Was life simpler in years gone by?

[Coralnails]

I've been watching Classic Corrie from the 80s and 90s recently and it's made me nostalgic for those decades.

Even though I wouldn't swap my smartphone, internet and all the choices we have these days, in some ways I feel like things were better back then.

It's like we never switch off these days, phones are attached to us 24/7, with things like online shopping we've got so much choice it can be overwhelming. Screen time is a big thing for children now with tablets, phones, YouTube. I could think of more examples, passwords for everything, so much more we have to think about now. Everything is so instant these days too, it's convenient but can take the fun out of things.

Back then if you went out, you were out, not attached to your phone and emails all the time.

There were 4 channels, and children's programmes all finished in time for dinner. A comic and a 10p mix up was enough to please most children.

Remember waiting to get your photos developed from your disposable camera.

Going to the video shop on a Saturday evening to rent a film.

Looking through the newspaper to see the film times.

I wouldn't go back knowing what I know now, but I do think modern technology has taken some of the simple joys away.

If anyone wants to know what it was like, get a copy of 'This is England 90' and watch it. Everyone sitting around bored, because there were only four TV channels and there was nothing on. Driving around in the car and getting lost, while the 'map reader' opened up a huge great map in the passenger seat, blocking the driver's view of the road, and still no one knew where they were. Those two scenes had me pissing myself laughing, because they were so true. I remember sitting on the sofa with my friends being totally and utterly bored.

www.amazon.co.uk/This-England-DVD-Michael-Socha/dp/B014JDV1RY/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=this+is+england+90&tag=mumsnetforum-21&ie=UTF8&qid=1548493161&sr=8-1

I think life as an adult is now much easier however I was born in the 80s & feel so lucky that as a teen in the 90s there was no social media to record your mistakes, individualism was more desirable & we could live in the moment & not have a phone attached to our hands 24/7. I worry about mental health issues for children growing up in today’s world. I also don’t think instant gratification is necessarily a good thing, I still find it amazing that I can have an Amazon book delivered the same day or not have wait 3 days for my holiday photos.

I would also say where you grew up probably makes a difference, I grew up in London & was never bored!

But I also loved being bored. Thinking of things I wanted to know, planning a trip to the library to look them up, writing to the BBC and other institutions to find out the answers took up a LOT of time in my teenage years but I enjoyed doing it, enjoyed the anticipation and the waiting! I went travelling as soon as I was allowed (18) and nobody knew where I was. I was hospitalized, run out of money, found help, sorted myself out all before my parents got to hear about it. It was exhilarating. I know we can't go backwards but I find the internet has decreased my thirst for knowledge. Likewise I have Netflix, Sky and I can't find anything I want to watch. I much preferred it when there was less choice but everyone was discussing the must-watch programme of the moment.

I don't think it was all bad, but that's because growing up in it I was immersed in that world. It wasn't good or bad, it was simply how things were: of course you wouldn't pine for a smartphone because they didn't exist.

However, although I do have some lovely memories, I also remember:

• Being on FSM an having a laminated card so every fucker knew I was on FSM In fairness, my school wasn't in a wealthy or middle class area so there were quite a few of us and I don't remember anyone saying anything, but there was a brief period where I attended another school in a leafier area because my Mum left my dad, and I was embarrassed then, especially having to get it out in front of teachers for some reason.

• Being felt up by a primary school teacher, being subjected to "minor" sexual assault (hand up skirt, feeling tits sort of thing) more times than I care to remember as a teen by old men and it just didn't occur to me that this was wrong on any level. I mean, yes, I knew it wasn't right but it was just part of life.

• Being sent out to play all day which I know some people see as bliss, I disagree. There were some horrific murders in the 70s/80s which to be blunt shouldn't have happened. Some of those children were too young to be out alone. I am NOT victim blaming: it was how things were at the time, but I'm glad we are more protective of children now.

• Smoking, smoking everywhere. I smoked. Everyone smoked. I'm glad chances are my DCs won't smoke - it's just not a done thing any more.

