Ask HN: What made the 80s so pleasant?
71 comments
I was born in 1967.. so I remember the 80's very well. First, let me say that it wasn't all great: AIDS was pretty scary (as someone else noted).. no one knew what the hell that was and it was killing a lot of people. There was also the ever-present spectre of nuclear war with Russia...Iran-Contra, 1987 stock market crash.. However, to your point, there was no exhausting news cycle, no exhausting bullshit social media, no in-your-face, constant idiocy from the political class (well, there probably was.. but we didn't hear about it), no 20 years of terrorism and associated wars, no worldwide pandemics that killed millions, no global warming; all of which has scared the living shit out of every person alive (ya know, if you're not completely insane). I grew up in the 80's.. went to high school, and college in the 80's. I remember always being optimistic about the future. Now I'm not so sure.. I have three kids all under 23.. I do not envy what the future holds for them. (which is probably what my parents said about me;)
"Lay ordinate and abscissa on the century. Now cut me a quadrant: third quadrant if you please, I was born in sixty-five."*
Now that I got that out of my system, yea. The 80's were nothing special and kinda sucked in retrospect. Cars were crap, everyone thought we were months away from WW III, if you wanted to learn something, you had to head over to the library and hope the books you wanted were still there. Wikipedia, etc., simply did not exist. Google was not a thing. People made sure they always had change on their person in case they needed to make a phone call (girls I knew would have a dime sewn into their bra for emergencies). I lived in NYC at the time, Times Square was a shithole (no, it wasn't "gritty," it was flat-out nasty).
* OTOH, I think Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones came out in the 80's. And so did Neuromancer and we ended it with "Sex, Lies and Videotape" and the fall of the Soviet Union, so it wasn't all bad.
[edit] just googled it and Time Considered was written shortly after I was born. So much for that!
[second edit]Yeah, I'm old. The book I was thinking of was actually Stars in my pocket like grains of sand which was actually published in the 80's. So win one, lose one :-)
Now that I got that out of my system, yea. The 80's were nothing special and kinda sucked in retrospect. Cars were crap, everyone thought we were months away from WW III, if you wanted to learn something, you had to head over to the library and hope the books you wanted were still there. Wikipedia, etc., simply did not exist. Google was not a thing. People made sure they always had change on their person in case they needed to make a phone call (girls I knew would have a dime sewn into their bra for emergencies). I lived in NYC at the time, Times Square was a shithole (no, it wasn't "gritty," it was flat-out nasty).
* OTOH, I think Time Considered as a Helix of Semi-Precious Stones came out in the 80's. And so did Neuromancer and we ended it with "Sex, Lies and Videotape" and the fall of the Soviet Union, so it wasn't all bad.
[edit] just googled it and Time Considered was written shortly after I was born. So much for that!
[second edit]Yeah, I'm old. The book I was thinking of was actually Stars in my pocket like grains of sand which was actually published in the 80's. So win one, lose one :-)
Please explain to people living in towns that had 30+% unemployment and later completely collapsed that the 80s were better and watch them laugh in your face if they don't punch you (see: any mill town in Pennsylvania--Allentown, Johnstown, etc.) ...
While I'm always one to dump on the MAGAs, they have a point in that for a LOT of people, life WAS better because labor jobs (mills, mines, auto factories, etc.) paid for a decent life. Those jobs which were good in the 1960s and 1970s then vaporized in the 1980s.
While I'm always one to dump on the MAGAs, they have a point in that for a LOT of people, life WAS better because labor jobs (mills, mines, auto factories, etc.) paid for a decent life. Those jobs which were good in the 1960s and 1970s then vaporized in the 1980s.
The thing I remember about living in the UK in the 80's is that there was an economic boom where people became wealthier. Not just the equivalent of dotcom billionaires, but your average blue collar worker.
It was enough of a cultural phenomenon that there was a comedian created a character called "Loadsamoney" - a cockney carpenter that was earning massive amounts of money.
People moan about "boom and bust" economies, but for the last 20 years I think all we have had is "bust" and no "boom".
It was enough of a cultural phenomenon that there was a comedian created a character called "Loadsamoney" - a cockney carpenter that was earning massive amounts of money.
