Modern life feels hectic with constant notifications, updates and constant screen – but believe it or not, life in the 1960s was tougher. Yes, the music scene was amazing, and fashion trends were iconic, but daily life had its own set of struggles. In this list, we will explore 14 reasons why daily life during the 1960s was harder than it is today.
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No Google, Just Encyclopedias
Back in the ’60s, you couldn’t search for answers by typing questions into a mobile phone. Searching for information meant flipping through large encyclopedia volumes or visiting the library to find answers. Even then, you would sometimes not find the answer. Research progress was slow and school projects took time.
Phones Were Anchored to the Wall
There were no mobile phones. Every household had a single phone and it was usually fixed to the wall in the kitchen. You had to stand there, dialing each number on a rotary dial. And if someone else picked up another line in the house, they could hear your whole conversation.
Missed Your Show? Too Bad
If you missed your favorite TV show at 7 PM, you were completely out of luck. There was no way to watch missed shows after their original airing. Your only option was to wait for a rerun several months down the line. There were just a few TV channels available and many ended transmission at midnight.
Kids Were Basically Wild
Parents did not have cell phones to monitor their children’s whereabouts. At the start of each day children would leave the house to ride bikes or play ball and parents could only hope they return home before sunset. Without cell phones, kids couldn’t text their parents to report being late or their location.
Household Chores Were Real Work
People used loud washing machines to clean clothes, and most households didn’t have dryers, which forced them to hang laundry outside regardless of weather conditions. Without modern cleaning tools, people cleaned dishes by hand and floors with mops, which took many hours to finish.
Smoking Was Everywhere
Restaurants, offices, buses, and airplanes permitted smoking inside their premises. There were no smoke-free zones. Non-smokers were forced to inhale secondhand smoke – it was just part of life.
Seatbelts? Optional
The modern safety features we depend on weren’t available in cars back then. Although cars had seatbelts, drivers and passengers often chose not to use them. Children bounced around the back seat and baby car seats had minimal padding and were not secure. It was a lot more dangerous on the road.
Limited Career Options for Women
Society expected women to focus on becoming wives and mothers instead of pursuing professional careers. People reacted with surprise when a girl chose to become a doctor or a lawyer. Women usually worked as teachers, nurses, or secretaries but received lower pay compared to men.
Bank Hours Mattered
There were no ATMs, debit cards, or online banking. Your only option to cash a check or withdraw money was to visit the bank during weekdays from 9 AM to 3 PM. Once you missed the banking hours, you had to wait until the next business day to access the bank.
Everything Closed on Sundays
Sundays remained quiet – stores, restaurants, and gas stations were all closed. You had to wait if you forgot to buy groceries on Saturday. On Sundays, people stayed home, watched TV, or went for walks. It was nice in some ways, but not great if you ran out of bread or milk.
Communication Was Slow
To communicate with someone living far away, you had to write a letter with a stamp and wait for at least a week to receive their response. People avoided long-distance phone calls because they were very costly and kept conversations brief when necessary. Staying in touch was much harder.
Limited Food Choices
There were no food delivery apps and most grocery stores stocked only basic grocery items. If you wanted a specific dish like sushi, Thai food, or vegan meals, it was hard to find them. Most families prepared basic meals at home – dishes like meatloaf, mashed potatoes & casseroles.
News Was Delayed
There was no internet, so you couldn’t get instant updates. The morning newspaper or evening TV news was the only way to get updates. Major events might not be reported until the following day. And the news came from just a few trusted channels—no 24/7 coverage.
No Undo Button
When you typed something on a typewriter and made an error, you could not use a “backspace” key to correct it. You needed a correction tape or white-out to correct it. But when you made multiple errors, you had to restart the entire process. Completing homework, essays or work reports needed a lot of time & patience.
Disclaimer: This list is solely the author’s opinion based on research and publicly available information.
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