Would you have become a DL if there were no internet?

[Dyson]

I sometimes wonder whether I would have acted on my diaper desires if I had never been exposed to the internet. Yes, I have been interested in diapers since early childhood, and yes I did once or twice experiment with makeshift diapers while growing up. But it was only after I stumbled across a reference to diaper fetishes on the internet and realised that it is “a thing” that I decided to wear some real diapers. I think I needed the validation that I wasn’t the only person in the world who liked them before I could truly act on the interest. I also suspect I would have repressed any diaper thoughts had I not known there were others out there. And without the internet, I think the chances I would have ever discovered this are zero. Interested in other people’s perspectives. 

[Little BabyDoll Christine]

What makes you think  there were no DL's before the internet? It may suprise you to learn that human history is over 5,000  years old, for 99% of which there was no Internet. How about DPF, starting in 1982 and coming onl the web after 1998. Some of the members were on CompuServe but that was a tiny fraction

[Dyson]

6 minutes ago, Little BabyDoll Christine said:

What makes you think  there were no DL's before the internet?

That’s not what I was saying. I am sure there were DLs before the internet. Indeed my own interest in diapers predates the internet. But I doubt I personally would have *acted* on that interest had I not discovered, via the internet, that were others like me. I am just interested in hearing other people’s perspectives on this. People who want to make snarky comments could perhaps find another thread. 

[mick_dl]

So I think that internet has little to do with whether you pursue that interest or not. With the DL's it is a fetish that is not dependent on communication. With the AB's it is a little different - but even here it does not need the Internet to interact.

The only thing the Internet has done is speed things up. It's easier to get information and it doesn't take as long to find out that there are others who have similar needs.

The really funny thing is that I'm pretty sure there's still not a whole lot more "real" contact with people outside of the web than there was before. That is from my point of view the really amazing because the topic is still so afflicted with shyness and prejudice that hardly anyone dares to get out of anonymity and prefers to stay virtually on the net.

[Dartplayerinwvc]

Yeap ....Always Was before the internet and WetSet magazine and DPF

[Alyeskabird]

Before the internet was DPF and others, hell, even brick and morter fetish stores that had things, never mind all the fetish catalogs where one could find things.  ALso, before the whole internet thing, there was a lot of stores, medical supply stores mostly, that sold diapers and plastic pants and stuff. Heck, the sears catalog had adult diapers and stuff for sale. Look it up if you want.

 

[Apache Raccoon]

I probably would still be a DL, validation and knowing I wasn’t the only one was nice but I didn’t need it to act on my desires, I did it anyway.

 

[2sail2]

No, tech was not needed.  The desires and urges were incredibly strong. 

It has expanded my things to explore and try.  I think DPF had things you could buy, but I never acted on them--well even Sears and JC Penney (I think) had things you could buy for adults.  I knew about medical supply stores as well.  I probably would have eventually.

Another question might be:  You heard about adults wearing diapers for whatever reason: you acted on it, you liked it and continue to do so (and were appalled at the idea previously)?

 

[BabyJune]

I was a DL from age seven--way before the Internet was ever thought of.

 

[Little Sherri]

It's an interesting question. My initial response is, yes, because while I didn't know what to call it back then, I now realize that I was a DL even when I was very young. At ages 5 and 6 I was already fascinated with wearing diapers, and there was no internet back then, in the form we know of now - this was the early 1980's. I actually didn't look "this" up on the internet until probably 9 or 10 years ago, believe it or not, and when I did, it was akin to thinking that I had been alone on a deserted island for decades, and then one day, discovering a bustling city on the other side of it. I couldn't believe that there was an actual industry dedicated to "this". 

So, the internet was not required for me to become a DL or quasi-AB/DL (I have a only-somewhat-committed AB side). But, I'm coming up upon my 4th anniversary as a 24/7 diaper-naut in a couple of months, and THAT, I owe almost entirely to this site, and the people here. If I hadn't found this place and read everyone's personal stories and sage advice and encouraging words and pragmatic caveats, I definitely wouldn't be living 24/7, openly in diapers (openly to my long-suffering spouse, at least). 

