How to Live Like It’s the 90s and Thrive without a Smartphone

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Are you tired of constantly feeling the pull to be on your phone? Our dopamine receptors have been conditioned to love that pesky glow hiding behind the touch screen device in our hands. Our brains have literally been rewired, leading to overstimulation and a constant need for entertainment. We lack critical and creative thinking skills, and find ourselves coming out of a stupor after scrolling social media for two hours. But, so many of us are starting to wake up. We’re realizing that something is off and not quite right. I think that’s why there’s been a resurgence of 90s lifestyle content.

As a millennial born on the cusp of the early 90s, I, and many others in my life, clearly remember the days before cell phones, GPS, touch screen devices, and Wi-Fi. We remember going to the video store for a VHS tape on Friday nights, and having dial-up Internet. It was a dream – just enough technology, but not enough to feel overwhelming or addicting. It’s no wonder there’s a desire to live like this again. Teens and young adult Gen Z’ers are the first generation to not know life before “smart” technology, and I can see why they are fascinated with how my generation grew up. They are tired of starting at the tiny computer screen in their hands and feeling like a zombie.

Gen Z, along with many others, want to feel true peace that is not possible when you own a smartphone. Their solution? Ditch not just social media, but also smartphones and instead are opting for dumbphones. My response: Heck yes!! Unlike how it is presented to us, smartphones are not necessary evils. Social media is not a requirement for life, and apps are luxuries. We got to a place of “forced” smartphone usage because we allowed it. The beautiful reality, though, is that we can push against this and demand something different. So today, I am bringing you the best ways to live like it’s the 90s and thrive without a smartphone.

If you love this post, consider checking out some of my other content:

REASONS WHY I LIVE SLOWLY (AND YOU SHOULD, TOO)

HOW TO REDUCE SCREEN TIME AND GET YOUR LIFE BACK

EASY STEPS TO HELP YOU START A CRUNCHY LIFESTYLE

BEST WAYS TO DEINFLUENCE YOUR LIFE AND LIVE SIMPLY

30 WAYS TO LIVE AN OLD FASHIONED LIFESTYLE ON PURPOSE

Table of Contents

Where I am and how I got here.

I have owned a smartphone for about 6.5 years of my 34 years on Earth. Granted, I only got my first phone when I was 16, so only about one-third of my time as a cell phone owner has been spent with a smartphone. From 2007-2014, I had a flip phone. From 2015-2018, a smartphone; from 2018-2022 a flip phone, and then a smartphone since April 2022. I have always been somewhat of an old soul. In my house, you’ll find a 1960s Smith-Corona typewriter and a 1960s Zenith FM/AM radio. I prefer to call over text, and I don’t like fancy doo-hickies in my car like touch screens or “safety” features. A touchscreen device is the last thing on Earth I’d take with me to a deserted island. Just give me buttons, please!

While I do currently own a smartphone, I have pared it down greatly, and have plans to move to a non-touchscreen phone in the near future. Hours of my life have been spent scrolling and refreshing pages mindlessly. I got rid of the last of my social media accounts almost four years ago, but that touchscreen device still seems to pull me in no matter what. Recently, I have taken great strides to further reduce the appeal of my phone, and have even turned off text message notifications. Now, I feel mostly in control. This post is my curation of the best ways to live like it’s the 90s and thrive without a smartphone. I’ve done it in the past, am kind of doing it now, and I believe you can, too!

Best Ways to Live Like It’s the 90s and Thrive without a Smartphone

Find alternatives to smartphone apps.

The first way to live like it’s the 90s is to find alternatives to apps you currently use. You DON’T need a smartphone for anything; I promise, there are alternatives. For utility apps like the calculator and calendar, use physical items instead. Are you a lady who’s tracking her cycle? Grab a piece of paper and chart it yourself, or use a journal. Really have a desire take photos? Use a point-and-shoot camera. If you are an audiophile, make CD mixes of your favorite songs, then load them up into a portable CD player. It may have you carrying more items, but it will absolutely lighten your mental load.

Learn to be comforted by boredom.

If you are going to live like it’s the 90s and thrive without a smartphone, you have to be ok with boredom. Growing up, we were not constantly stimulated. We didn’t even get cable until I was 8 or 9. If my sister and I were bored, we made up games and stories. We read, colored, played Barbies and board games. Most importantly, we had to use critical and creative thinking skills to come up with ideas. We couldn’t hop onto the Internet to find ideas for ourselves. Instead, we just figured it out. The next time you’re bored, curb the desire to reach for your phone and begin scrolling. Allow your mind to wander and write down what comes to mind. You may come up with some great ideas!

