What would be the people heres definition of a "Child of the Eighties"?

F rom what i can gather the _academic_ definition (such as in the Generations books) is that children of the Eighties are those people born between 1975 and 1983 - those for whom the majority (6 and more years) of their childhood were in the 1980s. Obviously a Child of the '80s is different to a Teen of the '80s

Just interested to hear people's thoughts

I never gave it much thought before.  Your defintion sounds good I guess.  I don't know.

It sounds okay on paper I guess, but where does that leave me, I was born i '71 and I sure don't feel like a Child of the 70s, for one I don't really like disco.

I thgink a true Child of the 80s means a Teen of the 80s, think about it logically; you have more freedom from you're 13 till around 18, than you'll have at any other moment in your life, that's the time when you'll have the time, and the money, and energy to really enjoy the decade.

But that's just me.

I agree with Oliver.  I was born in 62 but feel more like I am from the 70s than the 60s.

Thanks again Mona, it's to finally have someone agree with me on that topic

don't know.....
just about everyone's definitions sound good to me....
They aren't much different.....

I was born in '76......and was 14  by the end of the 80's so whatever that makes me, I'm fine with.
But the 80's definitely hold the most memories and fun times for me

I was born in 1964 and turned 16 at the end of 1980...

I identify more with the 1970's... :)

iw as born 89'...but still i love it!

I was born in 1975, I was 4 when 1980 began and I was 14 when 1989 ended.  I grew up the most in the 80s, far more then I did in the 90s where I only spent 3 years under 18.  I have no problem with being identified with the 80s, even though whatever I did pre-1987 was total kids stuff and I tend to feel more like a child of the 80s and an early 90s teen.  I do find myself getting nostalgic for the 90s on occasion, especially when I think about 1992 being 13 years ago and 1995 being 10 years ago.  Then there's the fact that I turn 30 later this year. 

But I grew up in the 80s way more.  The 80s were magic, and the 80s are home.  The 90s were just a sorta cool place to hang out in as an older teenager and early 20 something, experiment with flannel, and watch grunge give way to Britney and boy bands....but it was certainly not home the way the 80s were.

Basically the 80s rule.

:) 

(taken from dictionary.com)

child
n. pl. chil·dren (chldrn)

1. A person between birth and puberty.
2.  a. An unborn infant;a fetus
     b. An infant; a baby
3. one who is chidish or immature
4. A son or daughter, an offspring
5. A member of a tribe; descendant: children of abraham
6.  a. An individual regarded as strongly affected by another or by a specified time, place, or circumstance: a child of nature; a child of the Sixties.
     b. A product or result of something specified: “Times Square is a child of the 20th century” (Richard F. Shepard).

Depends on the person, really just a fan of the 80s is an eighties child.  But datewise? 1966 to 1975 sounds good.

I was born in 1978, and I consider myself a child of the 80s.  Pretty much because I was actually around back then and old enough to remember it.

I myself was born in 1976, so I am not sure if it puts me in the 80's or 90's, probally 90's since I was a teenager and in high school at the time then.

Off hand though, some of my favorite TV Shows, songs, and movies are from the 80's.

I consider myself a Child of the 80s and a Teen of the 90s. I was born in 1978 and have very fond memories of being a kid in the 80s. From going out and riding my bike and playing tag with friends during recess. Music was definitely a huge deal in the 80s. I remember trying to breakdance when it was cool, not like today when it has been commercialized. I remember Madonna, Boy George, and Michael Jackson when they were new and the biggest icons of what was "hip".

Kids today have no idea what Saturday mornings were like back in the day, what school dances were like when you had a lot space between you and your "date" while slow dancing. The best TGIF line-up on tv was in the 80s. Top 40 radio was all the rage. And last but not least, the malls was THE hangout.

I consider myself a Child of the 80s and a Teen of the 90s. I was born in 1978 and have very fond memories of being a kid in the 80s. From going out and riding my bike and playing tag with friends during recess. Music was definitely a huge deal in the 80s. I remember trying to breakdance when it was cool, not like today when it has been commercialized. I remember Madonna, Boy George, and Michael Jackson when they were new and the biggest icons of what was "hip".

Kids today have no idea what Saturday mornings were like back in the day, what school dances were like when you had a lot space between you and your "date" while slow dancing. The best TGIF line-up on tv was in the 80s. Top 40 radio was all the rage. And last but not least, the malls was THE hangout.




Yeah, the malls are still very popular with teens today, but nothing compared to what they were in the 80s or probably even the 90s.  Now it's all about the Pentiums  :(

^ Very true. I wish malls were still as popular as in the opening shot of Fast Times at Ridgemont High! ...

As for the question at hand, I'd say if you were mostly under, like 12-13 (what I always considered a "kid") before 1990, then you're an 80's child. So, yeah, I'd say born in the 1975-85 range would be about right.

