While I wasn't really alive in the 80s, I did read a post on reddit basically saying that the 80s weren't that different from now, and that most things that appear significantly different are superficial.

Is what he said correct?

Whoever said that must be on drugs.

Completely different!!!

World Wide Web had not been created then.

Completely different!!!

World Wide Web had not been created then.


Well, the technology we have now is better than the 80s, sure; but were the societal norms, in-person interactions, and spoken language of the 80s that different from now?

While I wasn't really alive in the 80s, I did read a post on reddit basically saying that the 80s weren't that different from now, and that most things that appear significantly different are superficial.

Is what he said correct?


You have seriously got to be joking. I am almost thinking this is a troll post.

I will clarify one thing. Much of the way culture is now is a RESULT of the 80s (Reagan basically legitimizing corporate greed, etc), but that's not the same as now being the SAME as the 80s.

Cellphones in the 80s:
http://www.epsomcom.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/panasonic.jpg

Video game graphics in the 80s:
https://ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/976/cpsprodpb/FE00/production/_88242056_et_screenshot_chase.jpg

To get to the amazing stuff we have now, we had to go through the stuff we had back then, which at the time was amazing. 

Cellphones in the 80s:
http://www.epsomcom.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/panasonic.jpg

To get to the amazing stuff we have now, we had to go through the stuff we had back then, which at the time was amazing. 

There should be an honourable mention to the Mo­toro­la 8000X Dy­nat­ac here (1987).
https://medias.spotern.com/spots/w640/75/75210-1532336916.webp

I'm still waiting for that Barbie Doll branded Hoverboard....:


https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/r255/molly-dolly/tumblr_nw427ekUty1qeablwo3_1280.jpg

Well, the technology we have now is better than the 80s, sure; but were the societal norms, in-person interactions, and spoken language of the 80s that different from now?


"Thor's a complete homo!" - Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

I'm still waiting for that Barbie Doll branded Hoverboard....:


https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/r255/molly-dolly/tumblr_nw427ekUty1qeablwo3_1280.jpg
Bearing in mind, hoverboards are thing of fiction.

Well, the technology we have now is better than the 80s, sure; but were the societal norms, in-person interactions, and spoken language of the 80s that different from now?


I'm STILL having a hard time thinking this isn't a troll post, BUT, on the chance that it isn't, and to clarify a few things in general....YES the "the societal norms, in-person interactions, and spoken language of the 80s" was different. I can't believe I even have to say it.

In current times, everywhere I go, everyplace I see people in groups, they are always looking at their phones and not at each other. ALWAYS. It is not uncommon to see three people sitting at a restaurant table with all three of their noses buried in their phones. And none are the slightest bit perturbed by this because it is the norm. Everywhere I go, I see people in pairs. Two friends, or even two people on a date. Never (or RARELY) do they lift their eyes from their phone or communicate with the other UNLESS it is to show them something on their phone.  You couldn't have figured out that this didn't go on in the 80s?

"Societal norms" were different. One of the most obvious being that people still smoked everywhere and anywhere. On trains, planes, in restaurants. We recently had a lengthy topic here about the whole evolution of smoking in public, it's rise and it's fall. Young children were still sent "out to play" by their parents in the 80s and were basically (safely) on their own until dinnertime or it was time to go home. Now maybe this still goes on in some rural or otherwise quiet areas, but in the cities in generally does not. I myself never even heard the word "playdate" until the late 90s and was promptly horrified at the idea.

Newspapers were still the norm and very mainstream. So were phone books, pay phones, typewriters...

...autotune didn't exist. You had to KNOW how to sing or you were sh-t out of luck if you wanted a music career. You had to be talented and whether you were pretty or not really didn't matter much.

Do you really want me to go on?

As for the "spoken Language"...it was both different and the same. Every generation and every decade, has it's own slang. In the 1960s we said "groovy" and a lot of other things. In the 70s we said "far out". Among the "gems" of the 80s were things like "gag me with a spoon" and "gnarly". Both generated by the "Valley Girl" craze and popularized nationwide by Frank Zappa's song of the same name. Another big one in the 80s was "bichin". Everything was "bichin". It sounded so dumb. And as time goes on, new words are added (or meanings of existing words changed) to the language as they are needed. In 1980, for example,  a "mouse" was still just a furry little creature than ran around on the floor. Language constantly evolves. Hence, it was the same and different.

