Can someone in their 50s exist with no internet?

How would they do that without your username, password and access code?

Your phone can be stolen though and bank account accessed.

I'd hate to be without any Internet (in my early 70s) - I do everything on my laptop or phone. I watch TV, listen to podcasts/audiobooks, read the newspapers, do quizzes &crosswords, do masses of family history research for my family and other people, do all of my admin, facetime my grandchildren, share photos and probably lots of other things.

My cousin is 88 and has lost most of her sight. Her biggest regret is loss of her computer in the last 3 years because she used it all the time for so many things.

My mother is 94 and uses her iPad every day for Youtube and Wikipedia mainly. She loves being able to look things up and she enjoys watching the US chat shows eg Colbert and anyone having a pop at Trump (she hates him!). She also enjoys music concerts and Netflix.

I know a lady who does that - no internet, no mobile phone. Pays with everything by cash. She definitely exists! She’s out in the community so I guess she’s more than existing.

I would find it impossible!
I'm disabled and don't work and the internet has opened up my world
From banking, online shopping and regular grocery deliveries
Keeping in touch with anyone and everyone
Ensuring my safety with things like find my friends, apple HomePod where I can call for help for example if I fall over
And of course Mumsnet, which I find invaluable and is an insight into daily life of others as my DS's are all adults.

I find it quite onerous compared to Lloyd's but Nationwide is just a secondary bank account and savings for me but I do have to do some money moving to get the free £100, I wouldn't want to use it as my main account. I also had an episode recently when I wanted to re ISA my ISA and the only way I could do it was in branch or by post, so I went in as post would be even more long winded, there was no way to do it online.

But surely banking/insurance/car tax etc is all done online?

I’m with Nationwide and only ever online.
Never had a problem….

We have a Nationwide which looks like it is staying open, always people in there so anyone in our town would probably have changed to them if they wanted in person banking. Nationwide online offering isn't great and they still use card readers so they probably prioritise the branches instead. They are not one I would choose for main account online banking

I’m not sure what the relevance of being in your 50s is…

The internet is almost as essential as running water and electricity these days… you could but you’d be making your life very hard for yourself

I have a bank branch within walking distance, but budgeting is infinitely easier when I can look at my accounts on my phone.

I'm helping two people to access shared ownership 55+ housing. They are both selling their homes. They couldn't do it without me, the housing association don't answer their phone, the legal stuff has to be done online as well as sharing documents. One of my friends has been widowed and I think her life is smaller because she doesn't do the Internet. I have to order about ten people's prescriptions. I think that now, more than ever you need to read world news to get a correct picture of what is actually happening.
Broadband is cheaper than a unlimited data package on your phone. The Internet opens the world up to disabled people.

Unfortunately, banking online is essential. I have a bank branch but it closes at 2.30pm when I am still working. There is a bank branch in the city center which is open on Saturdays but they don't have any advisers there so you can only use machines to withdraw and deposit cash.
I have a property in Spain and many things there are still done in person. I can easily spend couple of days going from tax office to police to town hall to bank just to sort out one piece of paper. And everything shuts around 1pm.

Some people only have a smartphone and it must be very difficult having to just use that for everything, I bought a larger iPhone as I thought it would be easier but it's not, everything is still small and fiddly so it just sits there mainly unused but everything from it is on my computer and iPad anyway like 2FA codes. It's probably because I'm old I find the phone a pain and fiddling.

Banking online isn't essential if you live in a town with a branch or do telephone banking.

My only recent experience of shopping for insurance was less successful on the internet and completely solved by my Coop membership and their very helpful helpline. It's a kind of once in a blue moon activity.

Switching gas or electricity is also a once in a blue moon activity.

Holiday booking - it's true this is very difficult without the internet/a smartphone.

But as per the original question as to whether doing without the internet would be a thing for a person in their 50s. I'd say those 75 and under probably do need at least a smartphone or smart tv. Probably a laptop too. My Dad passed away a couple of years ago in his 90s. He had a mobile phone but no internet/smartphone. There were very few things I needed to help him with even when he stopped going out and about in his last few months.

I did meet someone in their 50s who refused to use the Internet and it made not just their life difficult, but those around them.
He couldn't check his work schedule so needed to call up all the time and likewise his boss would email the schedule out to everyone and then post one out to him and hope he got it in time.
Couldn't join a union as they wanted an email address, booking appointments was laborious and also couldn't receive any reminders. The list went on.
He was an engineer but each to their own.

I could manage as I remember life before internet (and mobiles - I was mid 20s when I got my first phone) but I think it would be a struggle, we now do so much online, I also play far too many online games, while watching tv - which is not great but has become a habit, maybe a short 're set' would be good for some.

I had some training to do for my Volunteering role. I did at 6am, on my sofa with a cup of coffee. My life would have been a whole lot worse having to go drive to a meeting, spend an hour there looking at the same information then driving back. I have several other courses that need doing (updates) and will likely do them at similarly odd times as I have insomnia.

I'm voluntarily using the Internet to answer the OP.....
However, I believe that life was 100% better without it.

We do have the option, but not routinely anymore. Often businesses do have notices up in the supermarket and local bulletin boards, local publications, etc. On their buildings, on cars. You can ask for word of mouth when you see people IRL, which is often a good way to go. So many other options. Not saying it's not easier with the internet, just saying it's not impossible without it.

And it’s not age-related. I’m 51, I work with websites & I’ve been using the internet since my 20s.

Knowing how to do things offline: Good.
Choosing to do everything offline: Making life unnecessarily difficult.

But for somebody who says they’d like to be free of the internet, why are you on MN? Not snarky, a genuine question. It’s a prime example of how you could very easily not have most of the internet in your life: set up an automatic blocker on your phone for any website except e.g. your bank, the council, DC’s schools, Google maps etc. And you can be (mostly) free of the internet, right now, instantly, your dream. But you’re voluntarily using the internet for non-essential things, when you say you’d rather not have it at all. Why?

I have a friend the same age as me -56- and she doesn't have broadband or Internet. So if she needs to do any banking, she has to go to the bank...same with shopping and everything else we use the Internet for. At the moment she's looking for a car so is trying to visit car dealers by bus to see what they've got, and is also spending hours on the phone getting insurance quotes.
I don't get it.....