iwhen i was growing up,

*the only way to get in contact with someone was to pick up a home phone and call her home phone. 

*payphones were actually used.

* computers looked like televisions and had hugeass floppy disks.  you could play solitare.  thats about it.  the internet non-existent. 

* computer class at school was a new concept and the oregon trail was it.

*research and information came from books.  and you made a bibliography.  (recently i was politely informed that bibliographies are now a thing of the past.  its works cited now i guess?)

* security was not half as much an issue.  my grammar school was never locked, and nothing was really monitored.  anyone could wander in and out.  nowadays it seems like you need a freakin birth certificate and social security card along with your signature on fifty documents to pick your kid up from school.

thoughts?

*the only way to get in contact with someone was to pick up a home phone and call her home phone. 


- You could also go outside and yell at the top of your lungs to the person you wanted to talk to.  'Course that only worked for people who lived close by lol


*payphones were actually used.


Payphones are still used, but they cost 50c now.  I'd like to reach out and strangle the phone companies for raising it from a quarter


* computers looked like televisions and had hugeass floppy disks.  you could play solitare.  thats about it.  the internet non-existent. 


The Internet dates as far back as the 60s.  The Internet was definately around in the 80s

*research and information came from books.  and you made a bibliography.  (recently i was politely informed that bibliographies are now a thing of the past.  its works cited now i guess?)

You can still do research from books today in places called libraries, or from your own books on the shelves.

Biggest difference for me is that I'm 20 years older then I was back then!  :\'( :\'( :\'(

I had more face-to-face friends back then, now most of my friends I talk to on the internet.
I couldn't keep a relationship going for longer then a couple months back then, NOW I'm going on 4 1/2 years.  Woot!
Back then, I, like, said, "like" like alot, like ya know?  Like gag me with like....a spoon.  Fer sure really.
Now, I speak properly (except for saying "cool" and "woot").  lol  Still can't spell though.  :-[

I think the omnipresence of cellphones and the Internet are the only major difference with the '80s. Even things like different pop culture are very minimal in comparison. Although we basically live the same lifestyle we did then, just with more advanced tech.

In a limited extent, I don't think "the '80s world" really became detached until c. 1997 when the Internet became almost household, and it wasn't old-school until about 2002 or '03 when the nostalgia for it started picking up. Prior to this, people still used cassettes, VCRs and video arcades, and even a typical mall or shopping center was like an advanced form of how it would've looked in the actual '80s.

I think the omnipresence of cellphones and the Internet are the only major difference with the '80s. Even things like different pop culture are very minimal in comparison. Although we basically live the same lifestyle we did then, just with more advanced tech.


Cellphones and Internet: ONLY major difference - disagree; BIGGEST major difference - I agree wholeheartedly.  I see these two changes as a real paradigm shift for our day-to-day living.  Another big difference is the security stuff we deal with (not that nobody was security conscious in the 80's because we were, there was just a difference of scale - our biggest security worries were gangs and thieves and serial killers.)  One more difference is the diversity of forms of entertainment today.  In the 80's there were less TV channels, a LOT less video games, no video Ipods or car DVD players or anything like that, just a few cable TV channels, videotapes, LPs/cassettes (later CDs), and portable walkmans or boomboxes.

Given those differences, I seem to recall we spent more time back then talking - face to face  :o

Cellphones and computers. Everythiny else like music and fashion and hair is starting to look like the eighties again. Theremake of Hairspray is interseting. A 2000's remake of a 1980's movie set in the 1960's, still set in the 1960's but still looks like a 1980's movie, but is a musical and probably better than the original. How'd they do that?? 8) 8)

Cellphones and Internet: ONLY major difference - disagree; BIGGEST major difference - I agree wholeheartedly.  I see these two changes as a real paradigm shift for our day-to-day living.  Another big difference is the security stuff we deal with (not that nobody was security conscious in the 80's because we were, there was just a difference of scale - our biggest security worries were gangs and thieves and serial killers.)  One more difference is the diversity of forms of entertainment today.  In the 80's there were less TV channels, a LOT less video games, no video Ipods or car DVD players or anything like that, just a few cable TV channels, videotapes, LPs/cassettes (later CDs), and portable walkmans or boomboxes.

Given those differences, I seem to recall we spent more time back then talking - face to face  :o

Yeah, the '80s were pretty high tech for their time, but as a whole, it didn't dominate the way it does now. I'm sure there were people who were resistant to the idea of VCRs, video games you could play at home, or Walkmen. Terrorism wasn't the daily headlines like it is now.

But in a general context, the world was the same in the 1980s in terms of the way people acted or most of the things we did. For being as old as it is, it doesn't seem like it. It's probably no more than 10% different, and those differences are things like pop culture, technology and certain mindsets.