Sorry if I sound a little testy, but this question really should have answered itself.

...In current times, everywhere I go, everyplace I see people in groups, they are always looking at their phones and not at each other. ALWAYS. It is not uncommon to see three people sitting at a restaurant table with all three of their noses buried in their phones. And none are the slightest bit perturbed by this because it is the norm. Everywhere I go, I see people in pairs. Two friends, or even two people on a date. Never (or RARELY) do they lift their eyes from their phone or communicate with the other UNLESS it is to show them something on their phone...


As an 80's young adult, I notice this too.  It strikes me as utterly rude (I know not everyone shares this feeling).  To me, when in the company of someone else. they deserve your attention.  But that's because of the norms I grew up with.


...One of the most obvious being that people still smoked everywhere and anywhere. On trains, planes, in restaurants. We recently had a lengthy topic here about the whole evolution of smoking in public, it's rise and it's fall...


Sadly, in the 1980's we were so accustomed to being inundated by cigarette smoke, nobody noticed it.  It wasn't until the early 90's as govt' entities started to weed it out of public spaces that it became clear how smoky some of our indoor spaces had become.


...Young children were still sent "out to play" by their parents in the 80s and were basically (safely) on their own until dinnertime or it was time to go home...


Indeed, for children it was a whole different world in that way.

As to the questions about hoverboards and 80's mobile phones, forget about them.  They were generally the stuff of fiction, non-entities to most of us (I know a few well-off people had mobile phones by the end of the decade but it wasn't a mainstream item).

One other thing.  I was single throughout the 80's.  People interested in dating didn't go on a dating site on the internet.  I seemed to find good dating candidates for myself just in my everyday goings about.  I don't know why it has gotten so complicated.

My hoverboard post was a joke. Pointing out that Thor is casually disparaged as a "homo" in 1987's Adventures in Babysitting was not, though.

There should be an honourable mention to the Mo­toro­la 8000X Dy­nat­ac here (1987).
https://medias.spotern.com/spots/w640/75/75210-1532336916.webp


How did one carry their cell phone back then?

As an 80's young adult, I notice this too.  It strikes me as utterly rude (I know not everyone shares this feeling).  To me, when in the company of someone else. they deserve your attention.  But that's because of the norms I grew up with.

Sadly, in the 1980's we were so accustomed to being inundated by cigarette smoke, nobody noticed it.  It wasn't until the early 90's as govt' entities started to weed it out of public spaces that it became clear how smoky some of our indoor spaces had become.

Indeed, for children it was a whole different world in that way.

As to the questions about hoverboards and 80's mobile phones, forget about them.  They were generally the stuff of fiction, non-entities to most of us (I know a few well-off people had mobile phones by the end of the decade but it wasn't a mainstream item).

One other thing.  I was single throughout the 80's.  People interested in dating didn't go on a dating site on the internet.  I seemed to find good dating candidates for myself just in my everyday goings about.  I don't know why it has gotten so complicated.


Back then you didn't have those dating sites you see today, dating was harder back then compared to what you see now.

How did one carry their cell phone back then?


It wasn't really a problem because nobody really had them. The tiny handful of people who did, all rich people, carried them in a case that resembled a briefcase. Hence they were frequently referred to as "briefcase phones". But they were as rare as hen's teeth. They didn't work very well or for very long at a time and were prohibitively expensive. And this elite few who had them used them basically as toys to amuse themselves and their friends. Not a lot of business was being conducted with them. So in no way, shape or form are cell phones and 80s thing. Nope. Sure not.

How did one carry their cell phone back then?
In an attache case.

0WUF3yjgGf4

How did one carry their cell phone back then?


