I actually lived this way later than most, right up to 2021 with about a 1 year exception when I lived in China, 2018-2019.
Living in China, itβs less possible to do without a smartphone (specifically WeChat) than it is in the U.S. where I live. I still went back to my βdumb phoneβ no problem when I returned home, and still see internet-in-my-pocket as a luxury.
The one thing that would really hurt me is having to go back to paper maps getting to new places. I still could, though.
