;)  As someone who just turned 36, I really like to believe that I'm still much younger at heart.  I was a teen through the 80s and I was not even remotely popular.  Actually, I was very rebellious, sort of a combo between goth and punk, although I still remember listening to some of the more mainstream music (Duran Duran, Men At Work, Missing Persons, etc.)  Even as a teen, I was into some of the same things I am now, great song lyrics, political awareness, and that there's a place and time to be serious - kind of a downer now that I'm 30, BUT I still know the importance of just being silly.  I still watch old episodes of The Young Ones and Monty Python and I actually enjoy the I Love the 80s shows on VH1 because it helps me laugh at the things I was so sure were cool, like the Dukes of Hazzard, for instance - LOL!  I remember when I thought the mid 30s was way old, but now that I'm there...not so much!  I think if we thirtysomethings were reminiscing about the 70s or any decade before, we would sound old, but talking about the 80s, things were just silly and way over the top, unlike any decade before.  And living through the early 90s as a young adult, we had grunge, leftover hair bands and shows like Friends that sort of kept us young and edgy.  Sounds hokey, but the characters on Friends were our age, they were teens in the 80s, and they grew up to be cool.  OK, so they were fictional, but it made me realize that you could still be cool in your 30s.  I won't say I don't occasionally say "turn that crap off" when listening to today's music, but I have an amazing collection of today's music in my CD case.  Sometimes I feel sorry for myself for being so "old", but then I remember how active I still am and how in touch I really am with what's going on around me.  People tell me I don't look my age, maybe that's because I rarely act my age!!  ;D

I remember when I thought the mid 30s was way old, but now that I'm there...not so much!  I think if we thirtysomethings were reminiscing about the 70s or any decade before, we would sound old, but talking about the 80s

I think if your younger self time travelled to 2005, he/she would be comforted a little by seeing their older self is still pretty cool! :)

On an off note, it's funny you say that you thought the 30's was old when you were a teen 'cause many 80's artists were about that age. Hall & Oates, Steve Perry, Huey Lewis and Lou Gramm of Foreigner were all I think at least 35 in 1985, yet they were seen as cool (I guess for stars, it's a little different sometimes, LOL).

Great points, which I more or less agree with. (And yeah, you turned 13 in '88 and the '80s culture" was around through 1991, so I'd still call you an 80's teen.)

I do have to admit, I really stretch it when referring to people 'around my age.' You're 29 going on 30, about 6-7 years older than me, so I'd consider you there (not an exact peer perhaps, but in the "sorta my age" range -- I think anyone from 15 to 30 I'd refer to that way).


I don't mind being lumped in with the 80s teen life, too much.  I love the decade, despite it's corny moments, so I don't mind and yeah the early 1990s did have a late 80s afterglow on it.   But why isn't someone born in 1965 or 1966 lumped in with the 70s?  Or a born in 1985 or 1986 tacked in with the 90s?  That....I have pondered about.
     
I was born in 1975, I am guessing you were born in 1981 or 1982?  My sister is your age, I remember when she was born in '82, I was 6 1/2 years old when she was born in early '82 and I was old enough to know what was going on.  For the longest time I thought people your age were just like little kids or something.  I used to always try to find ways to get rid of her when I was growing up, but it's funny for the past few years or so I interact with people your age and the age gap is not as much as back in the day obviously.  Sometimes I hardly ever notice a difference, but there are differences.  The weirdest part for me is even though I turn 30 later this year, people tend to think I am around 21 or 22, because I look younger then my age.  One time a couple of guys your age thought I was 19 or 20, I'm like no way guys I got 6 years on you!   

But honestly, I stick with the 3 year rule as my immediate age range.  But you're probably right, 7 years would probably be end of of a peer group.  Like I said, interacting with a 22 year old at age 29 is not the same as when I was 19 and trying to interact with a 12 year old.     


I guess I can only say what my view is with 100% accuracy, but even when I was a kid, I never had that "generalized/old" idea of grown-ups. I didn't really think of someone as old unless they were really, ya know, 90! ;) Maybe it's because almost everyone in my family seems young for their age, and I mostly interacted with adults my first 7 or so years, so in essence I was used to it more than other kids?

My manager at work, who I'm semi friends with, is 30 and he's really into South Park and alot of video games, new rock music, etc (he still likes the 80's though!), so it would be hard to look at a guy like that and consider him "old".

I used to think the same way 6 years ago and before.  That when people go to age 30 or even ages 27+, they  would magically start acting like that picture we all have of "the adults" when we were growing up.  Since every human being has to go through this, I don't mind it as much as I did back in 2000 when I was turning 25 and was like "F*CK! I was still a teenager 5-6 years ago, and now I will be a 30 year old in 5 years!!"  Turning 25 was far, far worse.



Seriously though, I sometimes wonder if settling down and having kids ages you faster or not - a case could be made either way I suppose (on one hand, you'll be exposed to what they're into so it could keep you "hip" longer - on the other though, you won't have the time to party or whatnot if you have a family). For instance, my mom describes my dad upon meeting him as "40 going on 12" , LOL. Now, in '78 he was a pretty cool 40 year old, having not had any kids yet, etc. 4 years later, when I came along, it didn't seem to change that much - from all I know about how he was before.

Another way to look at the subject at hand:

You know how the "coolest" stuff of the 80's (i.e. leg warmers, aqua net, hair metal, Valley Girl slang) is often seen as the more 'made fun of' stuff today? It seems like things that maybe weren't quite as " supremely cool" -- still cool, just not as much or as trendy-ish as my first list -- actually have held up better over the years (i.e. Tom Petty).

In a sense, I'd almost apply that to certain people too. Take myself for instance - I've always had some friends or been kinda liked/semi popular, but not nearly been a Ferris Bueller or a Spicoli (I've barely cut a class in my life! Never been in trouble with the law, never got into huge trouble - I guess I'm pretty tame in that regard, hehe). So because of that, my being the same, or continuing to be cool when I'm 40 50 or 60 will maybe be a little easier in transition.

Like I said though, I guess any changes are as individual as the person themselves.

That all said, alot of the older friends I have (in their mid 30s) don't seem to have that "boring grownup" syndrome at all - I don't know exactly what they were like 20 years ago for a comparison, but I wouldn't be surprised if their 15 and 35 year-old selves were fairly alike!

I do think that people are seeming younger for a longer time these days than half a century ago. 45 year-olds can blast rock music now and it's not unusual -- now imagine a 45 year old in the 50's doing that!! ;)


I am getting too tired to type a long reply to this one.  But I know what you are talking about.  These are things I have seen and wondered about as well.  And yes, it does seem like a 27-30 year old and even a 40 or 50 year old are much younger today in 2005 then in 1955, 1965, or even during the 1970s. 

I mean what happens when your parents music is just as loud and obnoxious as your own?  What happens when a kids parent's music is louder then their own?  I guess the kids will just see it as louder, but certainly not cooler, it would still be seen as campy and stupid just because it's old and not current.