It wasn't really a problem because nobody really had them. The tiny handful of people who did, all rich people, carried them in a case that resembled a briefcase. Hence they were frequently referred to as "briefcase phones". But they were as rare as hen's teeth. They didn't work very well or for very long at a time and were prohibitively expensive. And this elite few who had them used them basically as toys to amuse themselves and their friends. Not a lot of business was being conducted with them. So in no way, shape or form are cell phones and 80s thing. Nope. Sure not.
... or large pockets in your pants? http://www.inthe00s.com/Smileys/stpatrick/grin.gif

... or large pockets in your pants? http://www.inthe00s.com/Smileys/stpatrick/grin.gif


Are you kidding? Pants in the 80s, male and female, were WAY too tight for that.

... or large pockets in your pants? http://www.inthe00s.com/Smileys/stpatrick/grin.gif

Maybe in one's coat pocket?

Are you kidding? Pants in the 80s, male and female, were WAY too tight for that.
Hammer pants?

Popularized in the 1980s and 1990s by American rapper MC Hammer? http://www.inthe00s.com/Smileys/stpatrick/grin.gif

How did one carry their cell phone back then?


Most regular people had never even seen a mobile phone in the 1980s.  It's also important to note that the infrastructure wasn't sufficiently mature to support these devices yet (cell phone towers, carriers etc.).  One of my engineer friends was employed installing cell phone towers in the early 1990s.

Back then you didn't have those dating sites you see today, dating was harder back then compared to what you see now.


No it wasn’t. As AG said you just went out and about, met people at work, in a bar, at a friends party...

No it wasn’t. As AG said you just went out and about, met people at work, in a bar, at a friends party...
At that time there were dating columns in newspapers and magazines, but as stated, it was meeting people at various places and reasons.

At that time there were dating columns in newspapers and magazines, but as stated, it was meeting people at various places and reasons.


Brunette, 50 (but looks younger), WLT handsome, solvent man age not important for fun, friendship and maybe more...

At that time there were dating columns in newspapers and magazines, but as stated, it was meeting people at various places and reasons.


Most people I know didn't use these newspaper columns for dating, but sometimes we'd laugh at the most entertaining posts...

Most regular people had never even seen a mobile phone in the 1980s.  It's also important to note that the infrastructure wasn't sufficiently mature to support these devices yet (cell phone towers, carriers etc.).  One of my engineer friends was employed installing cell phone towers in the early 1990s.

Did you use to have one AG?

At that time there were dating columns in newspapers and magazines, but as stated, it was meeting people at various places and reasons.


You went out and socialized.

Most people I know didn't use these newspaper columns for dating, but sometimes we'd laugh at the most entertaining posts...


You have any you can share?

i miss afternoon newspapers as they were much more personal and intimate then the talking head at 6PM each night that pretends that they are a friend to all living things.

i miss afternoon newspapers as they were much more personal and intimate then the talking head at 6PM each night that pretends that they are a friend to all living things.


Yes, back then there was still something called JOURNALISM. Reporters "walked the beat" and were "of the people". Today's journalists are elite and effete, out of ivy league schools and the like...they know very little about the real world and are certainly not "of the people". And most journalists now are shills for whichever "party line" they follow, be it left or right. They are in a bubble. An echo chamber. This was not the case years ago.

Did you use to have one AG?


No - I never saw a mobile phone until I got a "bag phone" for in my car around 1993 (it was a gift).


You went out and socialized.


O0 Absolutely right!


You have any you can share?


No, it's been years since I've seen one.

A couple of things may be less obvious about life before cell phones.  One is, the first thing these gadgets offered us is security - when out and about in a car, which became disabled, at that time you'd have to locate a pay phone in order to call someone for help (pay phones were much more prevalent then, but often required a long walk), not to mention being out of your car.  A cell phone means (usually) remaining in the safety of your car.  Another important aspect, often a good thing, is that one couldn't always be reached easily.  If you had an annoying boss at work, the pestering kind, it could be nice to be "away from the phone".  Then there's the whole thing about photos.  In the 80s, photos were taken on a film reel loaded inside a 35mm (or cheap 110 or Polaroid) camera. They weren't able to be seen (exc Polaroids) until the film was completed and taken to a film processing center for development.  Incidentally these cameras by and large were unable to take videos, just stills.  One other thing - sharing data wasn't a gimme.  If you had something to share with someone, if it was paper it was Xeroxed; for photos, get extra copies; otherwise you'd have to figure out the options.  You couldn't just text a favorite photo to your friend.