In the 90s, social media did not exist; so, if you want to live like it’s the 90s, you’re going to have to go without it. While blogs were a thing (and clearly still are), there was no Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, or TikTok. If we wanted to share news with someone, we called them, told them in person, or wrote a letter. I will be the first to tell you I think social media is a complete waste of time. It does much more harm than good. And believe me, I have heard the gamut of reasons why people keep it:

I need it for my business.
It helps numb my brain.
It allows me to stay in touch with family and friends across the country.
It helps me connect with other humans.
Fear of missing out.
I like sharing my life with others.

I will never judge you for using social media. But, if you want to use it and have no desire to stop, please own that. Don’t make excuses as to why you can’t live without it. I know there are people who can use it and not get sucked in, but they are the rare exception. Oftentimes, we use the reasons above (and more) and don’t stay on it for those reasons. Sure, maybe it does help your business and allows you to connect with others. However, as someone who has an online business and lives 1,600 miles from my family and friends, I can assure you I am doing just fine without social media updates. FOMO does not consume my life. In fact, I’m much happier and less stressed than when I used social media.

If reading this paragraph makes you slightly uncomfortable and/or you get defensive when reading it, it may be time to take inventory and consider a break. Next time you get the urge to get off social media but find an excuse to stay on, think about that reason. Put your accounts on pause and give yourself a week or two to see how you feel. You may never go back.

Write down what questions you have before jumping to the Internet.

During the 1990s, we didn’t have Wi-Fi where we could look things up within seconds. The Internet also didn’t have as much information in it as it does today. If it was a really important question, we would find a way to answer it, usually through another person or printed material. If you want to live like it’s the 90s, don’t jump to the Internet the second you have a question. If it’s a question you really want answered, carry a notebook and write it in your notebook. Then, ask another person or try to find it in a book before searching for the answer on the Internet. Doing this makes knowledge feel more valuable. Let’s be honest, you don’t need to know when Harry Styles was born to be productive.

Read physical books and magazines.

If you want to live like it’s the 90s, you will have to read printed books. Sorry, Kindles didn’t exist until 2007. Instead, grab an actual book or magazine to take with you on the go or to use at home. Reading physical books has many more benefits than using an e-reader, including increasing comprehension and recall. Not to mention, there’s something special about holding printed material in your hand. In my opinion, it makes me feel more human.

Get a library card

In the 90s, libraries were the place to be. If you don’t already own a library card, go get one! Going to a library is so much fun because it’s like browsing a bookstore and not having to pay for the books. Even trying to find a book suggestion on the Internet feels overwhelming. Sites like Good Reads have comments and reviews for every book, tainting your opinion before you read it. There is also an endless number of suggestions to sift through. Getting a recommendation from a librarian or bookstore owner also is much more special than reading online reviews. Browsing at the library (or even bookstore) allows you to make the decision for yourself, versus being swayed by the opinions of others. It’s also fun to pick up some books based on their covers and read them. If you don’t like them, no harm was done.

Sit in silence.

Ok, I’ll be honest, this may be the hardest way to live like it’s the 90s. Back then, silence was more common. We had CD players, radios, computers, and TVs, but we weren’t constantly bombarded with information. We could turn those devices off more easily. Mornings may have been chaotic, but also quieter. My challenge to you is to sit in silence. It will feel uncomfortable at first, but you can set a timer for just a few minutes. Keep all devices out of reach and just be. I guarantee your stress level will decrease.

Learn how to read a map.

By the time I started driving, we could at least print out directions or use a GPS for our cars. In the 90s though, that wasn’t a thing. What did we have? Good ‘ol printed maps. Traveling out of state wasn’t as common, so there wasn’t as much of a need for directions. If you did travel out of state, someone gave you directions or you used an atlas. There are also many benefits to using printed directions and maps. For one thing, outsourcing that type of critical thinking to a GPS causes cognitive decline, and can even lead to diseases like dementia. If you don’t want to make a big trip without a GPS, try going somewhere new that isn’t too far away to test how it goes. Continue the trend until you become a printed directions master.

Send out cards on birthdays.