I don't get all this "there is pressure for teens to look a certain way." Um, hasn't it been ever thus? Try going to school circa 1993 in non-branded trainers, try going to school in 1995 on non school uniform day in Not Cool clothes - fuck knows what, anything not involving white denim and/or an Oasis T shirt and those weird plimsolls with heels? I got my first pair of jeans at 14; the fucking RELIEF of having something to wear outside of school.

Plus, clothes were a lot more expensive then. I don't remember doing a lot of shopping so my memories are going to be bad here sorry - my mum used to buy my clothes at the fucking MARKET, to my great indignation, but I remember Tammy Girl and TopShop and River Island being popular clothes shops with my friends and they were all quite costly. Did Asda and Tesco do clothes? I'm sure Asda did but I don't know when that started, I do remember my mum buying me some black trousers from there in about 1997? Primark wasn't a thing, neither was New Look: both make up most of my wardrobe now It's easier for poor teens to blend in. Easier, not easy.

I really can't bear all this jumpers for goalposts bullshit.

Nostalgia is one thing, but thinking it was a better time and harking back to it is rather silly.

Embrace the now and as long as you are kind to people and take care of yourself, you can't do much more than that. We are so lucky with what we have nowadays.

Yes, some aspects are completely shite, but twas ever so. Its just forgotten when you slap on a pair of rose tinted spectacles.

I think delayed gratification is important and people are much more impatient now. I also think that the lach of tech when I was a kid was good in that I spent time with my parents, read a lot and did lots of crafts. I learnt skills like sewing, baking, diy etc. Having said that, tech brings enormous learning opportunities. My dd has taught herself the piano using an app. Revision is much easier too. I also would have benefited from texting as a kid. I was shy talking on the phone but texting would have helped to develop friendships. I think it sort of evens itself out in the end.

Born in late 70s, though not in this country. When I moved to Britain in the 90s, it was especially hard for my parents as they didn't use email (oh the excitement of getting my first email account at uni!). We'd phone once a week and I'd only come back for Xmas, Easter and Summer hols. I also recall a lot less choice in shops, especially food wise.
I wouldn't say it was simpler but in some ways I think those were more optimistic times. The Cold War was over, it was pre 9/11 and there was just less talk of impending doom. Perhaps it always feels that way when one is young though.

People used to make arrangements to meet and stick to them.

It might've been a simpler time by by god, it was boring at times. I'm old... (in my 60s) and as a young child it could be extremely boring, I remember lying on my bed watching a fly crawl up the window because I'd run out of books to read.

Parents couldn't afford to be precious about their children, we were really shoved out the door after breakfast with an apple and sometimes a sandwich and told not to come back till teatime! Can't imagine parents doing that now. That's not a bad thing but I think kids miss out on exercise and open air unless DPs make the effort

However, as far as I'm concerned, the internet has opened up the world to me. I hear something on the news, I wanna know the background, I just google it. I argue with my friend as to how old some ancient sleb is, we settle the argument there and then by me going on my phone. Back then, learning was soooo hard. I had to catch a bus to the library to look up anything. Or I got to the library and the book wasn't there, someone had hired it out.

I don't think anyone under say 35 can imagine what life was like without the internet or mobiles. You had to watch what the 4 TV channels decided you might want, no choice. You arranged to meet a friend in a town 6 miles away, it's freezing cold, she's late. You have no idea if her bus is late, how long she'll be, whether she's coming at all! You haven't got change for the phone box, so you have to go and buy something to get change, then you can't remember her home phone number so you waste your money ringing wrong numbers. When you do get the right number, there's no reply. She turns up over an hour late because the bus broke down. This sort of thing was commonplace!

I embrace social media, I love it, all whilst being extremely careful on it. I tweet, I have a locked down FB that means I can keep up with people who I don't see. I can keep up with world news wherever I am, I can contact people I want to contact without having to write a letter. I love it all! I'm learning Spanish on duolingo. I'm shopping and like a dress, I can send a pic to my DCs and they can say 'god no Mum, it's horrible'.

