For me it was the Simpsons when I was a kid and a relative would record it off satellite TV for me. It just carried on from there. I started recording stuff off TV myself, recording music on audio cassettes and eventually copying VHS tapes.
Then I got a PSX console and my parents “knew a guy” who burned games.
After that I heard about Napster and started downloading MP3s on the family PC. When Napster was shut down I moved onto other apps like Kazaa and Limewire.
Then I got a DVD burner. At first I just copied DVDs but when I got broadband I started downloading torrents and burned the files to DVDs.
About 10 years ago I started storing those files on a NAS. Planning on moving to Jellyfin in the next few weeks.
Torrenting is getting worse and worse these days, I’m learning the ancient art of Usenet.