I was thinking about…

The Last Truly Analog Childhoods

By Andy Lee

As a Gen Xer, I feel nostalgic for being part of the last generation to experience a completely analog, unplugged childhood before the digital age took over.

Back then, playing outside literally meant temporarily disappearing into the outdoor unknown without a care – pure unstructured adventure off the grid. No apps, screens or digital tethers.

TV still reigned unchallenged, with afternoons spent in cartoon escapism before that week’s serving of fresh primetime shows. Visual entertainment felt properly rationed and special.

Video games demanded full attention and respect for the intended experience. You couldn’t recklessly cheat or cut corners. Patience and commitment were required to actually finish games.

Even school provided a forced disconnection from technology between those final class bells and heading home. No phones, internet or online distractions – just institutionalized analog education.

Building a friend group happened through totally analog, face-to-face networking within your neighborhood radius. Chance encounters and street-level forming connections before any “cloud” existed.

Those simple pre-internet childhoods meant many formative complexities stayed locally contained until the web exposed us to wider perspectives beyond our insular bubbles.

Today’s interactive digital existences have upended those boundaries, better allowing self-examination by interconnecting beyond childhood comfort zones. Infinite complexity is now the norm.

Yet my generation luckily had those untethered analog years to solidify core instincts before expanding into unlimited virtual headspaces. A proper period for foundational adventures before renovating reality infinitely.

Stay grounded, keep exploring! 🌳⌐