I would say 2020 for me..

I didnt realise people could so easily completely hate you [because you have a different opinion].

Yes I would def say 2020..... I look at ppl much different now..... (Not in a good way trust me)

I would say 2020 for me..

I didnt realise people could be led so easily completely hate you

Yes I would def say 2020..... I look at ppl much different now..... (Not in a good way trust me)

I was going to respond to this thread earnestly, because I do have an answer to the question in the title, but I changed my mind...

[edited by moderator so this thread could be "rescued"]

This is an interesting thread, and people might respond to it.

I, for one, at least would like to see what "Dream" was originally going to write.

moving from Wisconsin to Altoona Pennsylvania in June 1994

This is an interesting thread, and people might respond to it.

I, for one, at least would like to see what "Dream" was originally going to write.

9/11. I wasn’t exactly a child — I’d just turned 21, was working full-time, had already voted, and had one foot out my parents’ door. By most measures, I was already an adult. But September 11, 2001 is the sharpest line I can draw between the boy I was and the man I became. I wasn’t innocent going in, and I wasn’t particularly naïve — no more naïve than any 21-year-old who thinks he has the world figured out, anyway. I just didn’t know how evil people can be and how unsafe the world is (or, in the words of Sting, “how fragile we are”).

After that morning, I did.

9/11 is my line between childhood and adulthood.

I guess the before and after line could be defined as between boyhood and adulthood. And flailing around in part time radio jobs and "go-fer" jobs, needing two part time jobs just to make a whole salary.

So the year is 1974, early, for a 22-23 year old to get fired from a part-time radio job in Greenfield, Indiana--and finally deciding to follow my grandfather's footsteps into the Bell System. He was with Bell of Pennsylvania as a coin manager (there were coin telephones back then).

On April 22, 1974, I became employed by Indiana Bell Telephone, as a directory assistance operator--one of the first males to have that job. That lasted around 6 months, and I was promoted to a craft supervisory position called a Service Assistant.

On and on to varying better or sometimes-same level jobs over 42 years. That day in 1974 was a dividing line between a kid working part time jobs and an adult with full time work.

Thank you Dream for your entry :)

I would say when my mum passed away 3 years ago...

She suffered with ALS for over a year and slowly got worse.. She was totally bedridden for over a year and started not being able to talk.. Then she stopped eating....

I would say when my mum passed away 3 years ago...

She suffered with ALS for over a year and slowly got worse.. She was totally bedridden for over a year and started not being able to talk.. Then she stopped eating....

Very sad. Sorry to hear that. :(

Definitely having children really changes things. Little lives depending on you.:)

I would say when my mum passed away 3 years ago...

She suffered with ALS for over a year and slowly got worse.. She was totally bedridden for over a year and started not being able to talk.. Then she stopped eating....

ALS is a horrible disease--so sorry to hear that.

Before 2020 *Covid* and After 2020 *Covid*

Like I've said before, pre 2020, the world and PEOPLE seemed so much more REAL, HUMAN, full of human EMOTION, all night chats about anything and NOTHING, silly chats even seemed so REAL with SUBSTANCE, you could just sit around and chat about something. We could have long, indept REAL conversations, we could just SLOWLY chat, plan and scheme.

Post 2020, everyone seem robotic, glued to their phone, in a HURRY, one word replies, nothing seems REAL anymore. No one has any attention span anymore beyond a few seconds, you can't have an actual conversation anymore, beyond one word replies, and if you press it you're met with hostility, "I don't know, GO AWAY!" ugh

I feel like I'm on a different timeline

Before 2020 *Covid* and After 2020 *Covid*

Like I've said before, pre 2020, the world and PEOPLE seemed so much more REAL, HUMAN, full of human EMOTION, all night chats about anything and NOTHING, silly chats even seemed so REAL with SUBSTANCE, you could just sit around and chat about something. We could have long, indept REAL conversations, we could just SLOWLY chat, plan and scheme.

Post 2020, everyone seem robotic, glued to their phone, in a HURRY, one word replies, nothing seems REAL anymore. No one has any attention span anymore beyond a few seconds, you can't have an actual conversation anymore, beyond one word replies, and if you press it you're met with hostility, "I don't know, GO AWAY!" ugh

I feel like I'm on a different timeline

Sounds like the same whining that happened when radio, then TV got invented. “We all used to talk to each other. Now all we do is sit and listen to/watch that damn box”

I mean, I wasn’t there, but I assume that’s how it sounded :shrug:

Sounds like the same whining that happened when radio, then TV got invented. “We all used to talk to each other. Now all we do is sit and listen to/watch that damn box”

I mean, I wasn’t there, but I assume that’s how it sounded :shrug:

I think it's quite different, I don't think there's EVER been a shift in humanity like the one 5-7 years ago.

