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8 Ways Technology Has Made My Life Different From My Nan's

8 Ways Technology Has Made My Life Different From My Nan's
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As a 22-year-old, I'm part of a generation that's grown up with technology - I got my first mobile phone when I was 11 years old.

In complete contrast, my 80-year-old nan cannot fathom my generation's reliance on our smartphones. As she puts it: "When you get on a bus now, everyone’s looking down at a phone. They don’t see things, they don't notice their surroundings and they don’t talk to other people."

Like many people, I rely on my iPhone to wake me up in the morning, to help me do my job and to arrange my social life, so I'm not surprised the average person today checks their mobile phone every six and a half minutes.

HuffPost UK Lifestyle's digital detox month is all about switching off our devices to reconnect with ourselves, so I sat down with my nan to find out how we used to do things, before we relied on technology to do it for us....

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1: How do you arrange a meet up with a group of friends?

Me: I have various Whatsapp groups with different friends (uni friends, childhood friends) so we tend to talk on there. If it's a big event, say for a birthday, I'll create a Facebook event or at least a group message to invite everybody in one go.

Nan: "Now, I tend to call friends on the house phone, but I didn’t have a house phone until I was married in 1961.

"Before then we'd organise a meeting beforehand, so they last time we were all together, we'd say ‘shall we meet up again next Thursday’ or something like that. It would spread with more people being invited through word of mouth.

"As teenagers we didn’t have phones indoors, but after we left school we did mostly have work phones, so sometimes we would get messages from people there. Or we’d go to a phonebox and put tuppence in."

2. How do you look up facts?

Me: Google it. Every time.

Nan: "Now I'd go the the library, but some people had information books when we were children. I used to have The New Book Of Knowledge which was bought for me when I was about 12 - it did have quite a lot of facts in it."

3. How do you book a holiday?

Me: I've just booked a holiday from the comfort of my sofa, using my tablet whilst watching Downton Abbey on TV. I used Trivago to compare hotel prices, Trip Advisor to read reviews and Skyscanner to search for the best flight options before buying it all online.

Nan: "I go to a travel agent. You don't necessarily know if what you're getting is the best deal, but you just have to hope they're reasonably honest and if the price they give you is affordable to you, you accept it.

4. You're on the bus, on your way to meet a friend and you realise you're going to be late, what do you do?

Me: I text them, straight away so they don't leave. If I don't get a reply in five minutes I'll probably ring them to make sure they've seen my text. I find being late very stressful...

Nan: "You just have to hope they will wait - I suppose you could get off the bus and try and find a phone box to call them from, but they probably wouldn't have a phone anyway so that wouldn't really help.

"If they've gone when you get there, that's just one of those things.

"The other way round, I suppose I'd wait for about half an hour or so and then give up and go home."

5. You hear a song on the radio you like the sound of, how do you go about buying it?

Me: I can't remember the last time I bought a CD - I download everything. My music goes straight from iTunes to my phone, ready for me to listen to on my commute or when I'm out running.

Nan: "When I was younger, I'd listen to the presenter announce what the song was, then I'd write it down and go to the local record shop. If they didn't have the song, I'd say: 'would you be able to get this for me please?'.

6. How to you keep updated on the news?

Me: I check all the major news sites on my phone on the way to work, as well as Twitter and sometimes Reddit.

Nan: I've always listened to the news on the radio. Sometimes I now watch the news on TV or occasionally buy a newspaper, but I normally hear about most things on the radio.

7. What do you do if you're lost?

Me: If I'm going somewhere new, I make sure my phone is fully charged in advance so I know I've got Google Maps to rely on.

Nan: "I ask somebody for directions, usually a person who looks like they might be a local or is in an older age group. If they don't know the answer, I'll ask the next person who comes along.

8. How would you contact a friend in another country?

Me: When I working in America, I'd send emails or Facebook messages to friends and Family at home when the time difference made Skype difficult.

Nan: "I send letters. You could post letters more easily when I was younger because the stamps were cheaper and you knew it would get there in a couple of days."

So after comparing notes, what does my nan really think about my generation's reliance on technology?

"Although it's a lot more convenient now, I think we were actually a lot more street wise at your age because we had to remember more.

"Plus, there was no phone bullying those days, so I think children were possibly happier than they are now.

