In this news article, a 26-year-old comedian named Sarah Adelman posted a video on TikTok asking “older people” what they did before the internet to look up information. She specifically mentioned instances where people would want to know the name of an actor or needed directions. The video gained over 400,000 views and sparked a discussion among tens of thousands of commenters, sharing their experiences of how they managed without instant access to information. Many commenters reminisced about the times when they had to wait weeks to recall a forgotten actor’s name or relied on library research and expert advice to find answers.
One commenter mentioned how they used to go to record stores and sing snippets of songs they had heard to store clerks just to discover the title. Another user shared their experience of being directed to the dictionary or encyclopedias by their mother when they had questions. They also mentioned using paper maps and asking for directions from strangers when navigating without the internet. Another user expressed the opinion that not knowing the answers to questions was sometimes accepted and seen as a good thing because it encouraged learning and problem-solving.
Sarah Adelman, the creator of the video, is a 26-year-old comedian based in New York City. She posts comedic content on TikTok and was fascinated by the responses she received. She found it interesting that urban myths and legends were more prevalent before the ease of fact-checking, and that not knowing something could lead to satisfying “aha” moments when the answers were discovered. TikTok is increasingly becoming a platform where different generations can engage in conversations and compare experiences, sometimes with humor and confusion surrounding different age groups.
Overall, the article highlights the curiosity of a younger generation about how people coped without instant access to information and the various ways in which people of older generations managed to find answers and navigate life before the internet.
