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.

I'm not sure how helpful it is to compare the life of one generation to that of another - there are such large variances within each group that experienced those time periods.

That said I do hold onto the positive changes that have happened over time. A few xample would include rape within marriage became illegal in the early 1990's, and a national minimum wage became law in 1998, increasingly our legal and social systems are aware of the abuses that happen in society and (for the most part) are making changes to make life better.

I think you are very much thinking towards the end of the 90s sarah

At that point many of the real downsides to modern times started.

The early/mid 90s really weren't great tbh.

I think we are all working harder and that's not a good thing. We've gone from one wage being perfectly adequate to support a family, to two barely covering it.

Rousette. That poor little boy. How terrible to be that (justifiably) frightened. When DGD (3) had her last check up she came out the surgery with a Peppa Pig sticker, a balloon and a new toothbrush! She was so excited to show them off to everyone. Same with medical settings too where they try anything and everything to make things as painfree and fear free as possible for children now.

And technology is so amazing and does make life simpler and easier. Can’t remember the last time I visited a bank. We can check our accounts, transfer money, set up direct debits etc on our phones. I can order medication and make dr appts online, I get texts to remind me about hair appointments and hospital ones. I can phone family overseas for free on WhatsApp and get daily pics.

Of course there are lots of downsides - being expected to use commuting/travel time to work/deal with calls etc. There’s online scams, hacking, fraud, bullying and all sorts of pressures on kids that weren’t around in the past.

I could probably write a long and serious post about how my life has changed from the 1980s to now, but I've had some wine so it probably wouldn't make much sense. It's a lot better to cut it short.

However. Have any of you seen any of the old early 1980s episodes of Bullseye on Sky/Virgin which mainly featured mid 20s married couples?? Enough said. The years gone by can keep their bubble perms and smock thank you very much.

Bullseye yes!
The couple who won would live in a small house in Bolton, and win a speedboat

I'm watching TOTP and remembering how exciting it was waiting to find out what was No. 1

Three channels.
B&W.
Telly had to warm up.
Change channels using a dial on the box.
Artful thump side of box helped with picture quality.

I think with progress (which of course is always happening) there are positives and negatives. I'd say there tend to be more positives though as we discover more and become better as a society. It's not perfect of course but it's easy to look back with nostalgia/rose tinted glasses. Everyone thinks the time when they were children or teens was the best time. We forget a lot of the shit stuff though . Nowadays people say the 60s/70s/80s/90s were the best years as you tend to start feeling "out of it" in your 30s onwards when you become a proper grown up. Noone ever says they wish we could go back to the Victorian times or the Roman empire or whatever. It was MUCH simpler then but probably really shit . We should probably spend a bit more time thinking about how fucking amazing we are and what we have achieved. But we like to moan. Tis human nature.

There wasn't technology in the 60s and people sent letters and things took longer.

However my mother and grandma had washing machines. Automatics by the early 70s and dishwashers. We had cars, went abroad, my friends and I learnt to drive (in cars with chokes.) What is this archaic world in the 80s and 90s of which you speak? Mine was pretty amazing. We had a word processor at home in 1990 (2nd hand from work) and dh had a mobile in the early 90s.

I grew up in the 80s/90s and I think a lot of things were simpler but it could just be that I was a kid with no actual responsibilities. I am very glad there was no social media to immortalise all my teenage mistakes and misdemeanours.
I'm also pleased to have had my children since the invention of smart tvs and iplayer as I'm up at 5.30 with toddlers most mornings and it saves my sanity!

I miss the 90s constantly. Good quality food, clothes and toys; great books, films and music; biked everywhere; holiday spending in Europe was cheap. I also had access to the Internet quite early on and spent a bulk of my teens talking with strangers and meeting up with them. It is 20 years on and I am still in touch with a couple of them (we didn't do Internet dating then, it was just bonding over shared interests). Life was simpler but also fuller. Wish my son could experience this sort of childhood.

Yes those bubble perms were hideous. I wouldn't say it was a bubble perm as such I had, but did have perms. And a smock top at some point, probably when pregnant in all fairness! Not sure if I already had it though or kept wearing afterwards. Kevin Keegan started the perm craze late 70's?

Yes much simpler. We are overworked and stressed now.

Reading this thread makes me think that we can recreate some of what we miss ourselves. There is nothing we can do about high house prices but we can make the choice of turning tech off when we want to and blocking our dc having access to sites / social media if we want.

I’m going to try to turn off the tech more often. Might make me less stressed and more creative.

Well, the irony of people bemoaning how awful smartphones, tablets and laptops are while posting their messages on a parenting website hasn't been lost on me

I'm not saying that technology is awful just that it has taken over everything - how often do you see people in pubs/restaurants staring at their phones instead of talking to each other? How often do you see people wandering down the road with a vacant look on their faces, peering at their phones? I appreciate that there is a place for it, particularly in emergency situations.

I tend to put my phone on Do not Disturb a lot and then as I only have DH and DS and Home in my favourites I only let through calls from them.

Woody Allen made a film about this called Midnight in Paris....it's called Golden Age Thinking.

I loved being a teenager in the 90s. I went from 10 to 20 from 1990 to 2000 and I'll be eternally grateful for the fashion, music, access to university and a social media free adolescence.

But I love the present also....Nextflix, Amazon, cheap travel etc etc. I do worry for my DCs in terms of house prices and jobs.

I’m sure travel was cheaper in the noughties? I remember as a student going on a weeks BA holiday to Barbados incl transfers & breakfast for under £400 pp.

To all the people who say you can't turn off the Internet and the mobile phone: er, yes, you can.

Technology is a choice, or should be one. If you want to be disconnected in the evening, turn your devices off. If you want to be available for emergencies, get a landline and tell only the people who need to know.

To all the people who say you can't turn off the Internet and the mobile phone: er, yes, you can.

It's not that easy. It really is an addiction for a lot of people (me included!)

I don't think travel was cheaper back then. I remember booking a flight to Alicante in about 1980 not in school holidays, and it was £156. That's about £600 now!

Travel was hugely more expensive where I lived. Budget airlines were jaw-dropping change.

And in the noughties I could often get £25 return flights to Carcassonne in the summer.