...before I went on the internet? Simpler? Easier? Instead of staring at a screen, I read physical books, built K'Nex rollercoasters, and climbed trees outside. The internet slowly seeped into my childhood in the form of websites like CoolMathGames.com or Webkinz. However, it never consumed my life as it does today. I simply was interested in doing other things besides sitting still in a chair, waiting for our family computer to finally boot up or respond. Maybe I just had more curiosity when I was younger, but it also might've been because I didn't have all the answers in the palm of my hand.
...before I had a smartphone? How did I fill my spare time if it wasn't scrolling through social media feeds? What I noticed in the old videos we watched this week was that they were marketing computers as a way to save time. I think these days, our devices become distractions as we're constantly checking if someone has texted, emailed, liked, or posted. There's a growing pressure to always be quick to respond to something without really taking the time to process the information we are given. Back when the internet was new, it was a shock that things could be sent so fast. Nowadays, it has become an expectation.
...before I knew how to code? When I got to college, I barely had any programming experience due to my high school not offering any computer science classes. I felt intimidated going into a major that I had no experience in and only an inkling of an idea that I would actually like it. Imposter syndrome became a reality, a term I only learned during college as there was always someone with a better resume, more qualified experience, and an impressive side project. As other people were planning out how to build a website, I was still wrapping my head around using an IDE. These workshops brought back memories of my freshman year and made me realize how much I've grown as a developer since then.