I’m not here to sound like the old-timers who start every sentence with "Back in my day...", but honestly, just one generation ago, everything was really different. We solved things without AI that today’s kids might find hard to imagine. But trust me, if we could do it, anyone can!
Earning a Degree
Let’s start with the biggest challenge: getting that diploma. Yes, we wrote all our assignments and even our theses without artificial intelligence. No ChatGPT, no Perplexity, and Google didn’t serve up ready-made essays. If we wanted to write something, there was no shortcut — we had to hit the library.
We queued at the photocopier, borrowed academic books, took notes, and then crafted meaningful text in our own words.
Often, we spent sleepless nights on it, and sure, the final result might not always have been better than what AI can whip up in minutes today. But at least those were our own thoughts—and that counts for something…
Creating Funny Pictures
Today, you just tell AI to create a photo of, say, grandma mowing the lawn wearing a Darth Vader helmet, and boom, it’s done in two minutes. But no, manipulated images weren’t invented by Gen Z. We made memes long before, just in a different way.
We photoshopped politicians onto dinosaur bodies, swapped cartoon heads onto people, all with our own two hands, pixel by pixel, carefully cutting around the edges in image editors. It wasn’t perfect, but that’s what gave it charm. And yes, Gen Z, I see what you’re doing! I get that you’re poking fun at early internet photos now that poorly made images are having a comeback, but remember—those were handmade creations!
Planning Trips Abroad
Today, AI can whip up a full vacation plan in seconds: where to eat, what to see, how to get from A to B. Back then, it was a whole project. First, you had to buy a travel guidebook (yes, a real paper one, from a store).
Then we unfolded maps trying to figure out the fastest way from the hotel to the sights. And since there was no Google Translate, if we didn’t understand something, out came the dictionary. It might not have made it to Instagram, but we definitely had plenty of adventures.
Listening to Music and Making Playlists
I’m not saying it’s not amazing that you can now just feed AI a mood—like "melancholy, rainy day tunes"—and get the perfect playlist in two seconds. I’m just saying, we didn’t have that.
Instead, we copied tapes, burned CDs, or downloaded mp3s from complicated file-sharing sites, spending hours arranging songs to get the order just right.
It wasn’t easy, but if you could put together a great mix, it was a fantastic way to impress someone special!
Job Hunting
Today, AI writes your resume, cover letter, and even preps you for the interview. Back then, we sat down at the computer, grabbed a template (if we had one), and painfully crafted each sentence. We bought newspapers for job ads or visited companies in person. No LinkedIn, no career sites—just lots of phone calls and endless rounds of emails. How did I survive those early career days and end up with the career I always wanted? Good question. I think the secret was really wanting it badly.
Looking back, it’s incredible how much changed in just one generation. I’m not saying life was better without AI—because it saves us from so much stress and hassle, lifts unnecessary burdens, and can even be used for fun. But I do have fond memories of the days when everything was still "analog."