People moan about "boom and bust" economies, but for the last 20 years I think all we have had is "bust" and no "boom".
Hey, fellow 67’er.
My graduation class chose Alphaville’s “Forever Young” as its commencement song. Yah, the one that starts off
> Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while > Heaven can wait, we're only watching the skies > Hoping for the best but expecting the worst > Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
I think that that musical choice perfectly encapsulates what it was to grow up as Gen X.
My graduation class chose Alphaville’s “Forever Young” as its commencement song. Yah, the one that starts off
> Let's dance in style, let's dance for a while > Heaven can wait, we're only watching the skies > Hoping for the best but expecting the worst > Are you gonna drop the bomb or not?
I think that that musical choice perfectly encapsulates what it was to grow up as Gen X.
I would have chosen "We didn't start the fire" (as a younger Gen Xer), but maybe that song was maybe more aimed at baby boomers.
> I remember always being optimistic about the future. Now I'm not so sure.
1968 here...
I was somewhat pessimistic about the world throughout most of the '80s, primarily because of the cold war, Libya, etc.
But when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and during the subsequent years in the 1990s, when it felt like Russia was becoming a democracy (in combination with the explosion of the WWW), I became optimistic about society.
I look back on my optimism and it makes me feel naive. :-(
1968 here...
I was somewhat pessimistic about the world throughout most of the '80s, primarily because of the cold war, Libya, etc.
But when the Berlin Wall fell in 1989 and during the subsequent years in the 1990s, when it felt like Russia was becoming a democracy (in combination with the explosion of the WWW), I became optimistic about society.
I look back on my optimism and it makes me feel naive. :-(
A few extra years here :-)
Post the wall coming down there was a sense of optimism and then came the breakup of Yugoslavia with ethnic cleansing and the siege of Sarajevo. In the same time period - the Rwandan genocide.
So, yes the never-ending nuclear fear mongering (not saying the threat wasn't/isn't real - it is) gave way to a small window of time that looked promising.
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
Post the wall coming down there was a sense of optimism and then came the breakup of Yugoslavia with ethnic cleansing and the siege of Sarajevo. In the same time period - the Rwandan genocide.
So, yes the never-ending nuclear fear mongering (not saying the threat wasn't/isn't real - it is) gave way to a small window of time that looked promising.
plus ça change, plus c'est la même chose
I should also qualify my jaundiced view of the future, with an actual belief that we'll eventually solve some of these problems.. particularly global warming, and energy creation. I have exactly zero faith that we are finished trying to kill one another for money.
Flying internationally was great. Planes felt mostly empty, lines were faster and shoes weren't taken off. Upgrades were more common, even as a child.
On the other hand people sometimes smoked and luggage was sometimes lost.
On the other hand people sometimes smoked and luggage was sometimes lost.
How cheap were plane tickets during the '80s in nominal dollars?
I should add that, of course, there actually was terrorism.. just not in the US on the scale of 9/11.. (which I had the misfortune of experiencing firsthand in Manhattan).
Thanks for the detailed response. Great points for me to note! I think hope and optimism are what keep us going, even when everything around us is mostly negative.
Also not to forget the worries about the ozone hole.
Born in December '66. The fear of nuclear holocaust was prevalent (The Day After, Threads, etc), but every thing else was pretty good and optimistic. The Ukraine invasion and instability of Russian leadership has brought the nuclear fears back. The danger never really went away, but the present seems actually more dangerous.
Stranger Things and other modern movies like Wonder Woman: 1984 present an inconsistent idea of what the 1980s was like.
Case in point, there's a scene in a supermarket with a bunch of breakfast cereals from various pop franchises. That never happened in reality. In reality, the same cereal would be repackaged for whatever was the hot movie/brand at the time.
This is somewhat sent up in this video from UK's The Adam and Joe Show. https://vimeo.com/347912488
Case in point, there's a scene in a supermarket with a bunch of breakfast cereals from various pop franchises. That never happened in reality. In reality, the same cereal would be repackaged for whatever was the hot movie/brand at the time.
