Can someone in their 50s exist with no internet?

[Bad80sPerm]

This. I don’t have home broadband so no laptop.

i could go to having just TV/Radio etc as my entertainment

Would you find if difficult?

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.

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.

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 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

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

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

Sorry you’re quite right

50s is a red herring. Instead read ‘any adult’

Yes but that’s the thing ..

I think I want to go back to the days Nationwide was on TV… 🤣

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.

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 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'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.

Your phone can be stolen though and bank account accessed.

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

I don't keep my main bank accounts on my phone because some can be accessed, though probably not Nationwide 😁 as any thief would probably lose the will to live. I have one credit card account on my phone and same one in Apple wallet as I use credit card for all my spending and would not need to do normal banking activities when out and about so would have no use for a bank app on my phone anyway, it's on my iPad at home.

DM (80s) absolutely, totally has nothing to do with the internet at all.

Other than the effort that she creates for DB/ her friends to do essential stuff for her.

But that doesn't count. Apparently.
She gets to polish her luddite medal manually though.

A story. A friend of a friend bought a house that was extremely rare, basically 11th century with all mod cons and bits and bobs added afterwards. He knew something of archaeology so decided to get back to the Norman, taking everything out, thinking he could well manage without it. My friend said to him "at this rate you'll end up with rushes on the floor and tallow candles".

He was not wrong. I became an adult well pre internet but cannot imagine doing without it now.

My mum does she's 57, she doesn't even have a smartphone she's got an old Nokia, she doesn't have broadband and she wouldn't even know how to use the Internet, she has never been able to pick up on the new technology it just confuses her and stresses her out so she just sticks to what she knows

Does she work ?

But she’s only 6 years older than me & the internet was around when we were in our 20s, smartphones just a bit later - it’s not a ‘new technology’ in that sense.

Only if they gave me back fully stocked libraries and the yellow pages. All I use the internet for is phone calls, maps and banking. I do look at instagram but I’d survive without watching endless videos of folk and animals being silly.

I still prefer the TV

@CandidRaven "she has never been able to pick up on the new technology it just confuses her and stresses her out so she just sticks to what she knows"
Seriously? She's 57-the internet's been around since she was in her 20s!

How are you posting on here? And i presume you wouldn't be posting in the future?

Really?!? Onedin Line/All Creatures Great and Small/Howard's Way on a Sunday night.

I think you are suffering from nostalgia @Bad80sPerm . Is it that pre-internet life seemed simpler?

Of course life was simpler before the Internet. You were a child. Being a child is simpler.

You can use the Internet to create simple rituals for yourself.

We save up history documentaries and watch them on Friday night. If we have too much wine we start watching music videos on YouTube, taking turns to choose the song.

Use the Internet, make it work for you.