I also might not have wanted to wear them 24/7, even if I had been compelled to do so, because of the crappy products I was using before the internet showed me real, ABDL diapers - a mix of drugstore tabbed diapers designed for palliative care, and, overstretched adolescent pull-ups pushed far beyond their design limits. 

As I type this, I'm sitting here in an ABU Alphagatorz, a Pampers look-alike that is also a supremely comfortable and capable diaper, the kind of thing that a person could spend the day in, and still get some stuff done. Without the internet, if I were in a diaper at all, it would probably be a tabbed Depends that was already leaking. 

[feralfreak]

i liked diapers well before i was online

[dondd]

Solidly a DL long before the Internet. 

[Dubious]

I would have been a DL wearing shitty diapers (cloth-like), thinking there is no better options, and therefor I would not be wearing 24/7.
I like plastic diapers and avoid cloth-like as much as I can.  Could get plastic diapers in my teens and early adulthood. 

I have to import all my plastic diapers, by using the internet. 

[Snugglebear_69]

I would have always turned out as me, I just wouldn't have all the fun accessories that I have because the Internet helped me find them.

[le Hollandais]

I would have been a DL pissing and shitting my tighty whities never knowing there was anything else. The internet has shown me how to fashion my own diapers, and also that I'm not alone.

[dlnoir]

Absolutely I was back in diapers decades before internet became a thing. Internet did help a lot as it comes to finding likeminded people.

[carsfan]

The internet  showed me there was more folks like in the world but had nothing to do with being being an AB/DL or not. That stuff is hardwired. 

[AbabeBill]

I would be, and have been. I probably would be, a more frustrated ab/dl without the internet, but I still would be. 

[DiaperboyEddie12]

@Dyson

Thank you for this topic.  For me I believe since I became a DL before the internet I believe if there was no internet I would still be one.  Though what makes the internet more fun for AB/DL is that we can make new friends a lot easier.

And on this website I have made a lot of friends.

Like @~Brian~ @Little Spider @Little Sherri @DailyDi @spoonchicken @TommyBubbles @lil_stinkie @sillybaby123 @AngusMac @froggy @munkey @AbabeBill @Babygeebee @Dprczyone @fillemup @Evelyn Dellcerro @Transfusionelle @joey52 @Kawaharu @olympus @oznl @Rachel1 @Tai_kamiya @GizmoInDiapers @woof @abmatt77 @KittyMerriweather @Little Belle @Beccathelittle @RonnieJA @snobak @the littest bird @Fabricobbles @Tisha  @jonbearab @baby_Sarah @babysara_4 @FretaBWet @Enthusi @Apache Raccoon @babyrandy2 @Pampered66 @Dee Cee @babyboy1818 @babyjoey0514 @MessyBoyKG @Pokemonfan @Timmybaby

I do have a lot of friends I do talk to on a daily basis but I can for the life of me remember there names on here.

 

[~Brian~]

6 minutes ago, DiaperboyEddie12 said:

@Dyson

Thank you for this topic.  For me I believe since I became a DL before the internet I believe if there was no internet I would still be one.  Though what makes the internet more fun for AB/DL is that we can make new friends a lot easier.

And on this website I have made a lot of friends.

Like @~Brian~ @Little Spider @Little Sherri @DailyDi @spoonchicken @TommyBubbles @lil_stinkie @sillybaby123 @AngusMac @froggy @munkey @AbabeBill @Babygeebee @Dprczyone @fillemup @Evelyn Dellcerro @Transfusionelle @joey52 @Kawaharu @olympus @oznl @Rachel1 @Tai_kamiya @GizmoInDiapers @woof @abmatt77 @KittyMerriweather @Little Belle @Beccathelittle @RonnieJA @snobak @the littest bird @Fabricobbles @Tisha  @jonbearab @baby_Sarah @babysara_4 @FretaBWet @Enthusi @Apache Raccoon @babyrandy2 @Pampered66 @Dee Cee @babyboy1818 @babyjoey0514 @MessyBoyKG @Pokemonfan @Timmybaby

I do have a lot of friends I do talk to on a daily basis but I can for the life of me remember there names on here.