This is somewhat sent up in this video from UK's The Adam and Joe Show. https://vimeo.com/347912488
Didn't know that. I googled 1980s cereal and sure enough: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/70437468476516/
> Case in point, there's a scene in a supermarket with a bunch of breakfast cereals from various pop franchises
Yep, Season 3 Episode 1. Also seems like everyone went to the mall to hangout :-)
Yep, Season 3 Episode 1. Also seems like everyone went to the mall to hangout :-)
The mall hangout thing was pretty spot on though in the 1980s (I was born in 1970). So much so that eventually a lot of mall security started making a point of harassing teens that weren't actually actively shopping though.
I think mall culture came down to two things: fewer ways to communicate, so the mall was an obvious central gathering location, and secondly fewer things to do, so the mall was where bored teens hung out.
I grew up in the UK and moved to the US in my early 20s.
In UK cities people hung out at different places, not a lot of malls.
In UK cities people hung out at different places, not a lot of malls.
Slightly tangential but I read this article recently on how deregulation and Reagan "created your childhood" - pretty interesting stuff. https://www.everything80spodcast.com/deregulation-and-advert...
I was born in '84, and so was very young in the 80s, but it was normal for me around kindergarten age to walk alone to a friend's house in the neighborhood, find out that they weren't home, go somewhere else, and call home from there to update Mom on my location. Even just a few years after that, they were worried about kidnappings and such, and I wasn't allowed as much freedom anymore.
I've also always been interested in technology. I remember using some variant of Apple II in school (Oregon Trail, Number Munchers, and such), an IBM PCJr at home (a pack of Sesame Street games, Alleycat, and some others I don't remember well enough to identify). This was obviously before the internet was typically available in homes, and before the first web browser...I do remember using Prodigy on my grandfather's computer around the time (text-only, over a 2.4kbps modem). To me, one of the stark differences is that computers weren't so embedded and essential in people's lives.
I've also always been interested in technology. I remember using some variant of Apple II in school (Oregon Trail, Number Munchers, and such), an IBM PCJr at home (a pack of Sesame Street games, Alleycat, and some others I don't remember well enough to identify). This was obviously before the internet was typically available in homes, and before the first web browser...I do remember using Prodigy on my grandfather's computer around the time (text-only, over a 2.4kbps modem). To me, one of the stark differences is that computers weren't so embedded and essential in people's lives.
It wasn't all pleasant. You're seeing the past through a heavy filter.
The 80s did have lots of interesting things going on: new music, video games, crazy fashion.
We also had a mysterious epidemic (AIDS) and overhanging threat of nuclear war. Oh wait, we still have that.
The 80s did have lots of interesting things going on: new music, video games, crazy fashion.
We also had a mysterious epidemic (AIDS) and overhanging threat of nuclear war. Oh wait, we still have that.
> You're seeing the past through a heavy filter
I agree. I guess it's what movies do. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, its all I have as a reference, including a few books here and there. But I like that there seemed to be a clear cut distinction between life and technology, today, technology is so intertwined into our daily lives
I agree. I guess it's what movies do. Unfortunately, or fortunately for me, its all I have as a reference, including a few books here and there. But I like that there seemed to be a clear cut distinction between life and technology, today, technology is so intertwined into our daily lives
You're seeing an idealized fantasy version of the 80s. What a lot of people remember of the 80s was childhood so they lacked awareness of the things that would cause adults stress, and so that's the view shows set in the 80s reflect.
For many people the 80s were not good - the CIA was introducing crack to finance itself (and arguably targeting destabilizing black america), AIDS was killing thousands while significant portions of the world were celebrating the "gay plague" or GRID (Gay Related Immune Disorder), Police still routinely targeted LGBT clubs, being fired for being gay or trans was legal, etc
For many people the 80s were not good - the CIA was introducing crack to finance itself (and arguably targeting destabilizing black america), AIDS was killing thousands while significant portions of the world were celebrating the "gay plague" or GRID (Gay Related Immune Disorder), Police still routinely targeted LGBT clubs, being fired for being gay or trans was legal, etc
Was born in 1973 and grew up in the Redwoods of Northern California, near what would eventually become Silicon Valley.
In that place and time, the 80's were mostly a very fun and exciting bunch of years to be a child, with the crazy hippie 60's/70's mentality of the adults crossing over into a new "cleaner" era of exploding fresh technology and intelligent comic vision.
