I was only 6 when the '80s ended and I can't say I really "experienced" the decade.  I only remember the latter half of it and those memories are mainly limited to little kids' stuff like Sesame Street. Mr. Roger's Neighborhood, Nick,Jr. etc.  I can remember watching a few movies like Stand By Me, Teen Wolf, Lost Boys and trying to play Pac-Man once at a restaurant.  But other than that, the '80s were early childhood for me and the '90s were the first decade I truly experienced.  So my question to those on this forum who remember the '80s better: what, in your opinion, qualifies as "growing up" in the '80s?  Do you have to have lived through the entire decade?  In that case, you had to have at least been born in 1979.  Or do you at least need to remember all of the decade?  That would push the latest born to 1977 since the earliest memories typically go back to age three.  What do you think?

I think the qualifications are subjective.

Depends on where you lived at the time.

To see R rated films, in the 80's, you had to be at least, 17, in Canada.

For alcohol, it was 18, and cigarettes it was 18, as well.

To go in a US casino in 1989 as well as the legally go into bars, you would have to been born no later than 1968 (which would be the high school class of 1984 approximately). That's why I see 1969-1978 the core generation of "80s nostalgics". They were all in junior high/middle school (IMO the generation that braces changes in pop culture first) at some point during the '80s and really went crazy with whatever was hot at the moment. However, they couldn't properly experience all of the adult material by the time the '80s ended and felt like they just missed something. The 1979-1986 crowd that digs the '80s are those who only got a glimpse of the fading stages in their young childhood, yet they also really love to experience "a bygone era" that seems like another planet compared to the present.

that's a good question..for me though..I went to high school in 70's and young adulthood in 80's..When I really experienced life was in 80's..maybe I claim both years..  hehehe..

I don't agree that only teens influenced pop culture that much back then. It was the people born in the 60's, who were in their late teens/20s. Even some of the people born in the 50s influenced the early part of the decade.

Growing up in the 80s pertains to the things you did and what you remember.  Say you were born in the late 80s .. you didn't grow up in the 80s because changes are good, you don't remember any of it

I always felt it was a mixture of teens coming up, with own ideas (rap, break dancing, skate boarding, etc.) and the mainstream media (movies, TV shows, certain music. etc), for the influences of the 80's.

My thoughts are if you remember enough to know that you actually experienced some of what was current at the time up until you were six, then yes you did grow up in the 80s or whichever other decade because you can remember it or least some of it. If someone was too old say like mid 20s to early 30s +++ then that person didn't grow up in the 80s because they were already grown up.

Well, let's see, starting in 1987 I could smoke, see dirty movies, screw, vote,  get married, and join the army.  Couldn't buy beer though!
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