 

@DiaperboyEddie12

don't worry Eddie, if we were to list every single friend that we've met here over the years, it would probably take up about a third of the text box that we used to write the message! this doesn't mean that it's a bad thing, but even I can't remember all of the friends that I've met over the years, but the ones that stick in my mind I always remember, But regardless of whether I remember them or not, they are all here somewhere, and each of them that I have interacted with has made a difference in my life and continues to help me make the best of a life that I have now.

Brian

 

[DiaperboyEddie12]

6 minutes ago, ~Brian~ said:

@DiaperboyEddie12

don't worry Eddie, if we were to list every single friend that we've met here over the years, it would probably take up about a third of the text box that we used to write the message! this doesn't mean that it's a bad thing, but even I can't remember all of the friends that I've met over the years, but the ones that stick in my mind I always remember, But regardless of whether I remember them or not, they are all here somewhere, and each of them that I have interacted with has made a difference in my life and continues to help me make the best of a life that I have now.

Brian

 

@~Brian~ I do believe this is one of those comments that I have ever seen that is the shortest hehe.  And yes I am not big on Tagging others all at once but I did want to mention a few..

[Little Cub Pants]

Yeah, I probably would've become ABDL with no internet. But I just wouldn't know what it was. And I still would've fallen in love with those diaper commercials!???♥️?????????? LOL!???? It probably just would've taken longer for my baby side to grow to what it is now though. LOL!???????♥️?

[~Brian~]

11 minutes ago, DiaperboyEddie12 said:

@~Brian~ I do believe this is one of those comments that I have ever seen that is the shortest hehe.  And yes I am not big on Tagging others all at once but I did want to mention a few..

@DiaperboyEddie12

Thanks! in this case, there's no real reason to continue along drawn up post or posting because there's no reason to do that. However, I do agree that if we were to mention every single person that we have met, or help this long our journey, the thing would probably be a half long and just mentions alone. Many people, who mean a lot to me, may not be mentioned, and that is not because I don't want to mention them, it just simply means that there are so many that I interact interact with on a daily basis, and there are some that I don't interact with on a daily basis, and there's also a third bunch of individuals who I have interacted with on a daily basis for awhile, and then they end up going under the radar for a while, and then they'll pull a surprise visit and come back and see me, which makes me very very happy, because by then, I can have them tell me what's going on, and I can tell them what's happening with me.

11 hours ago, Dyson said:

I sometimes wonder whether I would have acted on my diaper desires if I had never been exposed to the internet. Yes, I have been interested in diapers since early childhood, and yes I did once or twice experiment with makeshift diapers while growing up. But it was only after I stumbled across a reference to diaper fetishes on the internet and realised that it is “a thing” that I decided to wear some real diapers. I think I needed the validation that I wasn’t the only person in the world who liked them before I could truly act on the interest. I also suspect I would have repressed any diaper thoughts had I not known there were others out there. And without the internet, I think the chances I would have ever discovered this are zero. Interested in other people’s perspectives. 

@Dyson

In my mind, the Internet is just a tool that we use on a daily basis, to get things done. that is what I was always taught the Internet allowed you to do, like help you with homework, possibly answer questions, possibly help you understand things that you don't understand, and, And one of the things I learned about the Internet in 1992 or 93, was that I could talk to people from all over the world, in all time zones, basically 24 hours a day, notwithstanding a shutdown or a server crash or something like that. During the time, I learned a lot about people, I learned a lot about the individuals that I was working with, and I've changed a lot as a person because of my exposure to the Internet. the Internet is still just a tool, but it has become more than just a tool, because now it is a means of entertainment, a means of finding information of all types, a means of being able to quickly do research on medicines and other things that you use on a daily basis, and even allows you to be able to contact your medical providers or any other people that you need to be able to be face to face with, but have to do it remotely.

