Neighbour has no internet, tv or smart phone

[Bottlesofrumonthewall]

I was talking to my neighbour recently he is 40 I’m much younger than him and he casually mentioned that he has no internet at home, no smartphone, no TV, and doesn’t drive. He cycles everywhere.
it feels completely surreal in 2025 that someone actually lives like this. I think I would turn into a crazy lady without my gadgets. I coped as a child, but don’t play out anymore so now the idea of spending every day like that is completely alien to me, and yet here he is
Does anyone else know someone who also lives this way it just seems so rare now

Good on him! I'm 60 and have internet, smartphone, laptop but I've never driven/no vehicle, never cycled, never had a tv or radio, not a big music fan so I have a house full of books.

Sorry, forgot to mention I watch free films on YouTube!

I know two people like this and they’re not elderly. Have computers at work but at home happy with newspapers, books, radio. Have phones but only since parent got elderly and needs to be contactable. Don’t drive.

Ohh I would love to detox. Was lookimg into holidays where it is completely tech free.
I couldnt do this as my whole career is literally about the internet 😂

He has made different choices to you in life. And that is fine.

In other news, your other neighbour is an OnlyFans model, runs gaming servers from home, and is addicted to 24/7 news channels from the US and voted for Brexit. Again, life choices and that is fine.

I have a friend like this. He has a radio and a landline and reads a lot. He’s very happy and wise. But I think the fact that he’s childless helps. So much kid admin is mediated via the internet.

The deleted post quoted me too
Isn't it irritating to have no idea what was said

My cousin doesn’t have a tv, or a pc or a smart phone.
She is a youthful 64, lives in central London and cycles or uses public transport. She is passionate about art, fashion, music and theatre so spends her time at galleries/ museums/ plays / concerts.
She reads newspapers and listens to the radio.

I assume he has access to the internet somewhere because its almost impossible to manage without it at all nowadays so I'm guessing he uses it at work, but the rest sounds very doable tbh

I'd get rid of my smartphone if I didn't rest on the internet as much as I do. Great public transport where I am and I could live without tv.
Good for him!

Omg you have no idea how the Internet works.... And what's going to happen to your paper

I'm chronically online but I have no TV or car, my so called 'smartphone' is permanently muted and only checked a couple of times a day. I hate the over reliance on 'apps' but I'd be bereft without internet access.

Try westream all free.

We only have internet and basic phones, got rid of the tv over 30 years ago...always busy doing things in garden or house or out and about...no idea how people can sit on sofas and watch tv for hours....we just dont have time for that !

MIL has no WiFi and doesn't know how to use computer or internet. She does have a smartphone but doesn't use it as a smartphone, just for texts and calls. She realises she need to embrace modern tech but it's proving to be easier said than done.

I dont have a tv got rid of it years ago.
I have everything else.

Yes to all of this plus contact with friends (who don't want to time travel back to 1980) & family overseas.

however, it does sound peaceful & blissful...

just out of curiosity does she have kids?

username is the troll from last night that was @-ing people with gifs and the comment “lick” so probably that!

so whats the comment
lick???

Ah, I saw that on other threads. Gross.

@GrannyTeapotbut here you are on Mumsnet, so not quite the same thing.
I know a number of people who don’t watch TV nor actively participate in social media. But they do have internet and smart phones.

Don't really care what people do or don't do in their own home, but it's twattish to be smug about it imo. See also getting up at 5am every day.

My SIL and BIL are like this: they don’t let their kids watch ‘tv’ but they can watch an iPad. Personally, I find tv a more communal experience and it’s an iPad that my kid won’t be watching. Saying that, I was film obsessed as a kid but my own father has only been to the cinema a handful of times and will only watch a couple of films when they come on tv. There are definitely some neurodivergent traits going on as he reads loads of nonfiction books about a specific topic but would never read a fiction book.

People who say they don’t like to watch films (totally fine btw, everyone is different) tend to be more practically minded and not really into thinks that require emotional engagement or entertaining a fantastical or fictional scenario.

Not quite the gotcha you think it is.

I dont watch TV or films in any format either, but broadband is non negotiable when you have kids at school/uni. I am 52.

The PP didnt claim that she didnt use the internet, just that she didnt watch TV etc. A lot of people dont.

but she's saying she doesn't watch movies etc., she doesn't mention not having internet.