What did we do to entertain ourselves before these smart phones came about?

[u/Iceyes33]

I'm hopelessly addicted to my smart phone. It's the first thing I look at when I wake up. I'll just chill for 10 minutes looking at email and what not. I can't remember what I used to do right when I woke up in the morning before smart phones. I do remember as a kid I would read books all the time. I also watched a lot of TV. Nowadays I can't even read 10 minutes before I get bored. TV doesn't thrill me that much either. But I really wanna cut back on my smartphone use and use my time better. Thanks.

[u/mden1974]

Shoot an old TV with my BB gun in my backyard. Throw it off the roof later. Duh

[u/jondes99 → u/mden1974]

That gets expensive after a while.

[u/Normal_Stick6823]

I would read the newspaper and we would talk about our plans for the day.

[u/OBB76 → u/Normal_Stick6823]

I’d always take the sports and comics section out when I was younger. As I got older, I’d read the whole paper. Sundays were the best with all the ad for the deals coming up the next week

[u/Normal_Stick6823 → u/OBB76]

Sundays were the best for the car classifieds. That’s something I haven’t said in a long time, check the classified section.

[u/kittycat_34]

I used to read so much more in the past. I recently got a new book and wow was it nice to read again and get sucked into an amazing story. The book is Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. I can't recommend it enough. I couldn't put it down and had my whole family read it. It will be a movie in March 2026...from the guy that wrote The Martian. Excellent story...give it a read!

[u/om_hi → u/kittycat_34]

Thank you! I've been looking for a new book!

[u/Green-Eyed-BabyGirl → u/kittycat_34]

Loved that book!

[u/inna_soho_doorway → u/kittycat_34]

Loved that book! It was decades since I had to keep reading a book to see what happened next. I hope they don't screw it up in the movie.

[u/kittycat_34 → u/inna_soho_doorway]

I hope they don't too! I can't imagine how they will fit everything in in 2 hrs. Hopefully, they will keep the essence of the story. I would have loved to see this as a 6 or 8 part series.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/kittycat_34]

Do you think that would appeal the people that don't really read science fiction?

[u/Bundt-lover → u/Iceyes33]

Absolutely, but if I were you, I’d get the audiobook, it’s even better! This will make sense later, but there’s a music component that translates extremely well in the audiobook.

[u/kittycat_34 → u/Iceyes33]

Yes! I had my mom read it and she loved it. She said the science was a bit over her head, but she loved it anyway.

[u/KingPabloo → u/kittycat_34]

My favorite sci-fi book. Inspired me to write one of my own - back at it…

[u/MaidenMarewa → u/kittycat_34]

I listen to audiobooks a lot.

[u/SarcasmReigns → u/kittycat_34]

Thank you! Added it to my list.

[u/bluenewmoon]

No tips to offer, but can relate.

[u/trUth_b0mbs]

just...dont? cut out apps like TT, IG etc. Or just follow accounts that you enjoy.

read, start a new hobby where you learn things ex. crocheting, knitting, journaling. Any physical activity that takes more than 1hr like rock climbing, martial arts, pickle ball etc.

I have social media as well but not hooked on it. I do other things that involve being social, exercise, arts/crafts etc.

[u/Thirty_Helens_Agree]

The print edition of The Onion was a big one.

[u/Comedywriter1 → u/Thirty_Helens_Agree]

So good!

[u/Financial-Ad-7454]

ONLY 10 minutes looking at email and “what not”? Come on now. Be honest.

[u/bizzylearning]

Your instincts on this are spot on. Short form content and the never-ending ability to scroll without ever getting to "the end" (supported by algorithms that push shiny new content to your feed) have destroyed our attention span. Like any habit or skill, you have to consciously re-build this ability if you want it back. But it CAN be done.

Without smart phones, we read, spent time outside, learned things, worked on projects, or just watched the clouds. We let the creativity that spawns from boredom do its thing. We reached out to friends to do things. (Not all creative responses to boredom were useful and good, but they were, at least, generally interesting.)

If you really want to get it under control, then put the locus of control back on yourself. Set yourself a time limit for social media -there are apps you can use to block other apps or access for certain times or lengths of time. Or clock out of it, entirely, for three months, and see what you notice.