"Saying that, there are advantages to living both ways - you can find out things more easily now but as we didn't know about technology growing up, we didn't miss it," she says.

Chatting to my nan has given me a bit of a wake up call - I honestly didn't realise about how much I rely on technology. It turns out, there are plenty of ways to do things without an iPhone, and just maybe, I'll give them a go sometime.

Unplug & Recharge At These 8 Digital Detox Retreats
Shambhala Ranch Retreat, Ukiah, California(01 of08)
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The Digital Detox (whose company motto is "disconnect to reconnect") offers regular tech-free getaways to the peaceful Shambhala Ranch Retreat in the Mendocino hills of Northern California. The restorative trip includes yoga, meditation, hiking, art, and organic cuisine -- no devices allowed. The intimate retreat is open to a maximum of 14 guests, who stay in luxurious private rooms in the large ranch-style lodge. Four-day stays range from $500-950. (credit:Flickr: Prime Pixellographer)
St. Vincent and the Grenadines, The Caribbean(02 of08)
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The small Caribbean island group of St. Vincent and the Grenadines is encouraging travelers to leave their gadgets at home when they come to enjoy the tropical beauty of the island on their vacation. The islands offer a digital detox vacation package, complete with a tech-free travel guidebook and life coach who will guide you in learning not to let technology control your life. (credit:Getty)
Jacada Travel African Retreat, Tanzania & Mozambique(03 of08)
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Experience the beauty of nature and the tranquility of a technology-free existence, try this 12-day African retreat from Jacada Travel. The group trip starts with a safari on the Selous Game Reserve -- one of the largest faunal reserves in the world, and ends with some R&R on the stunning beaches of Mozambique. And of course, enjoy spa treatments and yoga for extra de-stressing. 12-day packages from $12,248 per person. (credit:Jacada Travel)
Via Yoga Retreats, Mexico & Costa Rica(04 of08)
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With luxury yoga retreats in Costa Rica, Sayulita, Mexico, and Todos Santos, Mexico through the year, Via Yoga offers the ultimate wellness retreat and digital detox package. Although you don't have to give up your gadgets, yoga retreat attendees who turn in their iPhones upon arrival receive a 15 percent discount. In addition to beachside yoga, pilates and meditation classes, guests can also enjoy surfing and outdoor activities. Retreat rates start at $2,395 per person. (credit:Flickr: Villa Amor in Sayulita)
Lake Placid Lodge, Lake Placid, New York(05 of08)
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On the shores of Lake Placid, surrounded by the Adirondack Mountains, the rustic yet luxurious Lake Placid Lodge is the perfect place to escape the distractions of everyday life. With the "Check-In to Check-Out" package, you can check in your devices upon arrival and use the rest of your trip to enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, outdoor activities, and the hotel's many amenities. Private cabins start at $375 per night. (credit:Flickr: rhyndman)
The Westin Dublin Digital Detox Package, Dublin, Ireland(06 of08)
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Dublin may be a major metropolitan city, but that doesn't mean you can't do a little unplugging on your next trip to Ireland. The luxurious, five-star Westin Dublin's digital detox package includes breakfast in bed, in-room massage, detox survival kit, and a safe to lock your gadgets away in, so that you can enjoy tranquility and peace in the heart of downtown Dublin. Rates start at $227 per person per night. (credit:Flickr: || UggBoy♥UggGirl || PHOTO || WORLD || TRAVEL ||)
Jacada Travel Wellness Getaway, Bajos del Toro, Costa Rica(07 of08)
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Head down to tropical Costa Rica to get away from the business of your everyday life and enjoy a little R&R. The retreat takes travelers through the Cloud Forests and then on to the beaches of the Nicoya Peninsula. All-inclusive 10-day packages from $5,957 per person. (credit:Jacada Travel)
Camp Grounded, Anderson Valley, California(08 of08)
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This summer camp for adults promises visitors a chance to get back to childhood -- with campire songs instead of YouTube videos and board games instead of Angry Birds, The Digital Detox's "Camp Grounded" is all about technology-free summer fun. This June, 200 grown-up campers will unplug for four days of outdoor activities and nostalgia in the California redwoods. Four-day stays start at $340 per person. (credit:Shutterstock)