Growing Up Without Social Media: Stories We’ll Never Forget | by Vanshika Sharma | Jul, 2025

Do you remember those tiny keypad phones?

Just thinking about them brings a wave of nostalgia.

I still remember playing that iconic Snake game and Bounce tales on Nokia phones– endlessly watching it grow longer with each bite. I was obsessed, trying to break my own record every time.

Our childhood was not about swiping screens–it was about riding bicycles double our size, making imaginary tea with sand, and serving it to our friends.

Back then, life wasn’t filtered or edited. It was real, raw, and deeply felt. We’d make clay cups, climb trees, build swings, and get our hands dirty in the sand.

Once my cousin’s sister built a sandcastle while my cousin’s brother was digging tunnels across the yard. It was chaos– and it was magic.

Who else remembers running barefoot after breaking a mango open, hiding before someone caught you?

Or the sheer joy of going to grandparents’s house, where love comes in extra-large portions with food, stories, and endless pampering. We made new friends with the neighbours kids and played endlessly– tyre races, doorbell pranks, tree houses, etc.

Those carefree days with no schedules and no deadlines. We danced in the rain, swam in the summer sun, and warmed ourselves around bonfires in winter.

Our parents pampering, the birthday gifts, the family trips (with the usual dose of laughter and silly fights) — everything made life feel rich and full.

Even today, when I catch a familiar scent– like Grandma’s clothes– it instantly takes me back. So comforting, like revisiting a moment frozen in time.

And school… How can anyone forget school? Terrifying at first, but soon it became our little world. Friends who felt like family, golden memories of classroom pranks, games periods, and free periods when girls gossiped and boys played pen fights. Sharing tiffins meant tasting diverse homemade varieties, and the canteen snacks? Pure joy.

When the final bell rang, we rushed home with unmatched excitement. Every day felt like a new story.

As I scroll through my phone, I realize how different childhood feels without filters and endless notifications. Back then, every moment felt alive, and every memory was built offline, in the messy, beautiful real world.

Maybe that’s what we need more of today: A reminder that life’s richest stories often happen away from screens.

Do you have memories from those days too? Share them below– I’d love to read your stories.