One of the easiest ways to live like it’s the 90s is to send out birthday cards. Most people love getting mail, especially if it’s something personal like a card or letter. As someone who doesn’t have social media, I feel like it’s easy for others to forget my birthday. With this in mind, I go the extra length to track my friends’ birthdays. I’m not great at sending cards, but it’s a work in progress. It’s so much more personal than sending a text or writing it on social media.

Find new screen-free hobbies.

Since you’ll get bored if you live like it’s the 90s, you’ll want to find some screen-free hobbies. Most people are so consumed by technology that they probably have many undiscovered hobbies waiting for them. Don’t be this person. There are many out there to try. Here are a few suggestions.

Sewing, knitting, or crocheting
Baking or cooking
Learning a musical instrument
Writing and/or reading
Scrapbooking or card making
Rollerblading or other exercise
People watching
Puzzles or coloring
Gardening
Nature walks
Woodworking or carpentry

Curb online shopping and streaming services.

This might be the hardest way to live like it’s the 90s and thrive without a smartphone. You may not believe it, but I avoided using Amazon for about 7 years. Yes, I survived. And while online shopping can be great, it too, can be a time waster. Like many other sites, Amazon seems to offer an endless scroll feature, constantly serving up new products for you to purchase. However, during the 90s, there wasn’t really a way to do online shopping. You had catalogs to look through and could go to the store; that was about it. Magazines told you what was in fashion, but no one took selfies to post their OOTD.

It’s similar with streaming services. They simply didn’t exist. Cable TV shows displayed movie and TV trailers during commercials. We had VHS and DVDs only came out towards the end of the decade. We got suggestions from friends or browsed the aisles of the local video store. The choices were much less overwhelming, so it was easier to make decisions about what to watch. All this to say, I challenge you to pause streaming services and online shopping. See how it feels to use catalogs and shop in person instead of scrolling Temu and Amazon. Go to the library or thrift store and pick up a few DVDs or VHS tapes. It’s cool to be retro.

Watch TV shows and movies on VHS tapes and DVDs.

If you want to live like it’s the 90s, grab yourself some DVDs and VHS tapes. Many thrift stores will have them, as well as DVD players and VCRs. There’s something so nostalgic about watching TV shows and movies on physical technology. Streaming services mirror social media by offering infinite scrolling, constantly bombarding you with new content to watch. This becomes incredibly overwhelming, and oftentimes, the movie I want to watch is only able to be rented for a cost. I have found that using VHS tapes and DVDs eases my mind about my choices and makes me feel less anxious since it’s the only thing available.

Purchase a radio/CD player/cassette player.

Similar to using VHS tapes and DVDs, if you want to live like it’s the 90s and thrive without a smartphone, use a radio or CD player, even a cassette player. I love having any song at my fingertips, so this is a tricky one for me. I have a multitude of playlists on Spotify that I use regularly. However, it’s the same thing as everything else I’ve mentioned: Infinite scrolling. And now, Spotify has introduced so much extra junk, like shorts (why???), the ability to comment on podcast episodes, and seemingly endless suggestions. If you like having a mix of music, create a mixed CD to use when you’re on the go and play it in a portable CD player.

Make plans the old school way.

In the 90s, we called each other or made plans in person. It was SO simple. If you want to live like it’s the 90s, go back to this old school way of making plans. Call each other, create plans, and then meet up at the designated time and date. Don’t text that you are on your way. Agree that you will simply show up. If something happens, know that it’s not the end of the world and you’ll be able to meet up again.

Use printed or physical recipes when cooking.

This is my favorite way to live like it’s the 90s. I cook and bake a lot, and while ago, I decided that looking at a screen (whether on a laptop or phone) was intrusive and distracting. So, I began a journey to print out the recipes, and it’s been so much fun. Now, I don’t feel tied to a device and will sometimes turn on my antique radio instead of using screen-based technology. Another fun thing to do is buy magazines and try a few recipes from them. Some of my favorite recipes have come from magazines I’ve purchased. If you don’t want to pay for cookbooks or magazines, borrow from the library or a friend and family member.

Not ready to ditch your smartphone? Try these tips instead!

I understand that not everyone is ready to jump ship and trade their smartphone for a dumbphone. If that’s you but you want to take steps to put your life back in control, try these steps before ditching your smartphone.

