How would your life be different if the internet had been available 20 years earlier?

Discussion in 'Off topic discussions' started by Audrey_CD, Apr 11, 2020.

  1. Audrey_CD
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    Audrey_CD Long term member

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    Like many here the internet only became available when I was in my late thirties. I often wonder how my life would be different if it had been available in my formative years.
    • I think I would have understood better my cross dressing/transexualism.
    • I would have known about my kinks.
    • I would have got to know people with a similar outlook on life.
    • I almost certainly would have made a different decision on finding a life partner.
    • I may have transitioned.
    • There is young man who wouldn't exist.
     
  2. CagedJohn
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    CagedJohn Long term member

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    if they had youtube and cell phone cameras when I when young, life would have been terrible


    I dont know how young people do it. I loved being able to go run around the neighborhood until the street lights came on

    no one recorded anything, you could say and do anything and things couldnt be recorded to be used against you





    I wouldnt have dont it
     
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  3. Subspaceservant59
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    Wow. Pretty true for me as well.

    nice self awareness. The kids have hard fought for freedoms. Transexuals were treated pretty poorly when I was wanting to transition. Not a safe world and took a lot of guts. Now it’s all cool. Different social net to hold space for them.
     
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  4. Therover
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    Therover Member

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    I was just literally having this conversation two days ago with someone on Kik, my life would be completely different, I can't say I'd be happier but I'd have more of my desires met I suppose.
     
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  5. boisub
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    boisub Inaccessible member

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    I find myself agreeing with both @Audrey_CD and @CagedJohn.

    I wish I had had access to better information when I was younger, not to mention living in a society that’s notably more tolerant of difference than it used to be (though it still has a long way to go); but there is also so much out there that’s not just bad but toxic. If I were navigating it as a child, it would be way too easy to find the wrong people and ideas. And the social media hellscape that kids live in today would not have been a good place for me to grow up.
     
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  6. CagedJohn
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    CagedJohn Long term member

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    100% agree.


    trying to tell someone in the 90's I wanted my gf to lock my cock while I watched her have sex with someone else would get a different reaction than today
     
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  7. Nicoftime
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    Nicoftime The suspense is terrible...I hope it lasts

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    If the internet were around in the 80’s...I probably would have corrupted my parents computer full of viruses instead of my own.

    I wouldn’t have spent any money on dirty magazines.

    I probably would have transitioned.

    I wouldn’t have a child or my spouse.

    Whenever I start thinking of what if’s I have to also think about what you would lose as well. Butterfly effect kinda
     
  8. Jessica Alexander
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    Jessica Alexander Trans woman not a mistress or Dom

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    I was dangerous enough without the internet. I’m surprised the ATF never showed up to investigate explosions. Also, wish I could have transitioned as a teen but I was deep in denial even to myself.
     
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  9. BarbCD
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    BarbCD Long term member

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    Well, the internet as we know it was not around, but as a computer geek and computer science major, I was an early adopter. I signed on to compuserve in 1985 with modem and Atari 800xl. There I joined a “room” of CDs (called TVs then) and supporters. It DID change my life and validated my own growing perception that I was not a freak.

    The first person who ever met Barbara was a middle aged woman I met online, and happened to live in the same city. She invited me over to dinner, where I dressed in what was probably my only skirt and blouse. When I came out, her friend Paula was there, and we had a very pleasant evening together. Though they were 20years older than me, they made me feel very comfortable with myself, and that experience changed my life. It was totally G rated. No sex or anything. Just friendship. Kathy was single at the time, but was seeking a CD spouse. She appreciated the feminine aspects of CDs. You can imagine how rare she was in 1985!

    When I met my wife, I introduced her to Kathy so she could talk to another woman about having a TV/CD spouse.

    2 years later Kathy married a CD she met, and we all remained friends. They did two weddings, a vanilla family wedding and CD friends wedding. One of my most cherished memories is being a bridesmaid at their wedding.

    We then started our own family, and moved from San Diego to Chicago. We lost track of each other, but Kathy will always hold a special place in my life.

