17 Things We Did In Delaware Before The Internet

Twenty-seven years ago, in 1989, an English scientist invented the world wide web, and life changed as we knew it. Email, websites, chat rooms, social media, and really the entire internet (which is even older), has surpassed our wildest imaginations.

Technology has revolutionized so much, but there are sure times when many of us wish things were like they once were – simpler, more personal, more in-the-moment. While many of the things below are probably not just relevant to Delaware, I know a lot of you (and me) miss simpler days. We still CAN do these things, we just need to be sure to turn off the tech to do so.

1. We rounded up siblings, friends and strangers for a pick up game of baseball in someone's yard or at the park.

2. We rode bikes all over the place, without helmets, until our moms yelled at us to come home for dinner.

3. We visited with neighbors and friends who dropped by just to say hi.

4. We went to the bowling alley, roller rink or the movie theater.

5. We sat in chairs or on the tailgates of pickup trucks around blazing bonfires, or for a party in a field.

6. We went to the library and checked out stacks of books, for school projects or for our own enjoyment.

7. We gardened hardcore, and then we canned the fruits of our labor or made something from scratch to eat with it.

8. We raced things,- dirt bikes, BMX bikes, horses, pigs, go carts, etc.

9. We watched the news on TV in the evening, or had to wait until the next day to read it in the newspaper.

10. We caught lightning bugs (fireflies), frogs, bugs, snakes, and anything else we weren't allowed to bring inside.

11. We wrote letters to pen-pals, grandparents, and friends near and far.

12. We went to the arcade in the mall or downtown.

13. Young or old, we played in dirt and got our hands dirty.

14. We showed off our cars, beauties or beasts, by driving around the local strip mall parking lot or down main street.

15. We watched television shows as a family, in real time, based on what was in the TV Guide.

16. We used a phone book to find the phone number of a friend or family member to call.

17. We had huge family reunions that we looked forward to because, unlike today, Facebook didn't exist to tell us what everyone was already up to.

The internet has brought us some great things (like websites where you can learn about your favorite state), but some would argue that it has disconnected us, rather than connect us. What are some things you would add to the list?

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17 Things People In Delaware Did Before The Internet Took Over Our Lives

Katy

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