I just think you have to embrace all this technology and turn it to your advantage. I have educated myself greatly - all from the internet. Love it.

See I think the difference in terms of dress in the 90s were for one we seemed to have our own trends that “adults” rightfully didn’t partake in, cause they were bad! Now a 40 yr old will dress the same as a 13 yr old. There were lots of different tribes at my school & college probably influenced by music the indie kids with their undercuts & army bags, the dance ravers with those little stretchy dresses & small rucksacks, garage crew with imported trainers, moschino trousers, the nerds, the fashion crowd etc, it was always cool to have something no one else had.

I remember when all women of 30 + looked frumpy as fuck. Short hair in a tight perm, mid-calf length skirts, blouses, Mum makeup. Thank fuck I can dress the same as a teen! Well, i can't because I'm fat

I’m mid 30s & remember meeting up with friends on a Saturday to go to the cinema or whatever & miraculously we could do it without mobile phones, doubt we could do this now. I remember c5 being a big deal, a new channel! My parents are Irish & I used to find going to visit my granny hard as they had 2 tv channels in her area!

As I'm a bit older than most here, my memories go further back. The late 60s was an absolutely brilliant time to be young: feminism was making great strides, new opportunities to travel were opening up, the music scene was going through a revolution and there was a huge sense of optimism.

As I've got older I've seen certain aspects of life improve: when I was young there was no maternity pay or childcare, women couldn't get mortgages or loans, contraception was hard to get if you weren't married and abortion was only legalised in 1967, the same year homosexual activity stopped being a crime.

Is life better now? Yes and no. For all the reasons above it's obviously better. But we didn't have historical revisionism or widespread no platforming or professional offence taking. People with principles weren't accused of virtue signaling. We were politer and more respectful of one another.

Every age has its challenges. I wouldn't want to be young now.

I think it would have been fun to be 30+ in the 80s, my mum style was BIG, BIG, BIG!

Studying was ent simpler , I did my nurse training between 1993and 1996 for essays and revision we had too get large text books out of the library there was no google,!one out I could hand write my essays!

My posh mate had a laptop at university. How amazingly convenient! Now I reckon every student has one

Going further back Artfully my sister had a word processor oh the sophistication!

We have information at our finger tips now but we don't remember things or learn them properly.

We have endless choice but we can't choose and we don't appreciate what we end up with because we always know the other possibilities.

Things are physically easier so we are overweight and everything that comes with that. We have to fork out to squeeze a trip to the gym.

Social media makes sure we're always connected and the mental health of young people suffers.

And all our conveniences come at the expense of a planet whose ecosystems are being extinguished one by one.

I don't think 2019 is particularly great.

The late 60s was an absolutely brilliant time to be young: feminism was making great strides, new opportunities to travel were opening up, the music scene was going through a revolution and there was a huge sense of optimism. Yes, that's what I remember about the 60s, particularly the optimism. I don't feel that now. I don't know whether it's just that I've got older or whether the world really is going to pot. What with climate change, neo-liberalism and populism, I don't see much hope.

What I love about now is the easy access to information. Booking holidays in the 60s involved writing to the Tourist Office in the area you wanted to stay on for an accommodation list, then phoning those places that had a phone and writing to those places that didn't to get full details, availability and tariff, then writing again to the one you chose to make the booking. Either that, or stopping whatever you wee doing about 4pm and going from hotel to hotel to find one with a vacancy.

For a take on the previous generation reminiscing about the good old days when they were young, listen to "Capstick Comes Home". It's a spoof of the classic Hovis commercial from the early 1980s which you can find at

(or just go to Youtube and search for the single word ("Capstick").

Ah, nostalgia isn't what it used to be.

Going back a clue of Generations my Grandparents lived through two world wars not sure life simpler for them.

Rebelwitch I concur

x2boys, I imagine life was considerably simpler when staying alive was your main focus, just about everything else would have seemed pretty trivial.