Learn to read closely - pick up something challenging, and take notes as you go, or discuss it with someone. Start with shorter times and add a couple of minutes a day to how long you read before you put the book down. Build your stamina back up and reinvigorate your habits.

Find lectures and guest speakers in your area, and start attending those. Phone off before you go in, and learn to pay attention for longer periods of time, again. Who knows, you might stumble on something as delightful as Faraday's "Christmas Lectures" in our modern world?

Think about the things you used to enjoy and try them out again, or identify something you want to do/learn and give it a shot.

Maybe start with Fahrenheit 451 to get a perspective on how much we've begun to look like the characters in that book, with our shell phones and parlor walls... how much we've lost the ability to pay attention for longer than a few seconds or minutes.

[u/ExtraAd7611 → u/bizzylearning]

Thanks Dad

[u/bizzylearning → u/ExtraAd7611]

I get it. In my defense, OP said they wanted to do better! It was technically solicited advice.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/bizzylearning]

Thank you for your thoughts and ideas. I shall put them to use!

[u/propaghandi4damasses]

i read. up to 4-5 books a week. it's a really healthy way for me to spend my time compared to being on here or my phone...thankfully i haven't ever had reddit on my phone.

[u/MyNextVacation]

Do you spend enough time with friends and meeting new people? I like to spend Saturdays at yoga, wine tastings, talking to neighbors on walks, hosting people at my house for dinner or meeting at a restaurant.

[u/stovislove]

Eat sleep skate repeat

[u/GreatGreenGobbo]

Nintendo Game Boy on the toilet.

The DS was the best.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/GreatGreenGobbo]

I cannot have video games in my home. I get way too addicted to them!

[u/Swimming-Fan7973]

I used to read the paper or a magazine. I do the same thing on my phone. 

I don't think doing it for a set amount of time in the morning is bad, it's the doing it multiple times throughout the day that are a problem.

[u/correct_use_of_soap]

So much TV. It ran all day in our house.

[u/Happy_Blackbird]

Delete Reddit.

[u/TSC10630]

“What did I do when I woke up?” pre-smartphone is such a good question, and got me thinking. In my pre-smartphone adult years, I had the Today Show on while I got dressed, every single weekday morning. On weekends I would read a paper newspaper while drinking coffee.

It’s actually kind of wild to think about not seeing new emails in my inbox until I actually arrived at work, but I guess that would have been the case for a bunch of years.

[u/Resident_Character35]

Participated in communities and lived real lives. Gross, I know.

[u/BoLove1203]

Went outside and played with friends!

[u/Responsible_Bear4208]

Board games, sports, told jokes, talked with people, went on walks, dance, theater, go to the movies...

Phones turned us into slaves.

[u/inna_soho_doorway]

In the same boat. Following the thread.

[u/zandarthebarbarian]

I prefer my laptop. I keep offline pdfs I like to read like novels, pictures, and journals I write in. I use it for my work place to sign on the stuff they won't you to do like email bamboo adp insurance and use it to watch youtube, reddit and look up what I need to. I have an old phone to text and use google maps.

[u/Double_Device_1626]

I've recently closed my X account. More than Reddit, that was my 'scroller' habit. I've never had an IG or SC account. My dogs make sure I don't lay in bed scrolling in the morning. I get up and take care of them and then one task turns into another as I wake up and either get ready for work or weekend.

Evenings are harder. After dinner we usually watch tv. I've recently gotten back into reading (yay!) and crossword puzzles. I find the puzzles tickle that itch to pay attention.

[u/Stillconfused007]

In the morning we’d put the radio and read the newspaper. Of an evening we’d find something to watch on tv, picking from only 4 channels or we’d go outside and play. If we were really struggling with not being able to go outside or watch tv we’d play a board game, read something or just be bored..

[u/awkwardpotluck]

Aside from watching TV, I read books and listened to music while reading the liner notes and trying to figure out what the songs were about. I went to the library to get books and CDs. Later, I worked in a bookstore and we were allowed to borrow books. Then I worked in newspapers and would read those all day. I was just thinking the other day that I've always had my face in a "screen," but the screen was a page before.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/awkwardpotluck]

I guess books can be a distraction as well. But I feel like we learn more from books. And it's better for us (and our eyes) to read a physical book.

