Adults Are Sharing The Everyday, Common Experiences From The ’70s That Would Have Younger Generations Completely Shocked
“We have definitely come a long way since then, but with our current administration, we’re scarily going back in time.”
The ’70s are commonly represented in TV and movies, but what was the disco decade actually like? Recently, I asked BuzzFeed Community members who lived through the ’70s to share the everyday experiences from that time that would be surprising or shocking to younger generations, and as an older Gen Z’er, my mind is blown. Here are the best, worst, and most baffling aspects about the ’70s that you might not have known:
1. “The best thing about being a kid in the ’70s and ’80s was playing outside. It was fully unsupervised, and our games were often off-the-wall wild. However, they taught us how to socialize and create social norms. I seriously think the lack of unsupervised outdoor play is a major factor in behavioral problems — not to mention the huge lack of social skills.”
2. “The worst thing was that the automobiles were rusted junk. They were literally rusting on the dealership floor. However, the best thing is that they were made with less bells and whistles, so you could actually work on them in your garage without needing a whole bunch of expertise.”
—metallicgoat18
3. “The best thing about the ’70s was that the gas was cheap and everybody had a muscle car. The worst thing was the ugly clothes.”
4. “How smoggy the air was back then. Before the EPA regulations, it was smoggy almost every day in California.”
—Cathy, 64, California
5. “It was so much easier to just live your life. There was no social media, no phones, and you could afford concert tickets with minimal earnings. Friends would stop by to grab you, and you’d just drive around and listen to music on the tape deck. Parents didn’t worry as much, and they let you roam free. We had so much fun going to the movie theater, the mall, the swim parks, and each other’s houses.”
6. “When I was a kid, any long trip would leave your car absolutely plastered with dead bugs. I just returned from a 13-hour drive, and my car is still clean. Younger folks don’t realize the number of bugs there were back then.”
—Anonymous
7. “Most of the major airlines gave college students and military personnel a discount on airfare. It allowed students to travel home more, and not just durning the holidays.”
8. “Drugs were everywhere and totally acceptable.”
—grouchycactus61
9. “Though prejudice was rampant, there was a great deal of emphasis and effort toward inclusion, especially in children’s programming. Almost every color, ability, and background was represented on public television kid shows and appeared in Saturday morning cartoons. I’m happy to say that, for the most part, Gen X was raised WOKE!”
10. “Having to choose between the smoking and non-smoking sections of a flight. It really didn’t matter. There were ashtrays on every seat armrest, and since the smoke just recirculated, the entire plane reeked, so there wasn’t really a non-smoking section.”
—Chuck, 55
11. “There were some absolutely GREAT films — far better than at least 95% of the crap Hollywood churns out today.”
12. “Telephone party lines sometimes made it impossible for privacy. A family might have four other families sharing that particular telephone line, so if there was something major going on with the family, it might’ve been best not to mention it on the telephone, because you couldn’t always tell who was listening in. And if someone took their phone off the hook, nobody else on that party line could use their telephone.”
—Anonymous
13. “At my junior high school, girls weren’t regularly allowed to wear pants. We occasionally had a ‘pants day,’ but even then, it had to be a pantsuit, with the top and pants having to be the same fabric. The rest of the time, we wore dresses or skirts that had to reach the knees. And if they didn’t, the staff would attach crepe paper to the bottom so that they did.”
14. “My grandma would give me money to go to the cigarette vending machine at the bowling alley and buy her a pack of cigarettes. I was 8 years old. Good times.”
—angryshark295
15. “Hitchhikers were rampant, and it was a pretty safe way to travel (at least for me).”
16. “The blatant stereotyping, sexism, and racism in the media, workplace, and daily life. Despite there being zero equality for both women and minorities, women were still expected to stay at home. That, or they were expected to have typical ‘women careers,’ like being a secretary or a nurse, to name a few. Same thing with people of color. In movies and TV, Black Americans always lived in the projects or the ghetto, and men and teen boys were mostly seen as delinquents, drug dealers, and pimps. We have definitely come a long way since then, but with our current administration, we’re scarily going back in time.”
—Anonymous
17. “Kids’ clothes. There was no stretchy material like we have today. Instead, we had stiff corduroy pants and turtleneck shirts that felt like you were being constantly choked. It was the worst.”
18. “The use of certain chemicals in household products, like lead-based paints and asbestos, was common. These substances were legal in the ’70s but have since been banned or heavily regulated due to health risks.”
—Delilah
19. “The worst thing was having friends who were old enough to go to Vietnam.”
20. “The concert tickets were the upside. I saw The Rolling Stones in Memphis, and the tickets were $11.50. Parking was $1.00.”
—Sef, 64, Arkansas
21. Lastly: “The ’70s were a fun time, but they were a contentious time, too. Vietnam divided the US as badly as it is today. President Nixon was a total crook and liar to the people, but he got caught up in Watergate and saw his demise. Pot was the new alcohol. Music was a big part of everybody’s life, but rock ‘n’ roll was displaced by disco. Studio 54 was the place to be, and people danced together and alone all the time. Big money ran the government, but you could rent an apartment in New York City for $150/month. Families could still survive on one salary.”
As an older Gen Z’er, party lines honestly baffle me the most. If you grew up in the ’70s, what are some other surprising, shocking, or dark parts about the decade that most people don’t know? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously submit your story using the form below!
Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.