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An ordinary day in 2010 An ordinary morning in 2010. While some set alarms on their phones, it was not yet an era where smartphones were in everyone's hands. It was common to start the day by turning on the TV at home while eating breakfast or being woken up by parents. The sight of checking a smartphone and looking at social media or messengers as soon as one opened their eyes was not common. When it was time for school, you would grab your bag and leave the house. Instead of KakaoTalking friends while walking, you would meet them in person after arriving at school. Even if people had mobile phones, they often used small feature phones rather than the large-screen smartphones of today. To contact friends, people sent text messages or made direct phone calls. Inside the classroom, there were blackboards and chalk; when the teacher wrote on the board, chalk dust would drift slightly. In the computer labs, thick monitors were more common than the thin ones used today. During breaks after class, students talked with friends or went out to the playground to play. It was hard to find anyone spending time watching smartphone games or short-form videos. After lunch and when school ended, students would stop by the stationery store. They looked at small toys, snacks, and school supplies, and chatted with friends in front of the school. Upon returning home, they turned on the computer to use the internet. The internet was already an important part of daily life, but it was different from today's environment where one can search for videos on YouTube and watch high-definition footage in seconds. People played games on the computer, searched the internet, or browsed Cyworld Minihompy. It was quite natural back then to visit a friend's Minihompy to look at photos, leave a message in the guestbook, or become 'Ilchon' (Besties). If they wanted to listen to music, they used MP3 players or listened on the computer. When texting friends on a mobile phone, people usually sent short texts rather than constantly exchanging photos and videos like they do now. Short expressions like "Whatcha doin?", "Wanna hang out today?", "K", "LOL", and "Leggo" were frequently used in texts and online. Words like "Heol" (OMG), "Daebak" (Awesome), "Jjeonda" (Sick), and "Ganji" (Cool) were also easily heard in students' conversations at the time. In the evening, it was time to watch TV with the family. Instead of everyone watching different videos on their own smartphones, families often sat in front of the same TV and watched the same program. On days when there was a favorite variety show or drama, they waited for the broadcast time and turned on the TV. It was an era where it felt natural to think, "What time is that show on today?" rather than looking up a desired video at any time. At night, they turned off the computer and put their phones on charge. Since they could just talk to their friends in person the next day, there was no need to check social media for hours before bed. The internet had already changed the world significantly, but smartphones had not yet taken over every aspect of people's lives. In 2010, things like YouTube Shorts, Instagram, smartwatches, generative AI, and delivery apps were not part of daily life as they are now. Conversely, things like Cyworld Minihompy, feature phones, text messages, MP3 players, PMPs, and school-front stationery stores were much more familiar sights. However, the kids of 2010 also laughed and chatted with friends, played games, listened to music, and waited for their favorite TV programs. The technology was just more inconvenient and slower than now; to them, the life of that era was a perfectly normal daily routine. In 2010, the concept of swearing was almost non-existent among kids. Even if they said something harsh, "Stupid," "Dummy," or "Crazy guy" were the most severe insults for children. 2010 was 16 years ago from now, but for the people living through it, it wasn't the distant past—it was just another ordinary day.