When I was growing up in the 80's, me and my friends spent plenty of time outdoors. We played at the park, in each other's backyards, or the vacant lot at the end of the street in my old neighborhood. These days, I drive by parks and they're practically empty.

When I was growing up in the 80's, me and my friends spent plenty of time outdoors. We played at the park, in each other's backyards, or the vacant lot at the end of the street in my old neighborhood. These days, I drive by parks and they're practically empty.


Kids today are inside with their Hi DEF TVs and their Playstations and Wii's, and iPods.  They have it so easy
When I was growing up in the 80s, the top technology was like a VCR, a NES, and a cellular phone the size of a brick lol

Instead of DVDs, there were laser discs.

Instead of DVDs, there were laser discs.
Which I can remember being expensive.

The Internet dates as far back as the 60s.  The Internet was definately around in the 80s


i know, but it definitely wasn't a part of everyday life.  kids didnt know about it.  your average, everyday family didnt have it in the home, shop on it, communicate with it.

-VCRs
-Walkmans
-Cable TV
-Movie channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.)
-MTV (that was when the "M" meant "music". I have no idea what the "M" means today.  :-\\ )
-Word processors
-NES
-Boom boxes
-Night time soaps



Cat

-VCRs
-Walkmans
-Cable TV
-Movie channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.)
-MTV (that was when the "M" meant "music". I have no idea what the "M" means today.  :-\\ )
-Word processors
-NES
-Boom boxes
-Night time soaps



Cat
We probably slept longer in the 80s?

Which I can remember being expensive.


And I remember being freaking two sided.  You figure something that big, would hold all of it's stuff on side one.  ;D

I also remember borrowing them from the library.

There were a handful channels, we got on our TV. If you wanted to watch stuff, on other channels, you either had to go cable or satellite.

I have a really good story about the last one.  The owners of the house, we were about to move into, offer both a satellite dish (the monster ones, not the digital one), and a dog.

However mom thought that me and my brother, would watching to tv, if we had the satellit.

We went with the dog instead.

-VCRs
-Walkmans
-Cable TV
-Movie channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.)
-MTV (that was when the "M" meant "music". I have no idea what the "M" means today.  :-\\ )
-Word processors
-NES
-Boom boxes
-Night time soaps



Cat


I like to think of Walkmans as the iPods of the 80's.  :D Especially with some good mix tapes!

I like to think of Walkmans as the iPods of the 80's.  :D Especially with some good mix tapes!


Indeed, Walkmans did seem pretty amazing at the time.  Plus good mix tapes weren't that hard to do.  :)

A big difference is that you can't put your entire collection (or a big chunk of it) on a tape.  Not to mention, there was no video.  And the bulk - small as they were in comparison, a shirt pocket usually didn't cut it...  ::)

Well, in my case it's probably just a case of getting old and crusty / dropping out from the scene that I have the perception that the music of the 80's was FAR superior to what's been around for the last 17 years or so. I don't bother listening to the current music these days.

Cassette tapes still ruled the day. I still have a couple from the mid 70's that sound nearly as good today ... but have had so many get mangled in machines over the years, I've finally copied most of them over into mp3 format too .... so that's a definite improvement cheap relatively permanent high quality storage, where the music doesn't degrade.

Computers are cheap, and very powerful compared to back then. At the time, I was going to university. Used to spend ages and ages putting reports together. Had to write it all out in draft, cross stuff out, move it around, ... then write it all out all over again and still often end up using liquid paper. Could only type with one finger from each hand in those days. With the internet and todays computers, doing all that work would have taken a fraction of the time .. be a relative breeze ... and to do the research too.

The 80's seemed to be ending on a high ... what with the Berlin Wall coming down, and the apartheid system being dismantled, then the Soviet Union a few years later ... cause for some optimism ... but now, I don't feel as safe catching a plane as back then ...  :(

Cassettes were quite popular in the '90s too, and even lasted as a secondary format until about 2002 or '03. People still taped off the radio or went around with a Walkman sometimes. But yes, they were probably the most popular in the '80s in terms of being the most common format.

1. We listened to albums. Since fast forwarding a tape was not efficient or easy, we would listen to the entire album, now a days I find myself buying a CD listing to about 15 seconds of the songs and hitting next until I get to the song I bought the CD for.

2. Payphones were on every corner, they can be difficult to find in some places now.

3. Alot more TV channels to choose from.

4. MTV played videos 24/7

5. Cool cars had big fat back tires and loud exhausts, now they have dropped pickups with the rear bumper practically dragging on the ground, and muffler tips that sound like everyone is driving a grass edger.

When did I know it all changed? When the news did a story on a local church that was broken into and vandalized.

There's just not much respect from the younger generation these days.