Well, actually 1985 might be pushing it a little, but if they paid attention to stuff early (like I did), it could work. :D And, I'd say no earlier than 1975 'cause you'd already be 14 or 15 at the end of the 80's, which makes you more of an "80's teen."

I was born at the end of '81, so I was 8 when the decade ended, yet, as anyone who knows me will say, my heart has been in that era ever since! I suppose I was just blessed to have (a) paid attention to music/details/culture early on, and (b) had parents that are fairly hip and listened to rock, etc.

i'd still say the Eighties Children are like the books said - people born between 1975 and 1983 - people born in say 1985 only had 4 years out of 12 in the 1980s.

I was born in Jan 1970, so I was a child of the 70s (pictures of me dressed in the style of back then still make me cringe) and I was a teen of the 80s.

don't know.....
just about everyone's definitions sound good to me....
They aren't much different.....

I was born in '76......and was 14  by the end of the 80's so whatever that makes me, I'm fine with.
But the 80's definitely hold the most memories and fun times for me


Huh!? I'm the same age as you and was only 13 (born in Aug) when it ended. Technically I'm a real child of the 80's (3-13) but realistically I know that title is reserved for the older teens (bratpackers) of that era.

I think there're "teens of the '80s"...as would be described as "children of the '80s", who are people born from like 1965-1975 mostly, the 1975ers or so being the absolute latest people to have finished 10th grade (I think it's the year you come of age) before Nevermind. Though really people born from like late 1972-mid 1975 seem more like the "Berlin Wall teens."

"Children of the '80s" are people born from 1975 or 1976 to maybe 1984 or 1985 at the latest, but focusing heavily on the 1976-1983 set of people, I'd say, the '90s Xers and early Yers like Marty. To me, a "child of the '90s" is somebody born from 1984-1993, though it's the 1986-1990 people like myself who it's really focused on. "Children of the '00s" are people born like 1994-2003.

Interesting thread.

I'd go earlier.  I was born around 1970 and consider myself a child of the 80s... barely.  In all honesty, I consider myself too young, not too old, to have truly appreciated the 80s in all their glory.

Can you really appreciate "New Wave" culture if you couldn't get into ... (umm, whatever they called dance clubs after they called them discotheques, but before they called them dance clubs?  Help me out here, fellow geezers!)  I only watched music videos of guys with weird puffy shirts.  Some people wore them.  I remember when my female peers wore "feathered hair" was fashionable. Some people had "big hair" because they went to bars to get laid.

Same goes for the headbangers - although at least you could enjoy stadium rock without having achieved legal drinking age, because heavy metal was played in more than just clubs.

Could you truly appreciate the heights of yuppiedom in the movie "Wall Street" if you didn't have a power suit?  If you'd never seen the white powder that everyone talked about but nobody had seen?  Could you truly appreciate why "disco sucks" (or take the other side of the debate) if all you knew about the debate was that you'd seen a bunch of fans going nuts on a baseball field?  Did you remember stagflation, and malaise?  Did it feel like the 70s was the decade that taste forgot?

In my books, "Child of the 80s" == you figured out (or started figuring out) who you were and what you stood for during the 80s.  You got to experience what I only got to watch on MTV.  (MTV played music back then.)  To be a child of the 80s, I'm gonna go as far back as 1965-1975, and as far forward as 1968-1978. 

Interesting thread.

I'd go earlier.  I was born around 1970 and consider myself a child of the 80s... barely.  In all honesty, I consider myself too young, not too old, to have truly appreciated the 80s in all their glory.

Can you really appreciate "New Wave" culture if you couldn't get into ... (umm, whatever they called dance clubs after they called them discotheques, but before they called them dance clubs?  Help me out here, fellow geezers!)   I only watched music videos of guys with weird puffy shirts.  Some people wore them.  I remember when my female peers wore "feathered hair" was fashionable. Some people had "big hair" because they went to bars to get laid.

Same goes for the headbangers - although at least you could enjoy stadium rock without having achieved legal drinking age, because heavy metal was played in more than just clubs.

Could you truly appreciate the heights of yuppiedom in the movie "Wall Street" if you didn't have a power suit?  If you'd never seen the white powder that everyone talked about but nobody had seen?  Could you truly appreciate why "disco sucks" (or take the other side of the debate) if all you knew about the debate was that you'd seen a bunch of fans going nuts on a baseball field?  Did you remember stagflation, and malaise?  Did it feel like the 70s was the decade that taste forgot?

In my books, "Child of the 80s" == you figured out (or started figuring out) who you were and what you stood for during the 80s.  You got to experience what I only got to watch on MTV.  (MTV played music back then.)   To be a child of the 80s, I'm gonna go as far back as 1965-1975, and as far forward as 1968-1978. 