The problem is I see it, is there many states that refuse to go the way of the Internet. many many things that we have had to fill out in the last 25 years, we probably could have filled out on the Internet, but because of the fact that some of the states refused to have the systems that they need be able to do that available, it takes them longer to come aboard, and it takes them longer to get to the point where everybody can access anything they need, just from a web browser. One thing that's important is for example your medical records. I can access these from any computer, any tablet or any cell phone. I can access these by logging in to the particular place that I visit And I end up entering my username and my password. doctors and other professionals can keep those records updated with information so that I can always see what I'm taking, what I need, my appointment schedule, or anything like this. doing medical record mitigation and migration to electronic means has saved time money and energy. you no longer have to worry about medical records, going into a large room that has thousands and thousands of files, and then try to find the one that belongs to you. there may be places that still do it that way, but it's a heck of a lot easier because they know where things are, and I might not. What I consider important is the fact that I can log into any computer and literally almost find out anything about what I need in seconds.

When it comes to meeting people online and my being incontinent in a diaper lover, This would have happened regardless of whether the Internet was a thing or not. I knew that I was different when I was eight years old, but as I keep saying in many different posts, I didn't realize that what I was feeling was legit, because there are people that might think otherwise, and end the 70s, somebody thinking that we like diapers, they might think there something wrong with us, and they might try to "fix me" using very barbaric and very ridiculous ways, ways that could hurt you, or they could lock you up and throw away the key, because they figure there's something wrong with your psyche, or something. Being born in the 70s, everything that I have dealt with was a lot different than what happens now today. none of the stuff that ever happens to you now would ever be allowed to get to the level it did when it hit me, And then if it did, people would be able to take care of it immediately, and the proper authorities would be notified, and the so that did it would be severely punished.

So no the Internet While it is part of what is the way of life now, had no real point where it enhanced the fact that I am a diaper lover, because when I was born, there was no Internet, And the way things were done back then were 100 times different than what they do today Period of course when you're in some sort of a facility like I was, probably everybody that was there wore diapers because it was more convenient for the nurses.  I don't think they did anything to be helpful to us, meaning that when we would ask them for the ability to do things, they would solely take us down and take things away from us, making sure we couldn't do things for ourselves common because it was easier for them, but yet they would complain about the way things were, or complain about having to take us to the bathroom. even if we had to use a diaper and had to change it, which to me is a lot more work than just to let us go to the bathroom without their assistance. I understand that it was a facility, but when you slowly get in there and you have all of your abilities, and you are bedridden and unable to do almost anything without a wheelchair, there's something wrong with the system! rely very little on the sur

Now I say this: your feelings are what drives your responses. irregardless of the Internet, you're still gonna have the particular responses you have, you're still gonna have the feelings you have, and you're still gonna be wired the way you are. The Internet didn't have anything to do with my feelings from 1976 all the way until 1990. I still felt the way I did, and I still like diapers, but I had to keep that under my hat, for fear that someone would get after me. your feelings are things that can portray something, or sometimes betray you, And it's very hard for your feelings not to be let known if somebody knows how to read you, it's almost like being read like a book by somebody else. regardless of you wanted something, you might say no, but somebody's gonna say that you really want it don't you? you're gonna say yes, and then your feelings really show.

Being that I was a diaper lover back in the 70s, it was not appropriate for us to tell people that we felt the way we did! they would think that we were disgusting, or what we were talking about was disgusting, and we probably get thrown in somewhere and locked up!  I would definitely feel like a fool if somebody were to take that information, go to my parents, then my parents find out about it, and then they sent me to some sort of specialist that will shock this behavior away from me, do something really nasty!

Whatever happens, your emotions and your feelings are what drives everything in your person! you have all of your senses, and all of your senses are very unique, and sometimes they can be overly annoying, but sometimes they can be awesome! 

