The Narratives – Mohamed Miah

Imagine a world where the most complex piece of tech you carried in your pocket was a Nokia 3310. A world where the idea of working on a computer all day was something only a select few did. For a 90s kid like me, this wasn’t just life—it was freedom. Sure, I’ve always been hooked on computers and gaming, and let’s be honest, without the tech we have today, I probably wouldn’t be writing this blog. But what if we had to go back?

Let me paint you a picture: weekends playing football with mates down the local park, riding a bike until the sun dipped behind the trees, and when it was time to come home, watching TV with the family wasn’t a solo act but a shared experience. There was a certain magic to gathering around the box and enjoying a show together. Now? Everything’s on your phone, and sure, it’s quick, but that joy we felt during family TV time? Gone. Or worse, replaced by the endless scroll.

We’ve made life easier, no doubt. With a smartphone, everything is a click away, but something’s been sacrificed. The spontaneous moments of togetherness, the excitement of dialing into the internet for the first time, or—if you were lucky enough—manually creating a ringtone that could rival a movie soundtrack on your trusty Nokia.

Computers have been a big part of my life. Even today, from 9 am to 5 pm (or more like 8 am to 6 pm on some days), my work revolves around a screen. But once the day ends, I often make a conscious decision to switch off. Sure, I could hop back on a computer in the evening to game or catch up, but I choose not to. I crave balance. There’s something undeniably refreshing about picking up a pen—particularly a fountain pen—and feeling the glide of wet ink on paper. That sensory experience, the sound, the smell, it’s a grounding reminder that not everything has to be digitised.

Now don’t get me wrong, I still love my tech. But without a computer? I think I’d manage. I’d go back to the basics—manual work, pen and paper, kicking a ball around for hours. And while we can’t rewind the clock, there’s something to be said for rediscovering what truly makes us human. I dive into this more in my article on Rediscovering What Makes Us Human,

https://the-narratives.com/2024/09/22/rediscovering-what-makes-us-human/

but the takeaway is simple: we need balance. Life is about enjoying the present, tech or no tech, and sometimes, the simplicity of it all is what we’re really missing.

And for the record—nothing beats that homemade Nokia ringtone!