Read more about my thoughts surrounding social media above. Basically, social media is a time suck. You will spend way more time on it than you intend to, almost always. It is designed to keep you engaged for hours. If you don’t want to get rid of your smartphone, but still want to live like it’s the 90s, getting rid of social media entirely is a step toward this. Deleting it from your phone is a great start, but there is still the temptation to log into the sites. Getting rid of it altogether ensures the temptation is removed.

Turn off all notifications, including messages.

Almost as soon as I purchased my phone, I got rid of notifications for every app I had, except for the messaging app and Signal, which I use with my husband and his family. However, having notifications for my messages was an easy way to get me hooked into using my phone when I didn’t intend to. Recently, I turned off messaging notifications and my life is changed. Overall, my screen time is down, and I feel so empowered because I have total say over my phone usage now. I know I did before, but having to go into the messages themselves to check for texts makes me feel much more in control of the time I spend on my phone.

Use a computer for tasks you normally would on your phone.

If you want to live like it’s the 90s but aren’t ready to give up your phone, an alternative is to transfer phone tasks to your computer. In general, computers aren’t super appealing or addictive, at least not compared to smartphones. All social media can be used from a computer, and so can things like checking email and bank accounts. If you want to order food, you can call the restaurant and drive yourself to pick it up. You are almost never in a situation where you need to check the weather, your bank statement, or personal email. Offload those tasks to a desktop or laptop and watch your anxiety decrease.

Disable the Internet on your phone.

Coming from someone who doesn’t have social media, the Internet has taken its place. It’s really easy to get sucked into it and mindlessly search. Disabling isn’t a perfect solution because it’s temporary and can easily be re-enabled, but to live like it’s the 90s and still keep your phone, this is imperative. To avoid impulsively searching on the Internet, read above for alternative suggestions.

Ditch any truly unnecessary apps.

How many apps do you truly need on your phone? Not nearly as many as you think you do. If it doesn’t get used on a daily basis, delete it. If it takes up more time than you’d like it to, take it off. The goal is to simplify and give yourself less and less of a reason to be on your phone. This is a great way to do that.

Leave your phone at home when you leave the house.

Yes, it’s possible to do this without having anxiety! I recently started doing this and I feel so free. I’ve started to let friends know I won’t have my phone on me when I’m meeting up with them, and they think it’s kind of strange, but revolutions start small, right? If you are someone who wants to live like it’s the 90s but you are constantly on your device, this might cause some anxiety at first. However, the more you do it, the better it feels. You begin to notice and pay attention more to your surroundings. Conversations become easier with those around you, and you feel less distracted. It’s such an awesome feeling.

Keep your phone on airplane mode throughout the day.

If you don’t feel comfortable leaving your phone in your house at first, you can have it with you, but keep it on airplane mode. This doesn’t allow anything to make it through to you until you turn it off. It’s a great way to avoid distractions. However, be aware that if you have notifications set up, it may feel overwhelming when you take the phone off airplane mode, as you may become bombarded with them.

Place your phone in another room and turn on the sound.

Don’t want to turn on airplane mode while at home? An option is to keep your phone in a separate room and turn the sound on (I recommend turning off notifications except for calls, and maybe texts). This allows it to act sort of like a home phone, where, if someone really needs to, they can get a hold of you. It might feel like you’re missing an appendage at first, but it’s a very freeing feeling after you give it some time.

Keep yourself engaged with screen-free activities.

If you don’t replace your current habits with new ones, there is no point of trying any of this. To live like it’s the 90s, you’ll want to engage in some screen-free activities. I have a few suggestions in this post. The Opt Out Family website has some great resources to help you replace your current habits with new ones. Here is also a list from Screen Free of 101 activities that don’t involve screens.

Use alternative technology for the apps on your phone.

If you want to live like it’s the 90s but aren’t ready to thrive without a smartphone, consider keeping your phone for its intended purpose, and outsource certain apps to other devices. If you want a GPS, buy an actual GPS. Love listening to music? Put your playlists on an MP3 player that doesn’t use data. You can do this with so many things you use that will help reduce the amount of time you spend on your phone. Just be careful to not let other devices to the place of how you used your smartphone.

I know this was a long post, but I hope it’s gotten you thinking. There is a lot to technology use, and it can be hard to manage it all. Technology can be a blessing, but it’s a double-edged sword. My goal is that you will implement some of these ideas into your personal life and feel free instead of feeling like a slave. Try some and let me know how they go!