With radio and TV, we still sat around laughed, had fun, chatted and experienced REAL MOMENTS!


That is WAYYYY different than walking into a restaurant and seeing a family of 4 sitting around a table GLUED TO THEIR SMART PHONES LIKE ZOMBIES! This happened to me earlier, I went out to eat and 4 guy friends were at a table, I don't think they hardly spoke, all 4 just gazing into their phones. Used to going out was laughing, FUN, conversations.

Or walking into a restaurant to be seated and NEVER taking their eyes off their phone screen while walking through the lobby, then the restaurant to their tables, giving absolutely NO acknowledgement to their surroundings. To me going out to eat is a TREAT! If I'm just gonna stay glued to the damn phone screen the whole time, I might as well stay home.

People walk right out in front of you in a parkinglot, eyes straight down glued to the phone, won't even watch for cars.

Go to a doctor's waiting room, ppl sit down and instantly, that phone has to come out.

With radio and TV, you GOT AWAY FROM IT now and then, to go out and BE with people. People never put their phones down.



And it shows through in other areas, most everyone I see has that SAME empty, blank look on their face, no one smiles, gives a friendly nod as they walk by you, and if you smile at someone they act like you're weird or something. You hold the door for someone, they won't say 'thank you', etc... just plain SOULLESS!

Again, I don't think we've experienced anything like this. Humans are SOCIAL animals, we NEED human interaction, conversation, etc.... I just dunno what it's gonna be like another 20 or so years with this, isolated 'robotic' way we interact nowadays.


There are whole videos on this "Gen Z stare" like you walk up to a Gen Zer to place an order and they just STARE at you, this totally blank empty stare, no "hello", "can I help you", etc.... We are losing are communication skills and really its scary! Half the time when I order at a fastfood place, I feel like I have to be as polite as possible as to not ANNOY the person taking my order, totally different from just how it was 20 years ago.


I may sound old, but I don't foresee anything good coming of this new "zombie culture"

Yes, I think a major "dividing line" would be the smartphone, around 2008.

Before 2020 *Covid* and After 2020 *Covid*

Like I've said before, pre 2020, the world and PEOPLE seemed so much more REAL, HUMAN, full of human EMOTION, all night chats about anything and NOTHING, silly chats even seemed so REAL with SUBSTANCE, you could just sit around and chat about something. We could have long, indept REAL conversations, we could just SLOWLY chat, plan and scheme.

Post 2020, everyone seem robotic, glued to their phone, in a HURRY, one word replies, nothing seems REAL anymore. No one has any attention span anymore beyond a few seconds, you can't have an actual conversation anymore, beyond one word replies, and if you press it you're met with hostility, "I don't know, GO AWAY!" ugh

I feel like I'm on a different timeline

What you’re describing absolutely pre-dates COVID.

What you’re describing absolutely pre-dates COVID.

Would you trace it back to the smartphone? I remember seeing the restaurant thing TLF referred to going way back before 2020--all thru the 2010s, for example.

And that zombie stare TLF refers to--that probably comes from tons of time staring at the phone.

What you’re describing absolutely pre-dates COVID.

Honestly I AGREE, I did see the beginnings of it before Covid, probably around 2016 or so. When I was a caregiver for my grandmother during that time, I'd go out to town, do my shopping, and errands and the first thing I started noticing is NO ONE smiling, 85% of the ppl having the exact same blank look on their faces.

But I think Covid accelerated it off the charts!

Much like I have seen hints of our "old world" after Covid, around 2021, and 2022 I did have some really good interactions, but they were rare, but since like 2022 everything has just been a BLUR to me, same ol same ol, void of substance living.


A random example memory that comes to me is. I'm a writer and I had a friend who sadly passed away, who was a writer as well, he lived in N.H. and I live in TN, and we would hop on Skype, chat, write and just while away the hours, writing as we chatted, then we'd share our stories with each other, we'd critique, collaborate, etc.....

I find it hard to believe I actually did that SORT OF THING in THIS REALITY!, I cannot even fathom doing anything remotely similar to that with anyone today! Just something so casual, laid-back, NOTHING but full of REAL substance and humaness! Just casually passing the hours, chatting, typing writing, not being in a hurry, etc... I can't even explain properly the feeling I'm talking about but maybe you can understand it. I cant imagine anyone have the attention span, or the 'spirit' to do anything even close to that nowdays. Everything has to happen INSTANTLY now, no time to just sit and BS with each other.