1. We listened to albums. Since fast forwarding a tape was not efficient or easy, we would listen to the entire album, now a days I find myself buying a CD listing to about 15 seconds of the songs and hitting next until I get to the song I bought the CD for.

2. Payphones were on every corner, they can be difficult to find in some places now.

3. Alot more TV channels to choose from.

4. MTV played videos 24/7

5. Cool cars had big fat back tires and loud exhausts, now they have dropped pickups with the rear bumper practically dragging on the ground, and muffler tips that sound like everyone is driving a grass edger.

When did I know it all changed? When the news did a story on a local church that was broken into and vandalized.

There's just not much respect from the younger generation these days.
The MTV I have on my television does not play pop videos anymore.

The MTV I have on my television does not play pop videos anymore.


It did through most of the 80's Then they started doing shows like Remote Control and Real world, and I think they forgot what the "M" stood for.

I agree, M in the MTV, doesn't stand for anything anymore.

I agree, M in the MTV, doesn't stand for anything anymore.
Monotenous TV?

Close enough.  ;D

 
  Guys, 24-7 music videos just wouldn't work today.  They've long since lost their novelty and mass market appeal...

  Don't blame MTV.  Music videos are s-o-o last millenium...

  Now, if I had digital cable, I'd be tuning into VH1 Classic...

 

The peak period for music videos was 1983 to 1992. The "creative", storyline video sort of died after this, although there were still some interesting ones, in a simpler, darker sense for the '90s. There was a semi revival of videos (i.e. Britney) in the Y2K era, but it didn't really equal their original run. And yeah, they're generally pretty boring and mediocre now.

Guys, it's the same problem with pop music in general - if the industry doesn't put as much money or effort into bands as they used to, it'll be the same with videos.

 
  The 80s explosion of the past few years has been a real kick, and I admit I might miss it when it's gone...

  We get our music remastered, expanded and reissued.  We have entire seasons of our television shows sitting on the bookcase.  We get our movies cleaned-up, digitally remastered in anamoprphic 16:9 Dolby DTS blah, blah, blah with heaping helpings of extras.  We get VH1 commentators talking about the 80s as if they'd lived it but, in fact, weren't even born yet or were still chewing on cassette tapes and shoving crayons into the VCR (which I find mildly entertaining...)

  At the same time I can't help but feel manipulated.  Yeah, that's it, manipulated.  It's a Boomer conspiracy..!

  Jeez Louise - I'm a consumer...! :o

People can have secondhand knowledge of things, too, you know. ;)

People can have secondhand knowledge of things, too, you know. ;)


  Yeah, I know.  I was just on a roll... :)

I have three words for you

Continuous Feed Paper

The bane of my existence.

http://www.buyonlinenow.com/photo2.asp%3Fphoto=EJ021713.jpg

No matter how careful I was not to let it wrap around the little thing-a-ma-bob.  It ALWAYS did.  And I had to reprint the whole 24 sheet report all over again on the dot matrix printer...wait...that's another one... The Dot Matrix or Daisy Wheel Printer...the ink sometimes would dry out (the printer ribbon) so that it was so light...you had a hard time reading what your printed out.

But the fun things were...those were the awesome days of (I think it was called) Printmaster, when I could make up cool signs for the library and didn't have to hand draw anything.  Wheeeeeee 

 
  Guys, 24-7 music videos just wouldn't work today.  They've long since lost their novelty and mass market appeal...

  Don't blame MTV.  Music videos are s-o-o last millenium...

  Now, if I had digital cable, I'd be tuning into VH1 Classic...

 


MTV hardly plays shows that have anything to do with Music period.

You have to tune into VH1 Classics or MTV2 to see music related programming.

I don't think it is too much for them to at least keep the "M" in MTV, or is it now called Miscellaneous TeleVision? ;)

MTV hardly plays shows that have anything to do with Music period.

You have to tune into VH1 Classics or MTV2 to see music related programming.

I don't think it is too much for them to at least keep the "M" in MTV, or is it now called Miscellaneous TeleVision? ;)
Even now, the VH1 we have here is beginning to show non-video based programmes.

I have three words for you

Continuous Feed Paper

The bane of my existence.

http://www.buyonlinenow.com/photo2.asp%3Fphoto=EJ021713.jpg

No matter how careful I was not to let it wrap around the little thing-a-ma-bob.  It ALWAYS did.  And I had to reprint the whole 24 sheet report all over again on the dot matrix printer...wait...that's another one... The Dot Matrix or Daisy Wheel Printer...the ink sometimes would dry out (the printer ribbon) so that it was so light...you had a hard time reading what your printed out.

But the fun things were...those were the awesome days of (I think it was called) Printmaster, when I could make up cool signs for the library and didn't have to hand draw anything.  Wheeeeeee 



Ah yeah, dot matrix. My ancient dinosaur came with one of those. I still have it but it is tucked away in a box.


