With Australia about to ban social media for under 16s, it’s perhaps time to remind ourselves there was an age before social media.
Facebook recently turned 21, myspace is long gone as a social network, and now for many, if you’re not on “Insta”, you haven’t earned your place in society.
But in the years before all of those distractions, news came from newspapers, radio airwaves and the nightly news.
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It was a time when tuning in for the evening bulletin was a ritual, not to be missed, for the whole family.
And it set the national agenda.
I know, because I was there.
I’ve worked with some of Sydney’s biggest names in the news business, both in front of the camera and behind the scenes.
Sadly, just a couple of months ago we lost a legend, and for me, a dear friend.
Roger Climpson was the face of Seven National News, as it was known, back in the ‘80s, and later Seven Nightly News.
He commanded the news desk with the sense of professionalism that demanded respect from colleagues and viewers alike.
Roger was the man people trusted to inform them, in the days before swiping through stories on your phone was even contemplated.
I had the privilege of sitting beside Roger at the news desk for a while, until an illness forced his temporary retirement.
Fortunately, he did make a comeback in 1997, as the host of a show called Australia’s Most Wanted, which featured re-enactments of unsolved crimes and took calls from viewers with tips for police. It was a different age. The calls came in on landlines … no mobiles then.
He also hosted This Is Your Life, featuring famous guests being reunited on stage with the most formative figures from their lives.
But it was Roger’s life that many across Sydney admired. He was a kind and perfect gentleman and also a lovely friend.
It was a different age, when keeping in touch required having conversations. It’s a reminder that nothing beats the warmth of seeing a friend face to face and the pleasure of simply being together.
Maybe it’s time for all of us to reflect on just how much time we spend on social media, and perhaps time to return to being more social with each other, rather than our phones.
