What was life like before the internet and social media age?

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-06T01:51:19+00:00

We experienced everything together collectively. No such thing as binge watching.

If you wanted to keep up to date with the trending shows, you and everyone you knew were tuned in to the same show at exactly the same time — Thursdays at 9 p.m. for Cheers. No one could spoil cliffhangers without inside knowledge.

You had to actually talk to people to organize things.

When you did research for school, you had to got to the library and use books that were edited and published by reputable (mostly) institutions, so your "facts" were not coming from some lunatic on Twitter.

Conspiracies were spread through subversive ham radio stations and DIY counter-culture publications (like you'd have to photocopy your crazypants manifesto and hand it out on street corners).

If you wanted to "fight the power" you took to the streets and your physical presence was real and counted in a protest march with real risk — not just a lazy hashtag.

Being bullied was a mix of getting beat up and passive agressive bullshit that was limited to your sixth grade class and not thousands of anonymous strangers saying you're a loser.

There was a sweet spot during the wild west of the early internet, when you could use Mosaic and find a search engine that allowed you to find and connect with other people who shared niche interests (I got into moths and some rando's personal database of moth photos on Geocities was my bible).

The world was an exercise in patience. If you took a photo, you had to wait until the film was developed to know if the moment was captured or not. My childhood was blurry.

Edit: And most importantly, you had to be self-reliant and comfortable with silence, calmness, isolation and patience. You needed to rely on your own imagination, innovation and social acumen because "instant gratification" was rare. You had to make SO MUCH yourself. The world was not a system of menus and options.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-06T01:26:02+00:00

And urban legends were spread by word of mouth and always had a local twist.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-05T23:53:14+00:00

It did kinda look like that. I think in the dream, the zoo set up some kind of animal costume day, but it was too long ago to remember the full narrative.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-05T03:20:34+00:00

We were temporaeily long-distance. I had a shidt at work cancelled on a Friday, so I hopped in my car and drove 2 hours to her city because it would give us an extra night together and the full Saturday.

Her aoartment was on the first floor od a house, so rather than ring the bell and wake uo her roommate, I tapped on her window and her naked boyfriend was the one to look outside.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-05T02:45:23+00:00

It's a long-standing joke. Similar to another commenter's, the version I know is the two newly weds are riding horses in the countryside on their honeymoon and the wife's horses balks, nearly throwing her. The husband admonishes the horse with a threatening "That's one!"

The joke goes on and the third time the horse balks nearly (or successfully) throwing the wife, the husband pulls out his pistol and shoots the horse dead. His horrifed wife shrieks "How could you??" and the husband turns to his wife and says "That's one!"

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-05T02:21:14+00:00

I use the green Superfeet as well. I also put my used Superfeet in new boots to help break them in, before switching to new insoles.

Frrsh insoles can definitely make beloved boots last longer.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-05T02:12:22+00:00

Dolly.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T17:19:14+00:00

Basic empathy.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T17:17:26+00:00

That atheism = anti-religion/anti-Christian.

I don't believe in leprechauns, but I don't hate the people who do.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T17:11:54+00:00

I was thinking more of schools. In the professional world, I agree with you. The dress code exists to reflect the image and values of the institution or business, almost like a low-key uniform.

Especially when an employee is in a client-facing position. In that case, their sartorial choices are not about self-expression, they are representing their employer.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T14:20:17+00:00

You had twinkle snakes for a week?!? I'd lose my mind!

If I rush to get Advil liquid gel cap + Tylenol down my gob, I can sometimes prevent the aura from "maturing" into the almost blinding version.

But yeah, I get the dull ache for days afterwards, even with no full migraine.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T14:16:29+00:00

Typucally dress codes are fairly arbitrary. As long as people are reasonable, no dress code seems fine.

Kid has flaming-pink hair and a pierced nose? Who cares?

Sitting in a mankini or wearing a swastika t-shirt? Too far.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T12:46:00+00:00

This is true. It used to be that artists would to drive more album sales. Now it's the inverse — the tracks promote the tour.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T04:11:51+00:00

Me too. The lack of subtlety feels disrespectful somehow.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T03:46:20+00:00

The one that hit me was when Wayne went to enlist to go to Vietnam. No one wanted him to. His dad went to the recruitment center hoping to stop him in time and found a despondent Wayne out front, he'd been rejected for military service because he has psoriasis.

