To ask what you miss the most about the past?

[Appalonia]

Been thinking recently about how much we've lost due to the internet, although of course there are lots of amazing things too. For me, I think I miss things like record stores, long conversations on the phone with friends, so many high street shops that are now gone forever, online shopping just isn't the same, especially as you can't try something on, mix tapes, seeing a film in a big cinema, bookshops, lots of independent shops, so much is commercialised now, department stores, in my city, there was only Debenhams and now that's gone, I miss going into town and browsing, there's nothing left other than pound stores, it's so sad.

What do you miss that modern life has robbed you of?

Lovely list. The boys bit though! LOL!!!

I do miss 'records' but do not miss them skipping coz there's a wee scratch!

It really was very evocative and great serirs - the BBC’s first soap!

Slower pace of life

news not being dramatised

no 24hr news I’m sure it adds to our general anxiety

I watched some great films during the night when I woke up, couldn't get back to sleep and had to make do with whatever was being broadcast. Films I never would have watched by choice, iyswim.

All this TV choice means I tend to just watch the same kinds of things over and over.

Also, I used to read a lot more books. Somehow, there is never the time in the day now and even if I make time, I cannot sit for hours and focus properly. My mind wanders.

Actually, mind wandering is another pain of modern life. I am sure I used to be able to focus on a single thing for longer.

I miss being a size 6. Now I’m 46, eat less than I did in my 20s, don’t drink alcohol at all and am a size 12.

Not having completely trashed mental health.

You can still do all those things (mediocre high street shops that have folded notwithstanding). In fact many of them remain popular.

Hasn't the OP just listed a load of things you can still do?

I've been in three different record shops in the last month, loads of clothes shops, spent hours in book shops, and I'm pretty sure cinemas still operate. I've spoken to friends on the phone too.

Shouldn't the thread be titled "What have you stopped doing that you miss?"

Or simply "What shops do you miss?" seeing as it's mostly retail-related.

You don't have to watch 24 hour news. Listen to music or something.

I think everything comes to easy now. You can instantly download a book, an album, a film and while that's great it also makes it less special than waiting to go into town, browsing the book or record shop and buying something special or waiting ages for a particular film to come out. Obviously you can still do those things but it's definitely different now we have it all on tap. Even for the kids, it's easy come, easy go.

I also hate seeing my parents get old and knowing in a visceral way I'll lose them but that's not limited to modern life.

I miss the days when you only had 2 genders, male or female. Pronouns were he or she, and ‘they’ was plural. You had homosexual, heterosexual or bisexual, and the occasional transsexual or transgender. Nowadays there are more letters being added to LGBT than the alphabet, and just because someone clearly has a penis you can’t assume they’re a male, and just because someone clearly has a vagina and a pair of tits, you can’t assume they don’t identify as a toaster.

It's definitely not quite the same when you don't have to do those things to get them. Sure it's still nice but the event is just going out not really the film, book or record shopping. I think these days charity or second hand book shopping and perhaps, art galleries, live events and eating out is most interesting but it's super expensive too!

I miss the excitement of going on holiday where all you know about the place is a couple of photos and a paragraph in the brochure, and possibly a few comments from a friend who went somewhere near a few years ago. Nowadays before I book anywhere I'll check reviews and photos of the hotel and resort, as well as checking what restaurants, shops, beaches, days out etc are around. I know I could just book and not look at anything but because I could do some research I feel like I'd be missing out if I don't check.

I also miss holidays without mobile phones (or at least when phones were so expensive to use abroad that no-one did). Now I find that because everyone knows I will have my phone with me I get loads of texts/e-mails from family/work expecting a response 'just when you get a minute'. I've tried switching my phone off but increasingly you need to have a smart phone to book activities etc. I also find it irritating that everywhere you go there will be someone filming on their phone- especially those people who seem to thing they are producing their own travel show and get irritated if other people trying to actually enjoy their holiday get in the way.

Mumsnet bingo!

My mum

Not having mobiles, not being expected by work to be always connected and by family and friends to be always reachable.

How does this impact your life, out of interest?

It's never impacted mine. Do you have a lot of trans friends? I suspect not.

@Appalonia

Been thinking recently about how much we've lost due to the internet, although of course there are lots of amazing things too. For me, I think I miss things like record stores, long conversations on the phone with friends, so many high street shops that are now gone forever, online shopping just isn't the same, especially as you can't try something on, mix tapes, seeing a film in a big cinema, bookshops, lots of independent shops...

I miss many things, mainly my youth, but I'm puzzled that almost all of the examples that the OP chose are actually things that still exist or can be done?

Just the quiet, predictable steadiness of my childhood years.

You say the event is going out, not really the film. Do people not go out now?

I think your problem is with inflation more than anything.

Going to the local library with my Dad. Books for adults were on one floor, those for kids were on the floor above. He'd leave me to wander around and choose the ones I wanted then I'd get them stamped and go down and meet him to walk home with a sense of anticipation, looking forward to reading my books.

My friends going out reading time alone feeling well every day - almost every day. Oh hold on, that’s just life before kids. I feel so exhausted now. Almost all the time. School run brain. Have to be somewhere and absolutely cannot go missing for a whole day and just ‘be’ without a long overthought out anxiety driven pre-arranging of a thousand things.

wouldn’t give it up for the world though.

I miss the feeling of being unafraid. Some of the things I got up to as a teenager make me squirm now but back then...it didn't cross my mind that things wouldn't end up totally fine. As an anxiety-ridden middle-aged mother of teenagers, I worry about every one, every possible eventuality and often impossible eventualities! Ah, to be young, carefree and invincible.

Oh, so much.. mainly late loved ones, of course.. a memory of my dad driving me to work in the summer, Beach Boys on the 8 track, the little golden hairs on the back of my dad's hands shining on the steering wheel..

Christmas.. working but half day closing & spending the afternoon in the city looking for gifts for family.. I'm 15..it's going dark & I can hear carol singing from the cathedral.. the roads & pavements are wet & shining like Miners' City Lights nail polish (oh, I miss that!) a pub at every corner, jovial voices.. the local newspaper being sold on the streets..
At the very least, six buses an hour to go where I wanted (down to one now, on a six month trial)
The homeliness of wandering round the co-op department store, all the older ladies with their coupons to spend from the Christmas club.. wearing their little suede boots & the men with flat caps.. regional accents..

If I don't feel well, I'll pop down to the family doctor & sit in the waiting room until it's my turn to be seen. I never have to go to A&E with health concerns. I could go on for HOURS.. as I sit here with Steely Dan playing softly in the background.. maybe I'm still in the 70's.. :-)

I miss the days when teenagers (minority I expect, or hope) did not go out armed with knives and when stabbing were not a daily occurrence. People naturally worried about their teenage girls going out at night, but now we worry about our boys just as much. Boys used to see a girl got home safely! Society has always been violent, but arguments used to be sorted out with a few punches (still not good!), but now it’s knives, or even guns. A six year old shooting a teacher. What next, I dread to think.