The Internet (Hilariously) Weighs in With What They Were Doing #BeforeFacebook

Yesterday marked the 12th anniversary of Facebook, an era that represents the most significant societal shift since industrialization in the mid-18th century.

Indeed, things are different now. Farming takes place on a screen, not in a field; contact details aren’t personal info, they’re what you exchange for the privilege of finding out which element of the periodic table you are; friendships click from your mouse, not through genuine interest in another person.

It’s not all bad, though. Leering through a bedroom window has fallen out of favour as a means to stalk your ex; remembering someone’s birthday is no longer a 365-day game of Memory; we no longer have to worry about sk8rgurl69@hotmail.com being the next candidate of To Catch a Predator.

So, what else happened before Facebook? Well, what meta (get it?) way to find out than through Facebook. Users have been sharing what it was like to navigate life pre-Facebook by using the hashtag #BeforeFacebook across the social network and on Twitter.

Here are some of the best so far:

So this is what we did before we had #smartphones & #beforeFacebook!

Posted by Angie Ward on Sunday, January 24, 2016

[ad_bb1]