Life before the internet was a lot of fun. As kids we spent lots of time playing in the yard, using our imagination and creating stories in which we were the heroes. While the internet brought about ease of access in a lot of areas of everyday life, it also brought about the “need” to compare ourselves to everyone in a new way. Not only did we have access to the lives of our neighbors and friends, but we also now have access to thousands and even millions around the world, and our lives were suddenly never enough anymore. The flow of information halted the flow of conversation, and the “conversations” turned to hate filled rhetoric when life for others wasn’t what we thought it should be.
Life before the internet we read books, watched VCR tapes and home movies. We painted and drew for fun. We made sidewalk chalk art, wrote hand-written letters, and a day at the beach included flying kites instead of seeking likes. Planting a garden was a day full of joy *(and hard work). Discovering ways to make a parent’s robe into a cape and making daisy chain necklaces and friendship bracelets beat the thrill of a video game screen and a swing was more fun than watching the highlight reels of people you’ve never met.
We enjoyed days of adventures, not thinking about likes and views but of bikes and zoos. Life was imaginative, curious, and even times cautious. Now we live to please others and try to get the world to like us instead of just trying to like ourselves and finding joy in the everyday moments.
Go on a bike ride, read a physical book, step away from the screen, plant a small garden and re-connect with a real live person and see the change in your perspective.
What would you do if the internet was down for a few days? I got to find that out yesterday as a tornado knocked out our power and the internet for a day. It was refreshing to be out enjoying nature and enjoying the connection with people in my life. I didn’t think as much about what was going on behind my screen.
Wander Girl 
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