‘From STD booths to 12-hour screen time’: 20-year-old reflects on growing up with

'From STD booths to 12-hour screen time': 20-year-old reflects on growing up with

Technology has transformed everyday life at an incredible pace over the past two decades. While older generations often look back at a world before smartphones and social media, a recent post by a 20-year-old has reminded many that even Gen Z has witnessed remarkable changes in a short span of time.

Event Context

The post was shared on X by user Mehak Saluja, who reflected on how quickly technology has evolved during her lifetime.

“I’m just 20, but sometimes it feels like technology evolved at 10x speed,” she wrote.

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She went on to recall growing up in a home that had an STD booth, where people would visit just to make phone calls. “We had a small shop, and people used to come there just to make phone calls. Then there was one keypad phone for the whole family. Then our first smartphone. Then those 50 MB data packs. I still remember buying one just to download a game.”

She also spoke about how the Covid pandemic changed her relationship with technology. “While I was still in school, I got my first phone. My screen time was barely 3 to 4 hours a day. Now I’m in college, and somehow 10 to 12 hours of screen time doesn’t even feel unusual. Instagram before class, between classes, after class.”

Ending her post, she added, “It’s honestly crazy how I see technology evolving so fast.”

Take a look:

One user wrote, “I still remember getting my first laptop in Class 4, and life has been so fast since then. I became an internet native early on.”

Match Outlook

Another commented, “That is correct. With AI, things are going to accelerate even faster now.”

Some users felt the pace of change would only continue. “Technology is really moving at a fast speed,” one person wrote, while another added, “It’s only going to get worse.”

Others reflected on how people’s daily habits have changed over the years. “Crazy how ‘normal’ got redefined every few years,” read one comment.

Not everyone agreed with the nostalgic tone. One user wrote, “Get out of nostalgia. Catch up with reality.”

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The post has prompted many people to think about how quickly everyday technology has evolved, from shared family phones and limited mobile data to constant internet access and double digit daily screen time, all within the lifetime of someone who is only 20 years old.

(Disclaimer: This report is based on user-generated content from social media. HT.com has not independently verified the claims and does not endorse them.)