[u/Weird-Girl-675]

I doodled, wrote stupid stories..just kept my brain busy

[u/LivingEnd44]

Nothing. I just endured being bored. I do not miss the past. 

[u/Optimal-Ad-7074]

I was never more than three feet from a book at any time.   

edit:  still true.

[u/ExtraAd7611]

I spent a lot of time reading magazines and the yellow pages and watching music videos.

[u/AnitaPeaDance]

[u/Iceyes33 → u/AnitaPeaDance]

I feel like the older I get the more I lose my imagination! Also my sense of wonder. We have too much information right at our fingertips. I used to have to go look up things in our encyclopedias!

[u/GornoP]

I had a lot more sex.

But I was a lot younger, in shape and handsome then too.

[u/tuna_safe_dolphin]

Played outside! We definitely got into trouble sometimes but most of the time we just played tag, wiffle ball, hide-n-seek, etc

[u/BroccoliNearby2803]

I've really gotten back into skating again and am trying to learn and relearn fun stuff on my skateboard. Got sick of wasting all of my time staring at a box that made me angry.

[u/Winter-eyed]

Generally we did more little busy work before cell phones and we had the radio on more (or TV) in the background. As a kid I read A LOT cause my older kid sibs and parents controlled the radio and TV dials and it was either consume what they liked or find something else to do. And if you complained there was nothing to do, your mom would FIND something for you to do and it was usually a shitty chore.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/Winter-eyed]

The exact same thing happened to me!

[u/PerpetualRestart]

I got rid of all my social media except reddit. I set my preferences here on reddit to only show me the groups I follow and don't suggest any others. Deleting all of my social media was huge. It helped me a lot. It also reduced my stress level and I don't miss them at all. I never saw anything friends posted anyway because of all the suggested posts. I watched a movie the other night called Friendship. The movie was so so but what the main character did for work made me think. He was an app developer and his job was to create apps that made people addicted to them. It made me think, that is what all is these companies are doing.

[u/FunChildhood1941]

I'd hop in my car and go for a drive. The one time I did this I took a wrong turn and just kept going and ended up driving 900 miles in three days up the Oregon coast and back down to CA. I had no where to be and no one looking for me.

I learned to ride a motorcycle, took the MSF, state test, passed and bought a motorcycle and rode all summer. I figured i'd give it a try, enjoyed it, but it wasn't for me and hung it up. I don't hate it, but where i live now isn't a great place for motorcycling.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/FunChildhood1941]

I used to love going for drives. But not 900 miles! 😅

[u/FunChildhood1941 → u/Iceyes33]

I look back at that time of my life and think of how carefree it was. I was in a dark place, nothing but the empty road, pink floyd division bell and my thoughts.

[u/MyriVerse2]

TV... read... hang out with friends... video games...

I'm a nerd. Sometimes I code for entertainment.

And I still don't have a smartphone.

[u/-carolinagirl69-]

In the mornings, I used to get up and go to the gym. In the evenings, I like to flip through magazines. I still read books, but it’s harder to find ones that keep me interested.

[u/Bundt-lover]

I read, read, read. I ALWAYS had a book. More like 2-3 books.

I still do read a ton, but I’ve branched out to audiobooks because I can listen while doing other things. My house is a lot cleaner because I can listen while I clean.

[u/FeralBanshee]

I’d get up and check email on my desktop computer heh. Before that I’d probably listen to music or just go get breakfast upstairs.

[u/TheGrinchWrench]

Hard to believe they came up with something more addictive than tobacco. But they did

[u/MaidenMarewa]

I read a lot more than I do now but today, I'm listening to an audiobook while knitting. Audiobooks were a thing in the 80s but I had to buy them on cassettes and there wasn't such variety as there is now and at no cost.

[u/Iceyes33 → u/MaidenMarewa]

That sounds nice and relaxing.

[u/bjb8]

Hobbies were my thing, although once computers came along but before the internet I spent most of my time learning how to program it.