Consider these things when comparing life before cell phones to life after cell phones.  There are pluses - and minuses - in each case.

A couple of things may be less obvious about life before cell phones.  One is, the first thing these gadgets offered us is security - when out and about in a car, which became disabled, at that time you'd have to locate a pay phone in order to call someone for help (pay phones were much more prevalent then, but often required a long walk), not to mention being out of your car.  A cell phone means (usually) remaining in the safety of your car.  Another important aspect, often a good thing, is that one couldn't always be reached easily.  If you had an annoying boss at work, the pestering kind, it could be nice to be "away from the phone".  Then there's the whole thing about photos.  In the 80s, photos were taken on a film reel loaded inside a 35mm (or cheap 110 or Polaroid) camera. They weren't able to be seen (exc Polaroids) until the film was completed and taken to a film processing center for development.  Incidentally these cameras by and large were unable to take videos, just stills.  One other thing - sharing data wasn't a gimme.  If you had something to share with someone, if it was paper it was Xeroxed; for photos, get extra copies; otherwise you'd have to figure out the options.  You couldn't just text a favorite photo to your friend.

Consider these things when comparing life before cell phones to life after cell phones.  There are pluses - and minuses - in each case.


I don't mean to harp on it, but I STILL can't figure out how someone, no matter how young, didn't know all this extremely obvious stuff. Or at least know enough (without all the great specific details we are supplying) to already know without asking that things were drastically different. In technology and YES, in the way people relate (which is by and large a RESULT of the technology). But, if the OP is to be believed, there are entire discussions on Reddit about it.

The 1980's ushered in the era of "addictive digital technology" although this phenomenon didn't take a major foothold until late in the decade.  At-home game consoles (plus out-of-home video arcades, to a lesser extent) sometimes became addictive.  At what point did it become suitable punishment to deprive a child of an hour of their favorite video addiction?  People used to do more active things and creative/imaginative hobbies.  Of course smart phones eventually overtook video consoles in the "addictive" category.  Certainly phenomenon like these distinguish 1980s life vs. today.

One word keeps coming to my mind regarding the 1980s and now, that is 'invasion'. For in 1980, when the Iraqi Armed Forces crossed the international border and invaded the country, sparking the protracted Iran–Iraq War, and in 1982 was when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. There were others, and reflecting on the current events in Ukraine, this is a blight on everyday living.

The 1980's ushered in the era of "addictive digital technology" although this phenomenon didn't take a major foothold until late in the decade.  At-home game consoles (plus out-of-home video arcades, to a lesser extent) sometimes became addictive.  At what point did it become suitable punishment to deprive a child of an hour of their favorite video addiction?  People used to do more active things and creative/imaginative hobbies.  Of course smart phones eventually overtook video consoles in the "addictive" category.  Certainly phenomenon like these distinguish 1980s life vs. today.


That goes back to what I said in an earlier post that we are now living with the RESULTS of the 80s, rather than things being like the 80s themselves, which was the OPs original query.

One word keeps coming to my mind regarding the 1980s and now, that is 'invasion'. For in 1980, when the Iraqi Armed Forces crossed the international border and invaded the country, sparking the protracted Iran–Iraq War, and in 1982 was when Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands, followed by the invasion of South Georgia the next day. There were others, and reflecting on the current events in Ukraine, this is a blight on everyday living.


The '80s had the "Second British Invasion" because of MTV. When MTV started, there were very few American artists who had videos ready to go. But, British artists did so that is what was played a lot during the first few years until the American artists could catch up. (The "First British Invasion was in the '60s with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc.) 



BTW, this is not directed specially at you Philip-I know you know all of this. This is directed mainly to the younger people who didn't know this info.


Cat

The '80s had the "Second British Invasion" because of MTV. When MTV started, there were very few American artists who had videos ready to go. But, British artists did so that is what was played a lot during the first few years until the American artists could catch up. (The "First British Invasion was in the '60s with the Beatles, Rolling Stones, etc.) 



