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This Millennial Shared That They Wish Smartphones Didn't Even Exist, And Now Thousands Of People Are Contemplating The State Of Society And The Internet "Give me 2006 tech and let that be as far as it goes." Recently, a post from user Niel_cafferey on Reddit's popular r/millennials page got a bit of attention. In it, they wrote, "I honestly wish smartphones, tablets, and wireless internet just didn’t exist." That sentiment seemed to really resonate with other millennials, who joined in on contemplating how smartphones and the internet have affected society. It was a pretty interesting discussion, so I decided it'd be interesting to share some of the best comments: 1. "As much as I didn’t like the 2000s, I feel like it had just the right amount of technology before it became all-consuming," wrote user beefstewforyou. 2. "Smartphones are the real killer," wrote Fine-Night-243. "When we used to have a shared laptop with Wi-Fi, I might spend an hour or so of an evening mindlessly surfing the web, as opposed to the fifty times I pick up my phone every day the moment my mind is unoccupied." 3. In response to that, user krazninetyfive wrote, "I'm halfway through a two-year contract with my iPhone, and when it’s done, I’m seriously considering selling it and buying an MP3 player and a phone that just does calls, texts, and a couple other basic things. I hate how reliant I've become on this damn thing, and I want to get it out of my life before it does permanent damage to my mental faculties." 4. User Porcelina__ said, "I see another replier here basically saying, 'if you don’t like it, don’t use it,' but I think we’re past the point of individual choice having any meaningful impact on the bigger picture and the direction of humanity." "But this is why I fill my free time with analog activities," they continued, like "hiking, reading a paper book, listening to vinyl records, gardening, and cooking. I spend my workday in front of a screen. I'm desperate to be away from that when the workday is over." 5. User phunky_1 wrote, "The internet used to be a place to escape reality. Now, reality is a place to escape the internet, lol." 6. "I'm okay with smartphones," wrote user yodaface. "It's mostly everything becoming an app and social media taking over. I'd stop technology at 2010." 7. "I think you're being too broad," asserted user somesthetic. "Social media is the cancer that needs to be eliminated." "The smartphone is great for giving me directions, showing me spam emails, doing some math, or checking the weather. If we kept everything simple and computer-y, there wouldn't be a problem." They continued: "The internet should be a bunch of independent websites run by small businesses and enthusiasts. TV should be channels that air new things at specific times, and you can only binge-watch when there's a marathon on, or if you bought the discs." 8. "I miss when we were done with our computer for the day, we just turned it off, and that was it," said secret2u. 9. "I think we were happier when the computer had its own room and you had a few websites to use, and AOL messenger," said user Worldly_Striker. "Everything after that has been a mistake." 10. "I leave my phone at home lately," wrote one millennial with the screen name OwnedIGN. "It's liberating." 11. "Turn off your notifications for social media," suggested the_well_read_neck_. "It's dropped my time on there significantly." 12. User fouoifjefoijvnioviow disagreed. "No, the technology is fine," they said. "The big mistake is not regulating it, and letting the free market decide to put us on a 24/7 casino royale." In response, user halfxdeveloper wrote, "No, I don’t want a regulated internet. I want regulated politicians. People older than dirt shouldn’t be legislating that which they have zero knowledge of." 13. "We need a social media shutdown like COVID lockdowns for one year," wrote beaglemilf23. 14. User WrongVeteranMaybe had a bit of an empowering perspective: "The internet is just a tool," they wrote. "We are the ones misusing it. And yes, I am aware these spaces are meant to be addictive, but you need to set the boundary with technology yourself." "This will be painful and mean rejecting a lot of convenience, but it's something you gotta do to prevent brainrot. I had to. I also cannot tell you what these boundaries are, you gotta figure them out yourself. Are you gonna go hard, get a dumbphone and a 1997 Ford F150 to avoid 'smart' things? Or is it gonna simply be setting limits on how much you use tech?" 15. "I do wish we could freeze technology right before the iPhone came out," said ShaunTheEdifice. "We still had iPods, downloadable media, easy texting. But they were tools to help enjoy life, not life itself. Give me 2006 tech and let that be as far as it goes." 16. User technobobble wrote, "If I didn’t need my phone for business purposes, I’d ditch this thing in a heartbeat. Someone called me a Luddite the other day, and I'm pretty fine with that." 17. "I'd only remove social media and freeze the AI. Maybe regress the smartphones to first iPhone level," shared a user named lord_phantom_pl. 18. "Alternatively, smartphones and social media have given a voice to those who were traditionally ignored or silenced," said barrhavenite. 19. And on a final note, user No_Analyst_7977 wrote, "My grandfather was born in 1935, and before he died, you could see and just tell how overwhelmed he was with everything changing." "People just need to go sit on the porch and stoop it all day, or when you have time!" Do you have similar thoughts on smartphones/the internet? Share your thoughts in the comments, or use the anonymous form below. Who knows — your response could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed post. Please note: some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