Records became cassettes. Being able to record our own sounds and listen to music on mobile devices for the very first time was totally amazing. The first personal computers arrived, which were equally incredible, although quite mysterious and complex.
Atari 2600 and the video game revolution hit, with all of us hooking up our new joystick machines to parents big Zenith televisions, while dumping quarters into arcades.
The arrival of the VCR was a breakthrough in being able to watch movies at home, GOOD movies such as Star Wars, Breakfast Club, Blade Runner, Dark Crystal and countless other great films from the time, many of which we saw in theater.
Really cool new music was coming out regularly, from bands like Depeche Mode and Oingo Boingo. MTV arrived and was extremely bizarre and brilliant, at first.
The environment was less toxic and people were far less paranoid in general. We spent endless sunny days riding bikes, swimming in rivers, climbing trees, building forts, go-carts, and causing silly mischief, without any threat of watching cameras. We could make prank phone calls in the middle of the night without any worry about "Caller ID." ;)
We were afraid of the "nuclear war" propaganda constantly pouring out of the 3 mainstream TV channels (PBS was relaxing) and some young friends committed suicide. Yet, the Space Shuttle launches were inspiring and we felt that America was genuinely dedicated to freedom, democracy, and justice. This illusion was eventually crushed, for me.
The 80's officially died in a wave of hip-hop, rap, awful "butt rock," bad films, and a sudden appreciation for general stupidity. The inspiring momentum of what felt like a positive movement seemed to fall apart suddenly with corporate consolidation of media, commercialization of everything, and a darker, harsher, lifeless cultural attitude.
Been missing that bright 80's era, ever since.
In that place and time, the 80's were mostly a very fun and exciting bunch of years to be a child, with the crazy hippie 60's/70's mentality of the adults crossing over into a new "cleaner" era of exploding fresh technology and intelligent comic vision.
Records became cassettes. Being able to record our own sounds and listen to music on mobile devices for the very first time was totally amazing. The first personal computers arrived, which were equally incredible, although quite mysterious and complex.
Atari 2600 and the video game revolution hit, with all of us hooking up our new joystick machines to parents big Zenith televisions, while dumping quarters into arcades.
The arrival of the VCR was a breakthrough in being able to watch movies at home, GOOD movies such as Star Wars, Breakfast Club, Blade Runner, Dark Crystal and countless other great films from the time, many of which we saw in theater.
Really cool new music was coming out regularly, from bands like Depeche Mode and Oingo Boingo. MTV arrived and was extremely bizarre and brilliant, at first.
The environment was less toxic and people were far less paranoid in general. We spent endless sunny days riding bikes, swimming in rivers, climbing trees, building forts, go-carts, and causing silly mischief, without any threat of watching cameras. We could make prank phone calls in the middle of the night without any worry about "Caller ID." ;)
We were afraid of the "nuclear war" propaganda constantly pouring out of the 3 mainstream TV channels (PBS was relaxing) and some young friends committed suicide. Yet, the Space Shuttle launches were inspiring and we felt that America was genuinely dedicated to freedom, democracy, and justice. This illusion was eventually crushed, for me.
The 80's officially died in a wave of hip-hop, rap, awful "butt rock," bad films, and a sudden appreciation for general stupidity. The inspiring momentum of what felt like a positive movement seemed to fall apart suddenly with corporate consolidation of media, commercialization of everything, and a darker, harsher, lifeless cultural attitude.
Been missing that bright 80's era, ever since.
>The environment was less toxic and people were far less paranoid in general.
The Satanic Panic or moral crusades about horror movies like Poltergiest had no bearing on your life?
>The 80's officially died in a wave of hip-hop, rap, awful "butt rock," bad films,
Why do you think those music genres killed the '80s?
>and a sudden appreciation for general stupidity.
Is this in reference to the Simpsons or something else?
>The inspiring momentum of what felt like a positive movement seemed to fall apart suddenly with corporate consolidation of media, commercialization of everything, and a darker, harsher, lifeless cultural attitude.
Wasn't the media already consolidated to begin with (i.e. 3 channels if you didn't have cable or satellite)?
