I have to confess something: some people might consider me old-fashioned . But if you ever heard somebody complain about how modern technology has changed society, you might be longing for the good old days , too, haha. I know what you mean.
So I was pretty intrigued when I stumbled upon a Reddit thread that asked , “What’s one thing you still prefer to do the old-fashioned way—regardless of technology—and why?” Let’s check out some of the people’s answers to that.
Board Games
“Physical board games/card games. Most of the app versions of the games I like aren’t that great. Plus, it’s more fun to play with someone.”
I so agree with that. It’s really different playing Battleship on your phone than on the handy board game. Am I right? I prefer the old-fashioned way any day.
Car Buttons
“Physical buttons for climate controls in a car. I refuse to buy a car that only uses a touch screen for everything. Much safer to not have to fiddle with a touch screen while driving.”
My husband is definitely a fan of the old-fashioned car set up too.
Buying Vs. Subscription
“I honestly prefer buying things completely instead of paying a monthly fee.”
“I was considering getting a subscription to an editing program I like and realized you can buy a permanent license for $50 and the subscription costs $5 a month. It would pay for itself in 10 months.”
True dat.
Physical Music
“Buy music. Unfortunately buying CDs just isn’t as easy as it used to be. But I prefer physical media, and just convert it to digital. I hate streaming music. I don’t trust the stuff I love to always be available. I like having ownership of what I listen to.”
Guess what? I don’t subscribe to any music streaming services.
Doing Crafty Stuff
“Crafty stuff in general, but in particular, sewing. Hand sewing is peaceful, quiet, portable, and just overall more satisfying. Plus I get better bragging rights on the finished product.”
I need to go back to doing more things like that. Maybe I’ll try my hand at crochet again.
Taking Notes
“Make notes on paper. I will typically use index cards because they are not as easy to ‘fly away’ or get crumpled or lost. But hey…. that’s just me!”
I’m happy to see I’m not the only one here.
Old-School Calendar
“I still use an old-school calendar. I like looking at the entire month and being able to just ‘write’ and not have to keyboard from my iPad or iPhone. We do use the Google calendar for family stuff so we are all on the same page for activities, work, babysitting, etc. Each has its purpose.”
I still write on a wall calendar. I like to see the visual of the entire month so I get that.
Handwritten Letters
I used to write letters to my friends overseas. They always commented that I was the only one who remembers their birthdays etc. It was a nice way to keep that connection going. I don’t know why I gave it up. Oh, yeah — lack of time. That’s what it was.
Shopping In Person
“I usually read reviews of an item online and buy it in person. The problem is, here in Canada you can’t find anything decent in person anymore, everything but the most basic stuff is only online.”
That’s a real shame. Am I right? I love to be able to touch the fabric or see the item in person. I know it might be just me, but I find it so much better. That’s all.
Driving A Manual Car
“No matter how advanced and on-point automatic cars are, controlling a manual stick is just so much fun.”
I hear that over and over again. It’s also a real skill to be able to drive a stick shift. What do you think of that?
Disconnecting
“Going out to eat without our phones. Leave them in the car or in a purse or something. There’s very little reason to have a phone attached to you at all times. Put down the phone and pick up a conversation.”
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These days, seeing people on their phones even at the restaurant table is the norm.
Grinding Coffee
“Not sure if this counts, but I grind my coffee by hand and use a simple brewing method (either Chemex or French press) to make it. I think having full control over the process leads to better-tasting coffee than I get with any automatic machine. Also, having a ritual that I do every morning and taking a little elbow grease helps kickstart my day.”
– u/NebXan
Oh, I like that idea.
Foraging
“I try to raise, grow, hunt, and forage as much as my own food as possible. It’s expensive and time-consuming, but the result for my mental health is priceless. I know my scale isn’t possible for everyone but I highly recommend at least growing something from seed to plate, the sense of pride and accomplishment you’ll feel is hard to describe.”
I hope one day to have more time to do that.
Laptop Vs. Phone
“Given the choice between phone and laptop, I’ll use the laptop for everything.”
I’m so with this person on that. I don’t like doing stuff on my phone, so I mostly defer to using my laptop. I’d much rather look at a big screen than the tiny one on my phone. Do you get what I’m saying?
Photo Albums
“I print photos and keep them in photo albums. I like to keep the special moments of life as a book and go through it page by page.”
Ah, I love that. In fact, I have a whole bin of photo albums from my past.
Reading A Book
“Read. Love to have a book where I can turn the pages.”
I was just talking to a friend about that the other day. It’s definitely convenient to read a book on a Kindle or iPad, but there’s something nostalgic about being able to physically turn a page. Do you agree with that?
This Lazy Habit
“I don’t need Alexa to turn on [expletive] for me and I don’t need to clap lights on. I can walk allllll (sp) the way over to the switch.”
Haha! I hear this person loud a clear. I also feel weird about some technology listening to everything I’m saying. Is it just me?
Restaurant Menus
“Physical menus at restaurants. I’m with the boomers on this one.”
I’m with them on that too. I can’t stand a place that makes you scan a QR code to read their menu. Um, no thanks. Just give me a menu I can hold in my hand and see properly.
Oh, my goodness.
What do you think of all these so-called old-fashioned ideas here? Do you prefer doing things that way, or do you rely on modern technology a little too much? Admit it, hehe. I have to say there are things I still prefer doing as I always have, like writing physical notes, printing pictures, and playing real board games. It just doesn’t feel the same the other way. Am I alone on this?
