Forget trying to communicate with those folks on their personal phones. I was tasked with assembling a list of employee personal cell phones and landlines, and an amazing number claimed not to have another phone other than their company phone.

 

[Snap Crackle Pop]

I was a teenager just as the internet was becoming more popular social media wise (Facebook was just starting or just accepted high school students) and myspace was a thing and journal websites were popular. It wasn't as bad as it is now was still able to separate from electronics. It was expensive to go on the internet on your phone and iPhones weren't really popular back then. I'm glad I grew up when I did, but I would have loved if streaming services existed like they do today.

 

[sam_gordon]

And my comment is that people in my experience are a whole lot less social, beginning with their work behavior which carries into their use of their personal cell phones. Forget trying to communicate with those folks on their personal phones. I was tasked with assembling a list of employee personal cell phones and landlines, and an amazing number claimed not to have another phone other than their company phone.

Did you have reason to doubt them? I mean, I totally get not wanting to carry two phones around, plus the cost savings. I also know people who DO carry two cells. But its not strange to only have the single number

I remember having to give a home phone number b4 cells. So the employer can get in touch if need be (schedule change). If someone doesnt want to be bothered, they just let it go to VM.

 

[tvguy]

Did you have reason to doubt them? I mean, I totally get not wanting to carry two phones around, plus the cost savings. I also know people who DO carry two cells. But its not strange to only have the single number

I remember having to give a home phone number b4 cells. So the employer can get in touch if need be (schedule change). If someone doesnt want to be bothered, they just let it go to VM.

Yes I find it hard to believe that someone wouldn't have a personal phone, cellular or otherwise. You leave a job and you have no phone? Just the company provided one which is provided just for company business? I worked with a few folks who had a company phone and two other personal phones. As for VM, like I said, I was surprised how many people never bother ever setting up their VM.

 

[Bianca and Bernard]

For everyone who lived their teenaged years Pre-Smartphones,do you feel you were "cheated" by not being able to have constant communication with Boyfriends and Girlfriends and Friends,etc. during those special years?

Or is anyone glad they weren't tethered to a handheld computer during the days of teenager life?

LOL, I don't know how we lived without constant communication. Or a phone that we could take into private, without being attached to a 6 ft long springy cord. Or a parent yelling "GET OFF THE PHONE! THE NEWS IS DOING THEIR DAILY CALL!!!!!"

 

[Turn the Page]

I have a lot of trouble seeing how smartphones have added anything positive to our lives on the whole. I know they have caused a lot of problems in our house and I wish we didn't have them.

 

[kymom99]

I

I have a lot of trouble seeing how smartphones have added anything positive to our lives on the whole. I know they have caused a lot of problems in our house and I wish we didn't have them.

have felt like they have lead to our downfall. Not to be overly dramatic, but they have aided people in a lot of bad choices. Without going into great detail, I consider cell phones a contributor to problems in my marriage at one time.

I am guilty of being on my phone a lot. But I still sometimes wish we didn’t have them.

 

[RamblingMad]

For everyone who lived their teenaged years Pre-Smartphones,do you feel you were "cheated" by not being able to have constant communication with Boyfriends and Girlfriends and Friends,etc. during those special years?

Or is anyone glad they weren't tethered to a handheld computer during the days of teenager life?

Nope. I would hate to have a smart phone during my teenage years. I prefer actual interaction. We didn't even have cell phones when I was a teenager. It was great.

 

[cedricandsophie]

I had a pink princess phone in my room. What else coujd I need? Plus my parents couldn’t track where I really was. Or when I snuck out of my room at night. It was all good.

 

[leebee]

I'm glad I didn't grow up with a cell phone, and I'm glad I don't have a cell phone now. Actually, I do; work insists that I be available when labs are in session, so they pay for a flip phone for me. I don't use it, though. I am in my office, 20 feet from the lab, when class is in session. It'd take more time for the teaching assistant to text me than it'd take for a student to come get me. That work phone just sits in a desk all the time.

 

[jdb in AZ]

In a former life as a secretary I had five incoming phone lines and even now (100 years later) I avoid phones as much as possible. Yes, I have a cell, but don't use it.

 

[EACarlson]

I have a lot of trouble seeing how smartphones have added anything positive to our lives on the whole. I know they have caused a lot of problems in our house and I wish we didn't have them.

The number of people that have been saved by having a cell phone is almost incalculable at this point. From people being followed, car accidents, being able to report things to emergency services. Then you have the ways it's improved quality of life, having maps and GPS available, being able to reach loved ones in cases of emergency. How many Amber Alerts have been resolved successfully because people got notifications on their phones? I remember going to Florida in the '90's and my mother having a huge file folder with all of the confirmations for plane tickets, hotel reservations, rental car information, now all of that is on my phone when I go.

 

[nancipants]

I would have LOVED to be able to have unlimited texts and FaceTime when I had a long distance boyfriend in high school.

 

[_19disnA]

I agree with others that work related cell phone issues are a separate topic from where this started out. Have worked for some bosses who were workaholics (or had no life outside the office) and expected you to instantly answer your phone on weekends/evenings/off hours for some trivial question he had. NOTHING he ever asked was that important and could wait until the next day when we were in the office. Other bosses never contacted me on weekends and didn't expect everyone to always be available. One department was on call 24/7 due to the nature of their work, but even they would rotate those assignments so it wasn't always the same people having to be available.

I can see many people NOT wanting their boss to know they have a personal cell phone so they don't bother them when out of the office. If you get a company paid phone, that makes contacting others more convenient. Depends on the job and what your specific responsibilites are.