I Before iPhone

Painting feet and jumping on the trampoline, 2010. Source: Supplied / Holly Meek. 

It's hard to imagine a time when our mobile phones weren’t our primary means of communication or entertainment. It was an era that was entirely focused on being creative oddballs to pass the time, like riding scooters and playing at the park, or hijacking the family computer after school for our designated half-hour of Fireboy and Watergirl. 

According to Business of Apps, 95% of Generation Z own a smartphone, with 78% of them considering it their most important device to go online. But what did growing up look like for Gen Z, and even Millennials, without constant calls, texting, and social media available? And how have things changed for those with children today? 

Holly, 21, admits to using her phone frequently to post and message friends, and that pre-phone era was all about “creating”. 

“When I was younger I played with Sylvanian families. I just set them up, and then stared at them in awe. I’d play Monopoly by myself and make up the rules,” she commented. 

Her time was spent utilising her mum’s old appliances, in which she would pretend to have an adult job, and making “potions”, which involved mixing random ingredients for a mushy result. 

Rain, 21, was big on these kinds of artistic activities, taking home colourful rocks to paint and decorate the garden with, and making pop-up cards and paper snowflakes. 

It also seemed that finding cool sticks for wands and investigating creepy crawlies was all the rage. Gaming back then, which still has many similarities with how we engage with it now, was seen as more of a social event. 

“Consoles were pretty big on the couch co-op, and that allowed me to connect with my family a lot,” said Mick, 17. 

When the weather was less than ideal, gaming was for cosy enjoyment. “If it was too cold to go outside, I was a big gamer,” said Louis, 27. 

While video games are a huge credit to our childhood, online gaming is just as widely renowned. Movie Star Planet allowed you to become a computerised celebrity, and in Animal Jam you played as an adorable fuzzy creature. And who could forget the horror that was discovering Omegle with friends for the first time… 

With phones being the prioritised device, these aren’t talked about quite as much. 

For me, it was all about dress-up. That meant flaunting the hand-me-down princess dresses my cousins gave me, and wearing them during impromptu tea parties with my stuffed animals. 

I still have my extensive physical media collection of animated movies. I absolutely adore Barbie and Bratz from the 00s – yes, present tense – and feel a pang of nostalgia whenever I recall watching those movies on a portable DVD player. I’ll always suggest to people who miss that feeling of childhood youth, to revisit the comfort of their past: favourite movies, shows, music, and books. 

My own Barbie collection, 2024. Source: Olivia Welsh. 

“I used to read a ton, and had an interest in writing my own stories. I find that reflecting on your activities before you owned a phone is important, because technology could’ve changed the outcome of your life,” shared Nic, 20. 

From what I’ve gathered, it seems that Gen Z and Millennials were able to have a mighty good time before owning a mobile phone. We re-enacted dramatic scenes with our dolls, and enjoyed Saturday morning cartoons and music videos. It was a time of simplicity, of discovering our interests before obligations and stress became prominent. 

There is certainly nothing wrong with having and using a phone, but we should all be mindful of the positives that come from putting it down every now and then, especially around social interactions and mental health.  

“I know a lot of comfort lies within those pixels, but constantly staring at them does have an impact on your mental health,” said Nic. 

Fun outside antics with friends, 2015. Source: Olivia Welsh. 

Nowadays, it's common to see a toddler with an iPad, or their parent's smartphone. They look happy, but it usually means being emotionally separated from those around them. A huge part of me hopes they’ll get to experience the awesome tech-free fun that we did, because it has an impact. 

Going on treasure hunts and climbing trees turns you into an adventure-seeker, or an artist through drawing and crafts, and a socialiser by hanging out with the neighbourhood kids. Not everything has to change. Nostalgia can be passed down from generation to generation.