Can someone in their 50s exist with no internet?

You don't know how? You pick up the phone and get quotes, organise a holiday by phone or going into a travel agent, utility suppliers are all on the phone. It's not that hard. Harder maybe, but still not hard.

I remember ringing round to get insurance for my motorcycle. Looking through the Yellow Pages or bike mags for companies to ring. Calling each one with my details, writing the quote down, then calling back the best one. Took hours!

Yes, I’d find it incredibly difficult. I’m not in my fifties but I still remember how much slower and more granular everything was when you had to do everything in person, by mail, over the phone etc. I can do half a dozen things in less than fifteen minutes using some apps on my phone which would all previously involve an entire afternoon visiting the bank, the council offices, the travel agent, the shops, the solicitor’s offices, and so on; or waiting on hold on the phone for an hour, or sending something in the mail and waiting days or weeks for a response. Even little things like a quick fact check, or looking up a reference - achieved in seconds. I can see an argument for limiting the aspects of internet usage you find unproductive or unenjoyable, but not disconnecting yourself from a valuable means of communication and service provision entirely.

FFS, this person is posting on Mumsnet - a literal internet site.

People on MN just aren’t as bright as they used to be. This would never have happened in the days of Balonz.

Yes, and I'd love it. We managed before, we'd manage again.

@SemperIdem but a lot of things are harder without the internet. Banking and shopping for example. I don’t know how you shop for insurance without it. Or switch your electricity and gas supplier. Or remortgage. Or book a holiday. It’s all the things you need to do for life admin.

A friend friend of mine who died recently in her 80's didn't use the internet at all, and it was increasingly difficult - she lived independently until the last 4 weeks of her life. She had (finally) accepted she needed a mobile phone (though a 'brick' Nokia) in the last year so that she could call taxis when she was out.

The reality was that her life was unnecessarily complicated; she was brilliantly clever, and still compos mentis when I saw her the day before she died - the internet became prevalent as she reached retirement age, and her decision to ignore it then made things more and more challenging as time went on - she did say that she wasn't sure, with hindsight, that she'd made the right decision.

So, in short, I really wouldn't recommend it - you want to be upskilling, not deskilling in you 50's (and beyond)

My uncle is mid 50’s, can barely use a mobile phone or a computer (has never had a job which would require it). Doesn’t online bank, doesn’t shop online, no social media.

No particular reason beyond he “doesn’t think it’s necessary”. I suppose in a way he’s not wrong.

I'm not sure that age is particularly relevant but I'm in my 50s and grew up without the Internet but would miss it now:

WhatsApp for messaging family

WhatsApp groups for organising (politics, women's rights activism)

Twitter and Facebook for activism

Zoom meetings

Webinars

Duolingo app for language learning

Google translate

Online banking

Podcasts and audiobooks

Booking train tickets, flights and hotels

Booking cinema and theatre tickets

Iplayer

BBC sounds

BBC website for news

Work (I'm a teacher and need the Internet when planning etc at home because everything is on the school server)

Google Drive to store docs and Google photos to store photos

Google maps when going somewhere unfamiliar

Mumsnet!

Probably a lot more but that's what I thought of off the top of my head.

You needed the internet to post on here though.

I know a few people that seem to be proud of the fact they claim to manage a life with no internet whatsoever (my dad is one), yet regularly ask for help from people who do have internet access. My dad is always asking my mum to google things.

How do you post on mumsnet if you don’t have internet access? Going online via your mobile is still going online.

I am 50 and I would not choose to go without internet. I need it for my job, shopping and life admin. I don’t have TV and I don’t listen to radio. I ring my parents using WhatsApp.

People in their 50s had internet from their early 20s. I remember dial up and BitTorrent in my university years. I joined gmail and Facebook when you needed an invite from others who were already on it.

If it's just regarding entertainment then I could easily go without Internet.

However for managing daily jobs, banking, legal stuff, work, then Internet is essential

Apparently. I'm 60 anxious thinking about setting up.a funeral plan .. online of course!

So are you asking about not having broadband, but still having data on your phone.
OR
Are you talking about going off grid altogether ?

I guess that depends how much people with disabilities rely on alternative methods? There always has to be a way for if the internet goes down, maybe for an extended time. I'd hate to be helpless without the internet.

I'm in my 60's and would not willingly go without the internet. Online banking, paying bills, accessing medical records, making appointments...Why would I want to time travel backwards and make life admin more time consuming??

I realize I could use my phone but I'd prefer not to solely rely on it.

What people lack are skills. I made sure all my children knew how to find information the manual way, use library catalogues, use indexes and everything else before I let them google for information. It's important to know how to do things offline too.

I think there’s an idea that these options are being held on to for a generation that is dwindling. I don’t believe phone calls/paper options will be enforced within 15/20 years.

Are people in their 50’s old or something??!! I’m so confused!

Would you be able to have a tablet or phone which had no 4G but did have WiFi, and then go to cafes and shopping centres to get online?

We had big phone books to find numbers. It's not hard. Numbers are also on letters.

If I have to be on hold, sometimes for two hours, I usually do my work or other things while having my phone on speaker so I can just tend to it when they answer.

There are ways.

Internet is an aid to so much in life. 63, I teach IT skills, so know how much difference it makes to be able to access the Web. Just today I checked pension forecasts, renewed insurance, internet food delivery, downloaded a book and replied to this question. I use it to compare prices, research, shop, communicate with friends, banking.... it's a vital tool in my life toolbox.

My 82yo DM thinks broadband is essential. Can't imagine living without it.