    And all because we met over a 300 baud modem “back in the day”.
     
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  10. collegeslave
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    collegeslave Junior Member

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    Completely agree. I had bisexual tendencies since I was younger. If there wasn't so much stigma around homosexual activities back then I would have definitely enjoyed more experiences back then.

    At the same time, those experiences probably would have kept me from meeting my wife.
     
  11. Subspaceservant59
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    What a great thread!!! Really awesome to read all these thoughts. This question is coming up huge for me right now.

    I went to buy a woman’s blouse or top last night: first time in years. I’ve crossdressed off and on since pre-teen, but totally gave up years ago on cross dressing.

    I purchased the blouse for GoAskAlice’s sissy group meeting on zoom this Wednesday. She is my current key holder. since 4 days ago.

    well Damn!! I struggled finding a decent top in the store, finally got something; top and matching pants and some new panties.

    got home, tried it all on.

    started crying, some major churning going on.

    am I afraid of my feminine? Why have I taken so long to acknowledge the girl inside me? Why am I getting all emotional? WTF?


    Talked with Mistress Alice some about this as well. She’s so supportive of the exploration.

    I think I’ve been shoving this question away from my mind for my whole life: partly because of the old attitudes. Even today: I can’t wear that outfit outside! I’m in rancher country. I get killed: or that’s what I think.

    anyway: my question has sort of developed into: “what is this part of myself that I rejected for so long?” It obviously wants to manifest. Can’t shove it under the rug anymore.

    Thanks for the thoughtful posts. It’s helpful

    p
     
  12. sadiedog01
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    sadiedog01 Long term member

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    I can agree with all of these points.
    In my mid-teens I recall thinking that there must be something mentally wrong with me since I wanted to tie up myself and tie up my genitals. In my early 20's I recall the first bondage magazine (Bondage Life) I came across at a porn shop. The relief I felt reading that other people had this fetish / desire was overwhelming. For the first time I knew I was not alone. Not sure where or what I would be if I were exposed to today's internet at an earlier age. As Nicoftime stated, 'the butterfly effect.'
     
  13. bondinchas
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    bondinchas Long term member

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    This thread reminds me of a story my mum told me when I was older.

    When I was reaching puberty, as was the case with most children, the only readily available source of factual information outside of school and family was the council lending library. So, in the interests of self-education, I had borrowed the only two books on sex education that were in my local library.

    One day, while I was at school, my mum had found the books under my bed.
    She took them to dad and said "Look what he's got from the library! What shall we do?"
    Dad replied, "Well, are you going to explain the birds and bees to him?". o_O
    Mum said "No". :confused:
    Dad said "Nor me. Just put the books back where you found them!" :+1:
     
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  14. PouchPantyLover
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    PouchPantyLover Long term member

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    I suspect I would have ended up in jail as I never could have gotten away with half the stuff I did in today's world of omnipresent cameras. Certainly people posting videos of things we did would have gotten me tarred and feathered in my neighborhood.

    I do wish Tinder and Grindr had existed when I was younger. That way I would certainly have a handful of diseases that I missed out on. :+1:
     
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  15. missjaime
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    missjaime New member

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    I've oft thought of this as well....I probably would have transitioned if I was 8 instead of 28 when the net sort of opened this world to me.
     
  16. salonslave
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    salonslave I play for a living and work for fun.

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    I just read all the responses. let’s see ... I jumped onto the computer train in 1998 when W 98 came out. I was 46. If I had jumped on in 1978 surely I wouldn’t have spent all the time and money on kinky magazines, but I did learn a great deal from them. Remember Sulka? My sexuality was founded then. I told my wife every idea in my head within a year of our marriage, beginning before we were married. I am kinky, submissive in sexuality, and I have never had a desire to be with a man. Like so many here I did a lot of petty crime at a young age and the statutes of limitations expired decades ago.
    Here is something that has not been brought up: If computer age had begun 20 years earlier, not only would our learning and life curves been different, but computer world would today be advanced 20 years beyond what it is now. That is scary!
    Self acceptance would have been about the same for me. I do remember how alone I felt when I thought I was the only guy in the world who got excited by the smell of shower curtains, by girdles, by enemas, by female domination, and so so much more.
    I’ll shove over and give someone else a turn to tell it from their perspective. Ss
     