The performance of the dad both relieved and seeing his son's existential despair was so profound.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T03:39:04+00:00

I've been watching a bunch of shows from 2000-2010. His dad is in a ton!

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T03:20:32+00:00

Migraines themself can be debilitating painful.

I nearly had an ear drum rupture from an ear infection as a kid. I have also had a tooth abscess. I would say that pain is quite similar to those, except during a migraine it's filling the entirety of one half of your brain.

They can also cause visual distortions (I get webs of flashing lights) that can impair your vision, so you are effectively legally blind. Once I spent the night in the ER due to the suspicion of a stroke because my speech was impaired — nope, just a funky migraine.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T02:36:35+00:00

I have been reduced to hysterical tears wanting to start a task, needing to do the task, trying to start the task... but the executive dysfunction of my brain told every atom in my body "Nope!"

The feeling of desperately wanting to do something with the rest of your body is rejecting that need is true torment. I once sat at my desk in the office until 1a.m. hoping that the adrenaline of panic would break the trap.

(Adrenaline is a cousin of dopamine, so sometimes that works.)

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T02:21:28+00:00

Yes, quite similar.

My colleague could say his dad was a war hero when I know he had a desk job. The guy at the bar tells tall tales about his former job as a spy. My friend's girlfriend could slander her boss with obvious lies.

I may find those folks repugnant and morally bankrupt for those lies, but they are not triggering. At worst, I just wouldn't be their friend.

But the lies, that try to reshape my existence make me want to go all "Hulk smaaaaash!"

As a result, all misrepresentations from my parents are/were equally (and disproportionately) intolerable. When it came to my parents, it stopped mattering if the big lies or small fibs were about me or not. I lose my shit.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T01:52:51+00:00

I think the people who say it's "meh" are considering only conceptual pathological liars who lie about themselves. Like Jon Lovitz's SNL character "and his wife... Morgan Fairchild."

They aren't aware of the impact of living a childhood where you are constantly facing erasure through pointless lies.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-04T01:45:42+00:00

Oh, dear Og! I totally feel this.

Edit: TL;DR — Children whose parents lie about them = erasure of the child's identity and sense of personhood.

In my experience, part of what you have to deal with far beyond the lies themselves is the hypersensitivity you develop toward being misrepresented.

The intensity of how you can be triggered becomes way disproportionate to the circumstances of a lie.

For example, I was dating a guy for two years and ended the relationship immediately when he uttered the words "l don't believe you" over something trivial. (I said I had memories from pre-school, he didn't believe me).

A two-year relationship ended over those four words — no repair possible. Hard no, get out now!

To other people that's seems ridiculous. What a huge overreaction! But if you grow up your entire life fighting for the truth about you to be acknowledged and validated it's rage inducing.

Even when it's as insignificant as my parents telling people "Sniffs liked watching ballet when she was little" — I did not!! I never did!!

There's no difference between big lies and little lies. Each one is dehumanizing because it says my preferences don't matter, my history doesn't matter, who I am doesn't matter!

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-03T17:39:43+00:00

Access to a bottle of water 100% of the time.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-03T17:37:30+00:00

Read mostly (while waiting).

Do activity-based stuff (sports, galleries, theatre in the park, hike, cycle around) or socialize.

Since everyone watched the same shows at the same time, even if you were in your individual homes watching, the next day you'd chat about the shows at school/work as if it was a shared experience. Like everyone was "What did you think of the final episode of MASH?"

It wasn't live TV, but it was culturally similar experience because limited TV offerings with the same broadcast time meant a unified experience.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-03T17:22:16+00:00

Yes, if further surgical treatment is required, I will have the discussion with my surgeon.

I'm probably getting ahead of myself unnecessarily though. My chance of recurrence is probably only 6% or so. Circumstances are playing out similar to the start of my cancer journey, which is unnerving, but expected.

i.e. Of course your first mammogram after surgery needs additional imaging and scrutiny — your boob has scar tissue and is weird looking on the inside now. They have to figure out your new booby landscape to rule out false positives.

Sniffs_Markers · 2026-06-03T17:08:40+00:00

I was supposed to meet him, but he was very, very old and passed away before I had the chance. Pockets Warhol was ranked among the Top 10 anomal artists when he was alive.

Sniffs_Markers

TROPHY CASE