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What questions do you have for folks older than you? (lemmy.blahaj.zone)

submitted 5 days ago by dandelion@lemmy.blahaj.zone to c/asklemmy@lemmy.ml

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been thinking about all the little moments tucked away in my memories that are a world unknowable to those younger than me, so consider this an opportunity to reminisce over old times, but also to ask those about the times you did not live through.

I guess my question for those older than me is: before computers, how did you learn to do something?

Did access to knowledge change your life, was a constraint lifted when you no longer depended on having found the right books or people to learn tips on how to cook a new dish, or how to fix a plumbing problem, or how to plant a garden?

Was life more simple, did you have fewer problems to solve without technology in your life, or did technology make life easier?

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[–] Broken@lemmy.ml 10 points 5 days ago

How did you learn to do something? Books, a teacher, and hands on trial and error. I think most people learned most things from somebody who taught them.

When something interested you, you'd go read about it. Learn more, see all the "documentation". You'd also just do it and see what happens.

The easy access to knowledge today is great, and learning is easier. Its night and day to be able to look up information quickly.

The one benefit beforehand was that information was hard to produce. You couldn't just record a video in 5 min and upload it to YouTube. You couldn't just write a book in google docs then upload it to be sold as an eBook. Things took time and money. So if that much investment was needed, it weeded out a lot of bad information. Today, just because it's online or in print doesn't make it any more reliable.

Technology has definitely made life easier and more fun. But it's also a tether people rely on. Maybe even a noose around their neck. I think the fact that people are glued to their phones all the time is very reminiscent of the humans in WallE. It's sad.

I take the stance that I lived in a time where you couldn't be reached 24/7 and weren't expected to always be available. It was okay then so it should be okay now. My phone isn't always on even though I carry it with me everywhere. If I'm hanging out with you I talk to you, and don't need to be interrupted by messages or doom scrolling whatever app people like. My time is valuable, as is yours, and I give it the respect it deserves.