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  17. RC-Oz
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    RC-Oz Active member

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    Interesting that so many are ascribing social changes like queer tolerance to the internet. Western society started changing dramatically from the late 60s to a more liberal viewpoint, and apart from a setback in the late 80s (the “greed is good” era), has continued in that direction. I think most of today’s increased tolerance comes from changes in our educational institutions and the arts. Obviously the internet allows us to connect in new and wonderful ways, but much of what is being discussed was already in progress.
     
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  18. salonslave
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    salonslave I play for a living and work for fun.

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    That is true. Tolerance is not necessarily internet originated. communications such as this is definitely internet based.
    I am glad I grew up before the world was online.
    I see my grandkids with what seems to me like mindless eternal games. When I was growing up I had a lot more social skills than they do. I also had mechanical skills at a young age. I was an avid woodworker, bike mechanic, boat builder, fisherman, rifleman, but builder etc. I mentioned this at the extended family dinner table a couple months ago and my 10 year old grandson disagreed. He said, “I built a whole city! I can build stuff!” The truth is that he can’t find his ass with both hands.
    With a different grandson who is a different daughter’s son we do use drills and wrenches and we buy or stuff. I guess the reality is in aptitude. I have never liked sports. If I HAD to play a round of golf Inwould pray that the golf cart broke so I could fix it. Otherwise I would just drive around and drop the little balls in the holes. But I love SCUBA diving, fishing, flying, welding. I REALLY like being able to find information on the iPhone that is right in my pocket. ss
     
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  19. Kiye
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    Kiye subslut of Vylette

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    I'd have been exactly the same, probably.

    Granted, the internet had not yet reached it's maturity when I first had access but I've been online since my early teens.

    Probably around 15 years ago I started logging online, looking at forums, playing dumb flash games and seeing all there was to see.

    It wasn't until I came of age I started really reading and getting involved in kinky shenanigans. At that point there was an explosion of development which started happening- which I don't think I would've wanted to occur any earlier than it did.
     
  20. Ma'at Rebekah
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    Ma'at Rebekah Long term member

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    what a scary place it is now. us goverment collects and saves every keystroke for" later use" (for those who don't believe they are using it now). other goverments are doing the same with unknown use intended. google and other internet giants save info on each of us a sell it to who ever is willing to pay not really caring how it will be used. those are the ones that admit to it or we know of. what about those we have no idea about. facebook is a facial recognition database used by many. privacy is already a thing of the past. everything you have said or done will be or already is on the internet. fast foward 20 years. what else can they take from you? i'm pretty sure someone will figure out a way to use the internet to influence or force your behavior to their will. oh yeah....the russians have already done that. the chineese have the largest hacking organization in the world....i wonder why?
    the internet has not lived up to the promise of unlimited free access to accurate information that would help provide a better world to live in. in many ways it has gone the other direction. full of misinformation with no accountability. terrorist recruitment and hate group proliferation. billions of dollars in scams. cyber bullying and revenge attacks. often it seems the internet is about the ugly side of humanity.
     
  21. kellysbitch
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    kellysbitch Long term member

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    I could not agree with you more. I was just like you when I was a kid in that I was very mechanically minded and wanted to fix or improve anything that I owned including boats, snowmobiles, bicycles, minibikes, lawnmowers and go carts. We build tree-houses or forts constantly.
    If I needed money to buy something I simply went door to door to ask if someone needed something done then saved up my money. I had regular lawn mowing jobs, one of which paid a whole 9 dollars which back in the late 70's was a lot of money.
    I have a granddaughter that could not cook a meal from scratch if her life depended on it but she can tell you the words to any song as long as her phone is in her hands.
    Like you @salonslave I sure do like having the internet available when I need or want it.
     
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