[NuckingFutz]

Sometimes I come across people who do not use the internet or the cellphones. I know one or two people who do not know what facebook or myspace or any other website. I can't imagine life without it. How can people not know about these things? Even my grandmother had an email account before she passed. What is your take on this?

[Maven]

A lot of elderly people are out of the loop, but some jump in. I have lived without the Internet for many months (because of my OCD), and I can do it, but life is much better with the Internet.

[El-ahrairah]

lol I dont know what i would do without internet, but I can do without cell phones n stuff ;o computer = everything for me xD

I dont think they are missing out on much really, I think they're lucky lol they dont get the urge to spend alot of money on a lil gadget each year a new one comes out xD

[Sabrina]

I got my first cell phone after they were out a number of years and grew up without internet. I must be honest though and say that I couldn't imagine not having them now.

My 83 year old gran also recently learned to use a cellphone. It is so sweet to get text messages from her.

I'm somewhat envious.

[splitimage]

I can imagine life without the internet since I was around & computing pre-internet days, but can't imagine how I'd cope without it now. As for cell phones, I'm a reluctant convert to them. I have one for emergencies, but I generally don't give the number out - i just don't want to be that accessible all of the time.

[la doctora]

I could not live without my cell. I have my whole life's worth of info stored in it and I use it for everything. If I lost all my contact info I would die. (I should probably back it up, huh?) My grandparents have cells but hardly use them. They do not know how to use the internet at all. I use internet at work everyday, but I think I could learn to live without it again if I had to. Although, I don't know how well I would get along without visiting PC every day. And facebook keeps me in touch with all my buds since I live so far away from everyone I know, so it would be very hard for me to go without it.

[Naturefreak]

I have a cellphone for emergencies only .
As for the internet , it is my way of keeping in contact with people and I would find it hard to not have access to it. But over time I guess I would adjust to not having it.

Since I have never been in prison, I did not think I needed a cell phone.

[Naturefreak]

Originally Posted by TheByzantine

Since I have never been in prison, I did not think I needed a cell phone.

Everyone knows prisoners don't have phones Byz. How dumb is that.

[goodgirl62]

I would rather give up my TV than my internet or cell. I wish I would have had the internet as a learning tool when I was young. I would have been a genious! Kids today use them for socializing. I do that too, but I mostly like to just read and learn from all over our big world!

[NuckingFutz]

Byz, there have read a number of news stories about cell phones being smuggled into prisons...haha you are so funny!

[Soul Quake]

I wish I wasn't exposed to the internet when I was. Now it's hard to remember life before it existed.

[bobbi416]

I don't have a cell phone because it was a finacial choice (cell or internet), I couldn't do without my internet. But I only used my cell once in awhile, so it really was a no brainer. But I have always been fascinated by technology. From the first time computers started for me in the early 80's. So even tho I'm in my 50's the tech. today still fascinates me but is really getting beyond me.

[seeker1950]

A couple of years ago, I did away with my house phone, and only now use the cell phone. I still don't know how to text, and don't care to. I'm technologically challenged, and until I bought the new phone, I didn't know how to use the voicemail.

I like the Internet. I think I use it more because I'm alone, and come here to PC for feedback, friends. I tried Facebook, but found it invasive, and cancelled it, probably because I had been survailled online and felt a bit paranoid.Friends and coworkers who love Facebook tell me how great it is, so maybe I just don't understand it, but it seems everyone can see who you're talking to...then go spy on whoever is talking to everyone else?

I do love the Internet as a research tool.

[Maven]

I've never owned a cell phone, although I'd love to get one for emergencies. That said, I'd really LOVE to own a Blackberry or iPhone, so I can Twitter and do all kinds of stuff, LOL!

So, who's going to buy me one?

[Sabrina]

I've just thought about the internet and my son's schooling. He is given many projects that we would be unable to do if it weren't for the internet. I have no transport and no access to a library. Besides, he gets given one day to complete a project. So without the internet, my son would be doing some pretty "empty" research projects.

[eskielover]

I don't know what I would do without internet or my cell phone. I don't have any other phone at my farm because they were charging a poll fee & there was no way I was going to pay over $100 for a land line. I ended up having to lower my cell phone minutes to be low just to afford it & I made sure that it wouldn't accept texting as it would cost me even $5/month that I didn't have. Figured that if anyone had anything to say they could just call & use the minutes I pay for.