BTW, this is not directed specially at you Philip-I know you know all of this. This is directed mainly to the younger people who didn't know this info.


Cat
O0

When sending my above post I was thinking of just that.

No - I never saw a mobile phone until I got a "bag phone" for in my car around 1993 (it was a gift).

O0 Absolutely right!

No, it's been years since I've seen one.


What's a bag phone?

And back then you had a VCR to watch your video cassette tapes in, when you wanted to record, you waited for the show to begin and then press the "record" button and sometimes you could either keep or forget about the commercials, that's just what someone did when they recorded something from TV 30-35 maybe even 40 years ago.

What's a bag phone?


https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-5e9158da73b3a1f3d1a1fed9dde491a1-lq

Infections and viruses:

1980s: Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

Now: Coronavirus, with it's many variants.

And back then you had a VCR to watch your video cassette tapes in, when you wanted to record, you waited for the show to begin and then press the "record" button and sometimes you could either keep or forget about the commercials, that's just what someone did when they recorded something from TV 30-35 maybe even 40 years ago.


Well, you could also program a VCR to record at a certain time, like if you weren't going to be home.  But in that case you couldn't really skip the commercials.  (A cumbersome effort anyways.)

Infections and viruses:

1980s: Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS)

Now: Coronavirus, with it's many variants.


Indeed, AIDS was on everyone's mind then.  A couple differences - AIDS does not transmit through the air; it was less widespread than COVID.  (For most people it was sexually transmitted although some got it from either blood transfusions or street drug use.)  On the other hand, AIDS was pretty much a 100% death sentence then.  :-\\

Indeed, AIDS was on everyone's mind then.  A couple differences - AIDS does not transmit through the air; it was less widespread than COVID.  (For most people it was sexually transmitted although some got it from either blood transfusions or street drug use.)  On the other hand, AIDS was pretty much a 100% death sentence then.  :-\\


Remembering Arthur Ashe  :\'( :\'( :\'(

My city’s last afternoon newspaper from just a couple of months before it shut down. It’s successor in the morning was about ninety percent “Sun” and ten percent “Herald”: https://hosting.photobucket.com/images/r255/molly-dolly/IMG_0962.HEIC

https://qph.fs.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-5e9158da73b3a1f3d1a1fed9dde491a1-lq


You had some compartments to put other things in them too?

Well, you could also program a VCR to record at a certain time, like if you weren't going to be home.  But in that case you couldn't really skip the commercials.  (A cumbersome effort anyways.)


That's what I used to do too like when I'm not going to be home and I would program something at a certain time and I had no choice but to keep the commercials.

Remembering Arthur Ashe  :\'( :\'( :\'(


And Rock Hudson too.

Speaking of Rock Hudson, my old high school has a page up on its website as "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a proscribed text for its students in Year 10/tenth grade, explaining in detail to the students how any black - or any white for that matter- who stoof up against Jim Crow and segregation in the 1930s would have been at *severe* risk of being murdered by pro-segregation fanatics. I think of that webpage every time I see some young person, who seems to shave with a sponge, demanding that say Robert Reed of the Brady Bunch should have been out and proud while the show was on. As both Bary Williams and Florence Henderson have pointed out, that would not only have destroyed the show, but Bob's career and life would been ruined.

Speaking of Rock Hudson, my old high school has a page up on its website as "To Kill a Mockingbird" is a proscribed text for its students in Year 10/tenth grade, explaining in detail to the students how any black - or any white for that matter- who stoof up against Jim Crow and segregation in the 1930s would have been at *severe* risk of being murdered by pro-segregation fanatics. I think of that webpage every time I see some young person, who seems to shave with a sponge, demanding that say Robert Reed of the Brady Bunch should have been out and proud while the show was on. As both Bary Williams and Florence Henderson have pointed out, that would not only have destroyed the show, but Bob's career and life would been ruined.


