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People are freaked out after discovering ‘horrifying’ 2001 BBC News report about camera phones-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro
‘Life was more relaxed then.’
![People are freaked out after discovering ‘horrifying’ 2001 BBC News report about camera phones-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro](https://metro.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/SEI_191287194-97db.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1024)
An old BBC News report has left people shaken (Picture: BBC)
A BBC News report from more than 20 years ago has left many people remarking they wish they knew what was to come.
In 2001 the national broadcaster aired a report about the release of camera phones, which as the anchor explained, allowed users to not only send texts, but pictures as well.
The news report then showed videos of schoolchildren on their phones at the school gates, with the reporter remarking that ‘evidence of a text messaging craze was everywhere’.
‘The phone makers never expected it to take off. It was teenagers who decided this was the way to keep in touch,’ he said.
Speaking to some teens who revealed they sent what back then appeared to be a jaw-dropping 15-20 messages a day, it was then revealed the industry was ‘desperate for a new gimmick’ due to low sales of mobiles.
A demonstration of a Nokia with a camera was then shown to viewers, with the reporter then seen taking some snaps outside Buckingham Palace before an expert spoke about the advancements in the technology.
The first commercial phone with colour camera was the Kyocera Visual Phone VP-210, released in Japan in May 1999.
Despite the uncertainty about the uptake in the BBC report, cameras on phones proved popular right from the start, as indicated by the J-Phone in Japan having had more than half of its subscribers using cell phone cameras in two years.
The world soon followed and in 2003, more camera phones were sold worldwide than stand-alone digital cameras.
In 2001 the ‘texting craze’ had just begun (Picture: BBC)
But after the old report was shared on social media this week, many people said they wished they hadn’t got so caught up with the ever-developing technology.
‘Ugh I freaking hate it. I was that generation, I got my first cell phone as a teenager. I had the Nokia and then the Razr. Now I keep my iPhone on Do Not Disturb 24/7. Good luck getting a text back from me. Ever,’ Simona commented on the post.
‘Times was so much simpler, so much better. I would absolutely hate growing up today’s world,’ Lucy Berger shared.
‘I remember the days of just home phones or using the phone box. Life was more relaxed then,’ Terri reminisced.
The reporter was shown how camera phones worked (Picture: BBC)
Scott added: ‘Inventing these things was the biggest mistake in human history!’
However, some others did reminisce on their first experience with mobile phones, with one joking they’d been ‘gutted’ they could only send 10 texts a day.
Another commented: ‘Man, I remember the excitement with cameras on phones. I mean cameras! On phones!’
But as someone else pointed out: ‘People complained then, people complain now, people will complain in the future. In 15 years’ time when everyone is using their Apple Vision contact lenses they’ll complain when the “new” thing comes out and say “should’ve kept smartphones”.’
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