Oh, another thing-film cameras. You can rarely find film cameras anymore. They are all digital. I'm still a holdout for the film cameras. I was at a family function last month and everyone had their cameras with them. They all laughed at me because I had a camera that still uses film.



Cat

Polaroid cameras were more popular.

Polaroid cameras were more popular.
Back then there was no other option?

Polaroid cameras were more popular.


Yeah I liked the instant developing cameras, although the film was really quite expensive.

Yeah I liked the instant developing cameras, although the film was really quite expensive.


The earliest photos of myself were taken with one of those Polaroid cameras. Not only did my parents spend a fortune on film, they also had to buy separate disposable flashes that attached on top of the camera. They stopped using that camera when they bought one of those thin 110 (I think that's what they're called) cameras, and later a 35MM.

The earliest photos of myself were taken with one of those Polaroid cameras. Not only did my parents spend a fortune on film, they also had to buy separate disposable flashes that attached on top of the camera. They stopped using that camera when they bought one of those thin 110 (I think that's what they're called) cameras, and later a 35MM.


Yeah, your are right about the 110.  I absolutely adored my 110 camera.  I used it all the time.  Then 35 mm started getting much more popular and it began getting harder and harder to find film for it, then I finally broke down and bought a 35mm. 

Anybody remember those cameras called "disc" cameras? 
http://www.scienceandsociety.co.uk/Pix/ENT/29/10311729_T.JPG

That's what came between Polaroid instant cameras and 35MM cameras for us.

Kids today are inside with their Hi DEF TVs and their Playstations and Wii's, and iPods.  They have it so easy
When I was growing up in the 80s, the top technology was like a VCR, a NES, and a cellular phone the size of a brick lol


All of that is very true. Especially the cell phone the size of a brick - gotta love that - my Dad had one of those  ;D

Back then there was no other option?


I kind of miss the Polarroid camera, the film was expensive, but I like the idea of instant film developing.

The earliest photos of myself were taken with one of those Polaroid cameras. Not only did my parents spend a fortune on film, they also had to buy separate disposable flashes that attached on top of the camera. They stopped using that camera when they bought one of those thin 110 (I think that's what they're called) cameras, and later a 35MM.



I had a 126 camera and then got a 110 one before going to the 35MM. I do remember the flash cubes. Got 4 flashes to a cube. I thought it was so cool that they started attaching the flash to the cameras.



Cat

I had a 126 camera and then got a 110 one before going to the 35MM. I do remember the flash cubes. Got 4 flashes to a cube. I thought it was so cool that they started attaching the flash to the cameras.



Cat


We used 110 and Polaroids growing up. I remember getting a cheap Vivitar 35mm camera when I was 9, and it never worked very well. I think I got one good roll out of that.

I still have a good quality 35mm Advantix camera that I still would use, but it's at my mom's house now.

-VCRs
-Walkmans
-Cable TV
-Movie channels (HBO, Showtime, etc.)
-MTV (that was when the "M" meant "music". I have no idea what the "M" means today.  :-\\ )
-Word processors
-NES
-Boom boxes
-Night time soaps


80's clothes were a lot more fun, even though they didn't last long...but hey, some are coming back 8) ::)
Cat

Monotenous TV?
MpTy V is how I see it today.  As for pop up video, you can catch it on VH1 Classics on Saturday afternoons....Just watch 2 hours of it this past weekend, my kid thinks I'm a freak.  She wanted to know why Boy George was dressed like that...

Lorelei
eMpTy V is how I see it today.  As for pop up video, you can catch it on VH1 Classics on Saturday afternoons....Just watch 2 hours of it this past weekend, my kid thinks I'm a freak.  She wanted to know why Boy George was dressed like that...

We all wondered what Boy George was wearing back then.

classic theatrical cartoons were still shown on tv

Yes, kids played outside!  We also walked to school or rode our bikes, even if it was far.  All of these Amber Alerts, etc. have parents so paranoid that nobody's allowed out unsupervised (which perversely makes things more unsafe  because no other kids are walking to school or playing in the park either.)  I live in a nice, safe suburb and there are no kids playing outside, ever.

I think music was more inclusive and varied. Of course some people liked rock and some people liked dance music and some people liked new wave, but they played all of these things at school dances and nobody minded. You would listen to Def Leppard AND Wham and the Talking Heads AND Prince, all on the same radio station.  Now, if you like rap, you never have to accidentally hear a rock song, or vice versa. I think that's a bad thing.

Fashion was more fun, IMO.

Disney Channel aired classic Disney animation and didn't spawn any manufactured pop acts besides The Party

Disney Channel aired classic Disney animation and didn't spawn any manufactured pop acts besides The Party


Annette Funicello  ;)

The biggest difference would be about 30 years.