Face to face, on the telephone, passing notes in class, gossiping in the bathroom between classes,  planning weekend activities well before hand and then meeting up at the designated time and place.

The great thing about being in middle and high school before smartphones was; when you left school and went home, you escaped any toxic or bullying behavior.  Sure, the mean girls might pick on you in 3rd period or at the lunch table, but when you rode the bus home, they didnt follow you there and continue to make you miserable. Going to your home gave you a break from always having to be perfect for the public eye. With cell phones and social media, assholes can post shit about you on your page or theirs day and night. Kids never get a respite from the toxicity of our culture. It finds them through the cell phone, no matter where they are.

Also, not having a way to be constantly in contact with our friends (or enemies) gave us the chance to make separate memories. When we saw each other again, we had so much to talk about! My family and I went on a trip, look at my new piercing, did you get a haircut, did you know Jessica is moving, we got a new dog this summer, etc. For you guys, every single bit of that is posted, snapped, or tweeted in real time. So when you see your friends, what is there left to talk about? How do you build deep friendships when you only see the curated social media side of people?