Thank you all for your suggestions, I will have a look at used thinkpads or tuxedos. Scratches never bothered me.

You are all very helpful!

Yea, I was really sad when my then-current provider did not offer Usenet access.

Actually, being able to group or sort instances hierarchically like rec.books.whatever might be helpful in organizing all these discussions. Currently this feels like alt.everything. When lemmy grows further, this maght become even more confusing.

In my family, we play a lot together. We play (pen & paper and LARP) roleplaying games with various friends and are rather active in terms of analog (is that the right word? non-digital) offline creativity. Hanging in front of a computer or phone is not our main pastime by any means.

I follow you on the idea that spending too much time online will take something off your humanity. I feel stuffed with candy and slightly ill. So we all, adults and kids, have phone-free meal times together, and take a walk and play some ball games weekends in the evening. This is very important in keeping us together and talking to each other.

On the other hand, my husband and I play video games together in the evening. He has the controler, and does tactics, I keep the health bar monitored and do strategy. The whole family including aunts and nephews all over the republic gathers once a month for the family raid in our favorite online game. That raid is stuff for childrens’ and adults talk for at least a week.

I think one problem with asocial media is that they encourage you to sit still, reading other people’s problems you cannot solve, and all the while you loose your own social contacts and family connections, because you can’t really tell them about what you read online, eh? They usually don’t understand.

Doing stuff together and talking to each other is the most important thing. You get playful and creative all on your own, if digital distraction and silence is gone.