If there are young LGBT people who are saying that Robert Reed should have been "out and proud" during his time on The Brady Bunch they are engaging in what is known as "presentism". The applying of today's standards to a time in the past. They show very little understanding of historical context. I notice this seems to be an issue in general with many younger people today. Not only would it have been career suicide for a performer in that time to be "out and proud", there was really no place for them to BE "out and proud". Even the most flamboyantly obvious of performers like Liberace, Paul Lynde and Charles Nelson Reilley always used a "wink wink, nudge nudge" approach, but never crossed the line into being outright open. In fact, most of the time, it went right over the heads of the general public. Most of Liberace's fans, largely older women, never even put two and two together. They attributed his flamboyance to "show business".

Robert Reed's main displeasure was that he was a serious and classically trained actor, and he hated being on a show as lame as The Brady Bunch, however beloved it may be. He tried to alleviate this by taking on serious roles whenever he could. In 1975  he made a guest appearance on the then very popular hospital drama "Medical Center" playing a man who undergoes what was then called a "sex change operation" to become, what was then called a "transsexual". I saw this show when it aired. It was well written for the time, he did a great job, and he was nominated for an Emmy. This role was a bold move to take for the time, especially for "Mr. Brady".

Young children were still sent "out to play" by their parents in the 80s and were basically (safely) on their own until dinnertime or it was time to go home. Now maybe this still goes on in some rural or otherwise quiet areas, but in the cities in generally does not. I myself never even heard the word "playdate" until the late 90s and was promptly horrified at the idea.

That's a big thing, I see how my nephew is being raised in this extremely overprotective child culture. I remember as a child(in the early '90s) riding my bike around the neighborhood freely until dark, use to scrape myself up really bad too trying to do stunts.

Whereas he stays inside after school on his tablet after homework, it's hard to imagine my childhood without my friends and playing outside.

...autotune didn't exist. You had to KNOW how to sing or you were sh-t out of luck if you wanted a music career. You had to be talented and whether you were pretty or not really didn't matter much.



The precursor to autotune was the vocoder, although the vocoder couldn't correct pitch like autotune. People probably know autotune more for the extreme robotic effect now than it's original pitch correction purpose.

The '80s was when digital technology really started coming into music, gated reverb, the E mu emulator sampler, yamaha DX7 keyboard, ect, these produced the classic '80s sounds.

We've kind of hit a rut with digital software which matured in the late '90s. :-\\

The precursor to autotune was the vocoder, although the vocoder couldn't correct pitch like autotune. People probably know autotune more for the extreme robotic effect now than it's original pitch correction purpose.



You are correct. Vocorder was used more to create effects and change the sound of the voice entirely into something else, rather than autotune, which was originally intended to straighten the pitch of people who couldn't really sing very well. Though at no point did it ever sound truly organic. Because it isn't. And you are also correct that the now-familiar sound of auotune ITSELF has become the popular feature of the song rather than the person singing it. Soon we will have autotune singing a song by itself with no human singing.

That's a big thing, I see how my nephew is being raised in this extremely overprotective child culture. I remember as a child(in the early '90s) riding my bike around the neighborhood freely until dark, use to scrape myself up really bad too trying to do stunts.

Whereas he stays inside after school on his tablet after homework, it's hard to imagine my childhood without my friends and playing outside.

The precursor to autotune was the vocoder, although the vocoder couldn't correct pitch like autotune. People probably know autotune more for the extreme robotic effect now than it's original pitch correction purpose.

The '80s was when digital technology really started coming into music, gated reverb, the E mu emulator sampler, yamaha DX7 keyboard, ect, these produced the classic '80s sounds.

We've kind of hit a rut with digital software which matured in the late '90s. :-\\

In The 80's kids like us had fun outside playing with our friends and riding bikes but now you really don't see much of it anymore

At that time there were dating columns in newspapers and magazines, but as stated, it was meeting people at various places and reasons.
One of France's most famous criminals was Henri Landru, a dealer in second-hand goods, who was guillotined on 25 February 1922 for the murder of some ten women. How had he selected and contacted those women? 

By through ads in the lonely hearts column.

His system was to promise marriage to rich lonely women, often widows. He won their confidence, arranged some financial transactions to his own advantage, and then killed them off before any actual marriage could take place. He murdered them at his own house and burned the corpses. The French press gave him the nickname "Bluebeard".