Internet....can't live with since I found became familiar with in in 2003. Found out what wonderful research can be done on it for school, then when my Mother was Dx'ed with cancer, it helped me understand what was happening (even if she was in denial). I find that with the internet I have not, there are days that I end up without the internet after a large storm hits. During the ice storm...no electricity anyway. The flood this year flooded the equipment on the water tower & the lightening keeps striking it during the storms. I have so much work to do around here most of the time that I end up going days without getting onto the internet. I find it valuable in trying to fix things around my farm as I can usually find information that gives me the "how to". I also use the internet for some of the studies & information that I am working on learning. I would be completely LOST without my internet.

I have a friend who is 92 years old. I tried to teach her how to use the internet & email, but it just wasn't her thing. She has a cell phone that she buys minutes for so that she has it with her around her farm when she's away from the house. She wants to learn how to use the word processing part of the computer, told her to let me know when she wants to take the time to learn & I will help. My mother who would have only been 85 was less able to deal with technology than my older friend. I am the technical one around here....anyone needs something fixed, or wired up correctly....they call on me....or more like them mention that they are having problems & I just fix it for them.....from TV wiring to the satalite to getting their computers wired up correctly. Seems that all my years of working with hardware when I was a firmware engineer in aerospace was worth something after all...lol.

[sabby]

Originally Posted by NuckingFutz

Sometimes I come across people who do not use the internet or the cellphones. I know one or two people who do not know what facebook or myspace or any other website. I can't imagine life without it. How can people not know about these things? Even my grandmother had an email account before she passed. What is your take on this?

I guess one doesn't miss something that one never had I do envy them in a way.......sometimes we are just to accessible and it leaves us no time for ourselves!

But of course, since PC is my 2nd home, yes, I would go nuts without internet, but I truly could deal without a cell phone.

[thine_self_untrue]

I first used the internet when I was ten. It's hard for me to imagine life without it, since I'm a young whippersnapper.

I work at a library and when an elderly person comes in to the building in an all out state of panic because they have to send an e-mail, apply for a job online or any other host of things they can no longer do on paper, they are often literally terrifed.

Sadder is when those people tell me "Oh you're so good at this!" and thank me as if I've just proformed a minor miracle. They're selling themselves sort. I had the advantage of growing up with, but ANYONE can learn it.

You sound like a computer maven, thine.

[Rhiannonsmoon]

Life without internet would be good,I might be healthier? People would talk to each other again business would be phone or face to face; avoidants like myself wouldn't be enabled. Why go out and have to face people if I can do everything over the net? I even buy my clothing over the net.

I'm torn between wanting to be healthy and wanting to be left alone in my world which is my lounge room, kitchen, bathroom and bedroom. But I don't have the courage to step outside of it so I am so very grateful for the net..because I wouldn't know you as friends and acquaintances & some antagonists who force me to think differently at times.

I appreciate you all in this computer world I live in...

Rhiannon

[(JD)]

People lived thousands of years before Mr Gore invented the internet.

One can surprise himself when required to give up things they think they can't live without. Regarding disasters, you best make other plans and learn how to use, oh I don't know say a PAY PHONE ... or camp stove or such things because you may indeed be required to live not only without internet, but stove and phones, for example.

"Home is where the dog is" ... regardless of what other luxury I may have.

[googley]

My grandma got a cell phone before I did. And she has had an email address forever. It was really helpful to have email when my grandfather was really sick because messages could get out fast and only had to be written once and was much easier for the people who were watching over him. Now I only have a cell phone because when I moved I didn't want to pay for a land line that I wouldn't use. I need my internet though for school so I can do research at home. Otherwise I would spend even more time in the library than I already do.

[50guy]

I got rid of my cell phone last year. I got off facebook 2 months ago. I think that there is too much personal information and too easy for people that I don't want to be in contact with to get in contact with me. Ghosts from the past are not welcome in my life. I don't do much internet either. Other than getting news sources and banking....I have no use for the net. Sometimes I come here and just read without logging on and sometimes weeks can go by without me even looking at the net. MY DW likes the net somewhat and I don't care if she uses it. I have had to delete email accounts for different reasons. I just think that the internet can be dangerous and has done a lot of damage to peoples' lives. It can be a great research tool and has good uses but, I would rather not be on it.