to try to live in the 2000s

[xXcalamity]

i'm so tired of modern life. of the smartphones, social media, redevelopments, drama, tacky clothes and 'trends'

starting last year, i started doing that. bought myself a flip phone, a digicam, an laptop that looks like it escaped from the 2000s despite still being in production, as well as a netbook from the same company and an ipod style mp3 player (images of all the tech attached), and some 2000s clothes.

i'm just questioning if all this is worth it. my workplace doesn't push ai or smartphone bullshit on me but i'm wondering if creating a fake life that does not exist is really worth it. my activities are based around stuff that is 2000s, i will not go to a modern looking restaurant or place...

it's too late to go back but i just sort of sulk about it now. it's fun but also a sacrifice

I'm not sure I agree about everyone being the same. Yes there is a particular "look" for women on a night out but twas ever thus. I think the internet a d streaming services have diversified culture far more. Groups that used to be very "fringe" like emo, goth, indie, etc can more easily find their people and popularise their style and look. There's more TV to choose from, not everyone is watching the same few things.
I don't disagree about tech, apps for everything, two factor authentication, family safety accounts and permissions do my head in. I spend a lot more time reading now, in silence. It's very restful.

The 2000s were basically yesterday as far as Im concerned, I still live there!

Still have a digital camera, an MP3 player, CDs, DVDs, etc although I do have a smart phone. Im gradually updating but there's no rush. Three years ago I replaced my 1996 CRT television with a smart TV. (A young whippersnapper bought the old one to play 'retro' video ganes.) Over Christmas I upgraded my 22 year-old CD/radio to a CD/DAB radio.

Agree with PPs, it's not the stuff you have, it's how you engage with the world. I've never ventured beyond Facebook for social media, and have all of 73 friends.

Agree! The 90s was the best 🙂

Just use the tech but live the rest of your life how you like, you don't have to use social media or AI or buy clothes you don't like.

No 70s.

If You don’t like the modern world, rather than trying to recreate the past, you’re better to find ways to live with the modern world. You don’t have to be on social media. And you can’t stop progress, so either find ways to lean into it or muddle through.

I bought a Balance Phone. It's a Samsung phone but with an operating system that gives a minimalist interface and only allows certain apps. So no socials, no entertainment, but it allows me to use Spotify and all my 'productivity' apps. It's made a huge difference. I've watched much less YouTube and listened to many more interesting audio books and podcasts. I now only check Facebook occasionally when I'm at home on my tablet, and only for local groups. I left X, left Blue-sky, left Instagram, and realised none of those added anything to my life. But like you I bought a retro camera - a Polaroid- because I realised I was mindlessly taking photos but never printing or displaying them. Now I get a real photo of a moment that I can display.

The 2000s was yesterday for me. Nothing much has changed, I still use my gadgets from the 2000s. Now compare it to the 80s and everything is different

If you really want to go back to then, get yourself a dial up modem for slow internet that frequently crashes and takes ages to download.

Make plans with friends by saying stuff like ‘Meet you by the phone box outside Boots at 1’. When they are late twiddle your thumbs in the rain for a bit before giving up because you have no way of contacting them.

Buy music magazines and put the posters up on your wall.

Buy DvDs which you keep stacked in a tall DvD holder that topples over every so often when someone walks into it.

Does your camera have a film in it ?

I totally understand the nostalgia for simpler times and an earlier stage of your life - I feel like that too and often wish it was still the 90s! And if you want to buy and use the things you have done, why not? I think getting rid of SM is a good thing. I don't really use it either and even my 18-year-old has deleted most of the apps, because he was wasting his life on them, rather than actually living and appreciating what was in front of him.

Personally, I cherry-pick the bits of modern life that suit me and I ignore the rest. I'm 52 so I didn't grow up with all the nonsense of SM and don't get me started on 'influencers'! How such a group of vacuous, pointless individuals even exist and have people that care what they think is enough to make my head explode.

Ooh, that balance phone sounds nice! Though I Do like the style of the more 2000s ones

The 70s was good but, for me, the 90s was where it was at - so much freedom, so much choice, the world opened up for many people in a way the 70s didn't. There were far less expectations of what was expected from men and women - the traditional roles were being eroded far more than what it was like in the 70s.

Agreed.

How exactly is choosing slower tech meaning you are embracing a different way if life?

you know OP we laugh at certain ( not all by any means ) older people who want everything to be back to the 50sand 60s, think everything would be sorted out if we all did national service ( despite the fact most of them didn’t) watch GB News as it panders to their view of the world, refuse to use apps etc as don’t see the need, can’t see the issue with Brexit as they rarely go anywhere and aren’t working anyway so don’t see the barriers or issues caused - - the fact is they see things differently because that era was when they were young, had friends , had stuff to look forward too, more weddings than funerals etc , didn’t have a load of aches and pains , you are kind of a 20 yearsago equivalent . I think the world is hard going and depressing at the moment and it’s easy to mentally retreat into a fantasy past. -

The 2000s weren’t that long ago, we had Amazon, socials, I’ve still got tech from the 2000s. Hell I’ve still got clothes, bedding and furniture that’s from the 2000s or before. The music wasn’t great either. You need to go back to the 1990s, good music, you had to go to the library or internet cafe for the internet in the late 1990s, dumb phones, iPods etc.

I can understand, I have fantasised about doing this too. I think the old laptop was a bit too far, a new laptop wouldn’t be an issue and would be better quality to work with!

For me it’s the constant connection I hate. I have fantasised about getting a basic phone and an old iPod or something for music when I run. I hate having the internet in my pocket.

It's quite trendy atm to try and create an analogue life, I think that sounds better than pretending it's the year 2000.

Yes the 90s (actually more like 1989 to around 2005ish) is the decade I tend to feel nostalgic for, but that’s because so much of the important stuff happened to me then - got married, major career break, interesting job, new friendships to join the old ones, three house moves, earned decent money after a run of badly paid jobs, lots of travel and adventure.

Plus it was less conformist - even on a trivial level, people didn’t look all the same (variety of hairstyles, not just long hair/centre parting, and you could still find low-rise jeans!) Without social media, people were far less self-conscious (look at old photos of groups on a night out - no posing, just having a laugh). Politics still seemed to offer some hope of things getting better, and I don’t remember so many terrible wars all over the place, or mad dictators and anxiety about the climate crisis.

But I’m very aware that I’ve mentally deleted the less good stuff, and some things have improved. You can’t go back, but you can make a point of avoiding the stuff that makes you actively depressed.

The thing is you can't hold back time.

For more and more things you are expected to 'use the app', and if you can't then life is nearly impossible.

It seems attention seeking and silly to me. Just don’t use things you don’t like.

Changing a few objects that you own can't change the world you're living in. Refusing a smartphone seems a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face - so many things are so much faster and more convenient with it. Maybe just don't have social media?

I'd much rather have the late 80's and early 90's.

I know a few people that do not have smart phones or Internet.

Yes, you can live without new technology, but it decreases your choices & generally these type of people keep asking for help to do various tasks.

Don't mess about - ditch it all, go back to the 70s - better music, better fashions and much more fun.