Travel back in time to the 1970s through the eyes of those who lived it. Explore these 15 diverse perspectives from social media users to gain a richer understanding of what life was truly like in the 1970s.
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#1 Biker Culture and Fear
“Bikers were much more common then. They had really long hair and very loud bikes. They’d ride into town in huge groups. My mother would always make sure the car doors were locked. My brother and I called the long-haired bikers he-shes because we couldn’t always tell if they were men or women due to the length of their hair. The bikers and the hippies really scared me. I was afraid of being kidnapped.” – Lora Jones
#2 Cultural Conflict
“The ’70s… was an interesting anomaly, certainly in historical terms. Traditional culture, certainly in my native northwest Alabama, was still engaged in a frenetic rearguard struggle with what became known as post-modernism, though we didn’t know it…” – Jim Langcuster
#3 Mixed Childhood Memories
“Life as a kid was about running around outdoors, doing whatever you liked. Easy, fun times. Well, some of the time… Now among all of the frivolity, this is also what happened. An abusive father who bashed my step mums (yes, Multiple) and us kids. Don’t ask about my mum, never saw her. There were no domestic violence laws.” – James Robson
#4 Changes in Everyday Life
“Cars, even new ones, were not reliable or fancy. Our car had roll-up windows, no air conditioning or radio got flat tires, [and] had frequent wheel alignments. [It] completely wore out and rusted out at 109K miles and 10 years old. Apartments didn’t have air conditioning and no microwaves, crock pots, air fryers, toaster ovens.” – Alice Folk
#5 The Music Scene
“The Beatles had gone, but Queen, Rolling Stones, The Who, and other prog rock AND punk bands were at their very best. There was plenty of sex, drugs, and rock & roll, and I loved it! I was born in the 50s, and most children and young teens in the 70s weren’t supervised at all.” – Angela Shingler
#6 Consequences of Drug Abuse
“It was a terrible time in my life as drug abuse and addictions became a way of life with horrible consequences. It wasn’t all bad; women and the younger generation changed our world for the better.” – Bonnie Peery
#7 Nostalgia for Simpler Times
“Young mothers weren’t perfectionists and were content to live amidst uncontrolled chaos. Dads weren’t driven to the point they ignored their family. People lived in small homes filled with experiences to be remembered, often old and shabby when they moved in and worked on over years until they were something to be proud of.” – Todd Elliot
#8 Diverse Opinions
“Yeah… it was good. The glow of the late sixties was still appreciated and nurtured, and people were still comfortable with strangers. Kids played outside and used their imaginations.” – Todd Elliot
#9 Mixed Sentiments on the 70s
“The good rock and roll was dying out. Disco dominated the last half of the decade. The clothes were ugly as hell. Drugs were rampant (and not nearly as fun as they look in the movies). Gas was expensive. Inflation was awful, and the economy was stagnant for most of the decade.” – Randall Reese
#10 Economic Challenges
“In the Winter of Discontent, I had to do my homework by candlelight because of power cuts. My friend Chris was unfortunate enough to be stuck in a lift when the power cut hit – for 4 hours.” – Chris Pampling
#11 The Role of Music
“In 1977, Fleetwood Mac released Rumors, which went on to provide a good deal of the soundtrack for that part of our lives, and it was magnificent.” – Emery Larick
#12 Clothing and Fashion
“The cheesy colors and design may seem strange to us. But they were a sign of an everywhere perceptible ‘everything is conceivable’ and ‘everything is allowed’.” – Thomas McKeon
#13 Slower Pace of Life
“The pace of life was slower in the 70s and 80s compared to now, and without a lot of high-tech gadgets, we lived a fairly natural, authentic life.” – Sean Kernan
#14 No Internet Era
“There were no PCs, no mobile phones, and no Internet, and ‘gaming’ meant playing invented outdoor games.” – Angela Shingler
#15 The Value of Youth
“The best period of your life should be when you are young, and you will tell all them young uns how great it was back then compared to now.” – Amanda Thilwind
Source: Quora.
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