I've said this time and again (what's one more time gonna hurt? ;) ), but I have noticed, people around your age seem to be defined more by your teen years, and even up to, say 25. While people my age (i.e. 80s kids) as well as '90s kids too, seem to be more defined by their childhood.

I'm a 1981er and I like 1979-94 music the best. What came out when I was 7 is more "my tastes" than what came out when I was 16.


BTW, when I say "child" I mean it literally. Like, under the age of 11 or 12. Pre-puberty.

I've said this time and again (what's one more time gonna hurt? ;) ), but I have noticed, people around your age seem to be defined more by your teen years, and even up to, say 25. While people my age (i.e. 80s kids) as well as '90s kids too, seem to be more defined by their childhood.

I'm a 1981er and I like 1979-94 music the best. What came out when I was 7 is more "my tastes" than what came out when I was 16.

Interesting -- and worthy of its own thread.  I'll jump in there. 

I miss these threads, we've had so many discussions like this but I love them so thanks for the bump.

The term "child of the 80s" I feel is not meant to incorporate New Wave, yuppie culture and MTV... it's more to do with things like Thundercats, computers, Rubix cube, Cosby Show, GI Joe action figures, Jem, Cabbage Patch dolls and Punky Brewster. I reckon the term was purely invented to reflect the change in kids entertainment. So a 73 - 83 age range fits. Maybe as late as 84, but 85 is really pushing it.

From the definitions - I guess I would be a "Teen of the '80's"  I was born in 1965.  I remember the '70's and enjoy many of the music from that time - especially the late '70's - but the '80's is where my heart belongs.  I "grew" up the most in the '80's - had more freedom and made life changing decisions in the '80's.

It sounds okay on paper I guess, but where does that leave me, I was born i '71 and I sure don't feel like a Child of the 70s, for one I don't really like disco.

I thgink a true Child of the 80s means a Teen of the 80s, think about it logically; you have more freedom from you're 13 till around 18, than you'll have at any other moment in your life, that's the time when you'll have the time, and the money, and energy to really enjoy the decade.

But that's just me.


But a teen is different from a child. A teen of the 80s means you are doing teenage things...like paying attention to fads, fashion, paying attention to opposite sex etc....those would be the memories of a teen....a child of the 80s would be focusing on how great care bears was or how they miss she ra and all sorts of other 80s cartoons, snack foods and toys....(like me) *sniff sniff*

I miss these threads, we've had so many discussions like this but I love them so thanks for the bump.

The term "child of the 80s" I feel is not meant to incorporate New Wave, yuppie culture and MTV... it's more to do with things like Thundercats, computers, Rubix cube, Cosby Show, GI Joe action figures, Jem, Cabbage Patch dolls and Punky Brewster. I reckon the term was purely invented to reflect the change in kids entertainment. So a 73 - 83 age range fits. Maybe as late as 84, but 85 is really pushing it.


Born in 83, I can totally appreciate what you're saying. "Child of the 80s" taken literally would mean Thundercats, not comprehending the yuppie culture. lol I can still remember enjoying all the kids entertainment culture (MTV is part of that) put out back then, and a little bit of more important matters like "The central park jogger." 

Born in 76 I was fully aware of yuppie culture, New Wave and wallstreet. If you have older siblings you pick up more too.

Born in 76 I was fully aware of yuppie culture, New Wave and wallstreet. If you have older siblings you pick up more too.


That's true. I was the oldest child....so I guess that's why my younger brothers know about some 80s and early 90s music, culture, etc that they wouldn't know about if i wasn't around.

Well I know its been awhile since there has been a reply, but i just registered.. so well my view on this is if you mean "child" as in before teen ..  Anyone that started school at the first year of the decade up to anyone that started at the end.. so I guess thats people born from 1974/5- 1983/4.

I think people born between 1973 and 1983 could be considered "children of the '80s." The peak of the whole thing is people for whom all their 4-11 years were within the '80s...like people born 1976-1978 or so. People born in 1983 are definitely partial '80s kids, and 1984 is pushing it a little towards being a '90s kid, though it includes elements of both. 1985ers were primarily kids in the first half of the '90s, though the whole "'90s kid" range is people born 1983-1993 and even up to 1994 in some ways.

Thats pretty close to what I would think, though I dont know.. 73'ers are probably more of teens of the 80s. Thats how I feel about it anyway.
--
Dave

Thats pretty close to what I would think, though I dont know.. 73'ers are probably more of teens of the 80s. Thats how I feel about it anyway.
--
Dave


It's possible to be both. Somebody born around the '3-'5 years gets a pretty wide spectrum of things...a '73er is both a '70s and '80s kid and an '80s and '90s teen.