I don't think that most of the people understand that the Internet probably didn't have anything to do with my feelings back in the 70s. However, the Internet did enhance it when I when I found out when I was 23, back in 1995, that there are more people that felt like me. I just couldn't figure it out, and I've said from other posts that there are some things that you must take take care of. If something feels real good to you, and you feel the need to do it, your body is going to do everything in its power to get relief. it gets so bad when I was about 25 that I actually want to get diapers, and then I just let that particular feeling take hold. i'll let my feeling is just be overloaded by that sensation, so that it would calm down! sometimes those feelings can come back in droves, and at full intensity, and you just have to ride with it. How many of us have a hard on because of something that makes us feel good, or something that we see, or whatever it is. when you feel that way, you have to let it out, and it's the same idea. When I found out that there are many people that were like me, I didn't feel alone anymore, I didn't feel as if I was part of the Crazies: I found that I was part of a community of people that had the same feelings or the same desires, and that made me feel better.

The Internet does have its particular good parts, and everybody wants to put the Internet down because of what it allows people to do. what I used to say is this: It's like playing video games on an Atari 2600:  you get done playing it, you shut it off, you go do something else, and you learn to do what you need to do in your house, do what you're responsible for, make sure all of your homework is done et cetera. if you have all of that done, and you have the time, you may go back and play it again. you don't sit there for days and days and days without taking care of your responsibilities. what happens is you have to realize that you have you have to be able to put it down and walk away: if you learn how to do that then the Internet is not something that you're strapped to 24 hours a day seven days a week, you can go do what you need to do and relax!

that's my take on this: basically basically it's your feelings and your emotions and Your senses that drive your responses: those responses and those emotions and those senses are still there, and as such, the Internet doesn't have anything to do with the way those respond! The Internet does enhance certain things, but it doesn't cause you to become a diaper lover or incontinence. That's something that happens:  You feel an act the way you do because of your senses and your emotions and your feelings: feelings are things that are so really important call your feelings allow you to experience many things, good and bad. just remember when you were a kid, and you were maybe allowed to be put back in diapers common how that felt? the it feels to me the first time I put a diaper on after so many years was the same way: it actually helped me deal with the feelings and all of the things that were causing me problems, while dealing with my medical diagnosis of incontinence.

Brian

[froggy]

1 hour ago, DiaperboyEddie12 said:

@Dyson

Thank you for this topic.  For me I believe since I became a DL before the internet I believe if there was no internet I would still be one.  Though what makes the internet more fun for AB/DL is that we can make new friends a lot easier.

And on this website I have made a lot of friends.

Like @~Brian~ @Little Spider @Little Sherri @DailyDi @spoonchicken @TommyBubbles @lil_stinkie @sillybaby123 @AngusMac @froggy @munkey @AbabeBill @Babygeebee @Dprczyone @fillemup @Evelyn Dellcerro @Transfusionelle @joey52 @Kawaharu @olympus @oznl @Rachel1 @Tai_kamiya @GizmoInDiapers @woof @abmatt77 @KittyMerriweather @Little Belle @Beccathelittle @RonnieJA @snobak @the littest bird @Fabricobbles @Tisha  @jonbearab @baby_Sarah @babysara_4 @FretaBWet @Enthusi @Apache Raccoon @babyrandy2 @Pampered66 @Dee Cee @babyboy1818 @babyjoey0514 @MessyBoyKG @Pokemonfan @Timmybaby

I do have a lot of friends I do talk to on a daily basis but I can for the life of me remember there names on here.

 

I got started in age play in early 1980s.  Materials were printed and found in "dirty book stores".  Or materials were acquired by mail order.  My first real contact with another was arranged by letter exchange,  DPF ran a letter exchange service.  My first meetup was in 1998, before I had computer access for kink purposes.

[Hannah YMS]

I've had an interest in diapers since I was 3 years old. I remember watching old Depend commercials thinking "when I'm 16 I'm going to buy some of these". At 14 a friend of mine confessed he had a diaper fetish and I was hooked ever since. I didn't find any online communities (DPF and others) until I was about 16. The rest is history. So I'm one of many ABDLs who discovered this fetish before the days of my access to the internet.