You got a job to help support your family
You danced the Jitterbug
You listened to Jazz
You scrimped and saved To buy your first car

You listened to radio shows that were funny and/or entertaining.

Oh, I read that as "1930s kid" for a second. I'd be an expert on that topic! ;D

You got your pinned up short curls down pat!
Lipstick is the greatest invention known to man.
You apply an unhealthy amount of brylcreem to your hair
You love to go to the theatres to watch Charlie Chaplin movies
You love catching Dinah Washington on the radio
You secretly go to ball dances without your parents knowing.

You had Pinup Girl posters in your room
You were very frugal

* You far preferred talkies over silent films
* Duke Ellington and Benny Goodman were your musical idols
* You were already looking for work
* You could always count on laughing whenever you went to see a Marx Brothers production

You might have imitated Jean Harlow, if you were a girl, or young woman. The first blonde bombshell.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/45/20/e9/4520e9142ad6046146145ad3d251148a.jpg

This is the only one that applies to me....

"You listen to Jazz"

You thought the neighbor who bought a television was so cool.
You dreaded being drafted to fight in World War II.
You thought that your parent's Generation were idiots for not only causing World War I and the Stock Market Crash, but also for causing World War II.
You had a radio in your room.

You thought the neighbor who bought a television was so cool.

Very few people have televisions in the '30s. It wasn't until after WWII that television took off.

You dreaded being drafted to fight in World War II.

The draft didn't start until 1940. WWII didn't start until 1939 in Europe and in the U.S., it didn't start until Dec. 7th, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Actually, a lot of people were eager to join the military after that. In fact, many lied about their age so they could join. It is estimated that about 200,000 underaged people lied about their age. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3850523&page=1


You thought that your parent's Generation were idiots for not only causing World War I and the Stock Market Crash, but also for causing World War II.

Again, WWII didn't start until the end of the '30s and in the '40s in the U.S. I don't think kids were blaming their parents' generation for things. They blamed Germany for the wars and the fat cats on Wall Street for the Stock Market Crash. They also blamed Herbert Hoover.


You had a radio in your room.


And as for having a radio in you room, very few teens did. There was usually one radio per household. This was during the depression and many households didn't have a lot of money to spare. Radios were considered a luxury.


Might I suggest you study a little bit more history. History is really a fascinating subject.


Cat

Very few people have televisions in the '30s. It wasn't until after WWII that television took off.

The draft didn't start until 1940. WWII didn't start until 1939 in Europe and in the U.S., it didn't start until Dec. 7th, 1941 when Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Actually, a lot of people were eager to join the military after that. In fact, many lied about their age so they could join. It is estimated that about 200,000 underaged people lied about their age. https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=3850523&page=1

Again, WWII didn't start until the end of the '30s and in the '40s in the U.S. I don't think kids were blaming their parents' generation for things. They blamed Germany for the wars and the fat cats on Wall Street for the Stock Market Crash. They also blamed Herbert Hoover.

And as for having a radio in you room, very few teens did. There was usually one radio per household. This was during the depression and many households didn't have a lot of money to spare. Radios were considered a luxury.


Might I suggest you study a little bit more history. History is really a fascinating subject.

Cat


You are factually correct about all of this. And also, the topic itself is based on a faulty premise.
The concept of the "teenager" did not exist in the 1930s. The term "teenager" was first introduced to the American public in the 1940s as a moniker coined by advertising executives looking to sell their products to a new audience. But it was not until the 1950s that a distinct teen culture emerged. Seeking to distance themselves from the culture of their parents, teenagers in the 1950s turned to rock and roll music and youth-oriented television programs and movies—all packaged for them through new marketing strategies targeting their demographic.

To say "you know you are a 1930s teenager when..." is to practice presentism, i.e. the tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts.

You are factually correct about all of this. And also, the topic itself is based on a faulty premise.
The concept of the "teenager" did not exist in the 1930s. The term "teenager" was first introduced to the American public in the 1940s as a moniker coined by advertising executives looking to sell their products to a new audience. But it was not until the 1950s that a distinct teen culture emerged. Seeking to distance themselves from the culture of their parents, teenagers in the 1950s turned to rock and roll music and youth-oriented television programs and movies—all packaged for them through new marketing strategies targeting their demographic.

To say "you know you are a 1930s teenager when..." is to practice presentism, i.e. the tendency to interpret past events in terms of modern values and concepts.


Yup. Exactly.


Cat

This is probably how your average 1930's teenager spent their time.  :-\\

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/30836264896_01ecccbba3_z.jpg

This is probably how your average 1930's teenager spent their time.  :-\\

https://www.theamericanconservative.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/05/30836264896_01ecccbba3_z.jpg


Correct. This topic does not take the depression into consideration at all. Also, the average life expectancy in the 1930s was 60 years old. People got married and had jobs (and apprenticeships) and children VERY young. There was no inbetween period between childhood (children were "seen and not heard") and adult responsibility. The whole premise of this thread is just incorrect on so many levels.

Correct. This topic does not take the depression into consideration at all. Also, the average life expectancy in the 1930s was 60 years old. People got married and had jobs (and apprenticeships) and children VERY young. There was no inbetween period between childhood (children were "seen and not heard") and adult responsibility. The whole premise of this thread is just incorrect on so many levels.


I don't have an issue about talking (or writing) about what life was like in the '30s and even what a 15 year old had to do at that time. It really could be a very interesting discussion. But it is obvious that some people have not studied the subject they are trying to address and they just make up something they think sounds good.


Cat

I don't have an issue about talking (or writing) about what life was like in the '30s and even what a 15 year old had to do at that time. It really could be a very interesting discussion. But it is obvious that some people have not studied the subject they are trying to address and they just make up something they think sounds good.

Cat


Indeed.  My Dad was a 1930's teenager, and he was full of stories.  He didn't say much about most of what's been posted here.  He did talk a lot about the depression and what it was like to try staying afloat.  He loved Baseball and spoke of favorite movie comic acts, like Charlie Chaplin and the Marx Brothers, but he didn't have the wherewithal to go that often.  I recall him also liking the Little Rascals.  He spoke a lot about being a prankster with his 3 brothers.  And his first marriage and job happened when he was quite young (18/19).  It wasn't like today's culture at all.