The Satanic Panic or moral crusades about horror movies like Poltergiest had no bearing on your life?
>The 80's officially died in a wave of hip-hop, rap, awful "butt rock," bad films,
Why do you think those music genres killed the '80s?
>and a sudden appreciation for general stupidity.
Is this in reference to the Simpsons or something else?
>The inspiring momentum of what felt like a positive movement seemed to fall apart suddenly with corporate consolidation of media, commercialization of everything, and a darker, harsher, lifeless cultural attitude.
Wasn't the media already consolidated to begin with (i.e. 3 channels if you didn't have cable or satellite)?
All of your points are valid.
Being a child at the time certainly biased my opinion and experience, as well as my particular living location. Probably didn't really notice or care about already established cultural trends until older. It's easy to grow attached to our specific "generation" and have a hard time accepting change.
Growing up in country towns with plenty of friends around was a blast and kept us away from screens much of the time. Wishing all children could experience a more natural youth with direct contact with plants and animals. It's some of the best education possible and provides a deeper perspective of all things human, technological, or political.
We are simply "smart monkeys" after all, aren't we?
Being a child at the time certainly biased my opinion and experience, as well as my particular living location. Probably didn't really notice or care about already established cultural trends until older. It's easy to grow attached to our specific "generation" and have a hard time accepting change.
Growing up in country towns with plenty of friends around was a blast and kept us away from screens much of the time. Wishing all children could experience a more natural youth with direct contact with plants and animals. It's some of the best education possible and provides a deeper perspective of all things human, technological, or political.
We are simply "smart monkeys" after all, aren't we?
My questions weren't rhetorical. I was not attempting to make any points. I'm genuinely curious as to what your answers are.
I wasn't born or raised during that era but it's something I take an interest in. I'm well aware everyone's lives are different. Your best days in country towns might likely have been someone's worst in the inner cities.
Ah, I see.
Well, my first experience of hip-hop and rap was very shocking. It seemed completely crude and disgusting to me, especially all of the gang violence expressed. I was deeply confused as to why so many people were enjoying this new "music" and my immediate thought is that there must be racist white media owners pushing aggressive propaganda to fuel fires of blacks fighting each other.
Later in life, I learned to appreciate rap slightly more with the sharp political expressions of Public Enemy, the heart of Arrested Development, and the sick hilariousness of Too $hort.
Intelligent, meaningful lyrics, complex melodies, and innovation in general seemed to take a back seat at this time. The same was reflected in films. The quality of all media just felt like it was in decline.
Quit watching television and most movies soon after and never looked back. My favorite "modern" movies are Ex Machina, I Am Mother, Children Of Men, and Sorry To Disturb You.
My favorite current bands are Ladytron, Marsheaux, Electric Youth, and Maps (the best!):
https://mapsmute.bandcamp.com
Indeed, my country town life was absolutely awesome, along with growing up with a young single "hippie" mom who loved me fully and set me free. It was a perfect balance of endless nature in sunny weather with tons of friends along with rapidly advancing technology that felt empowering.
We were no longer just being merely consumers of media, yet able to get inside those screens and speakers ourselves.
Wish more people these days would jump in with us:
https://vavrek.com
Well, my first experience of hip-hop and rap was very shocking. It seemed completely crude and disgusting to me, especially all of the gang violence expressed. I was deeply confused as to why so many people were enjoying this new "music" and my immediate thought is that there must be racist white media owners pushing aggressive propaganda to fuel fires of blacks fighting each other.
Later in life, I learned to appreciate rap slightly more with the sharp political expressions of Public Enemy, the heart of Arrested Development, and the sick hilariousness of Too $hort.
Intelligent, meaningful lyrics, complex melodies, and innovation in general seemed to take a back seat at this time. The same was reflected in films. The quality of all media just felt like it was in decline.
Quit watching television and most movies soon after and never looked back. My favorite "modern" movies are Ex Machina, I Am Mother, Children Of Men, and Sorry To Disturb You.
My favorite current bands are Ladytron, Marsheaux, Electric Youth, and Maps (the best!):
https://mapsmute.bandcamp.com
Indeed, my country town life was absolutely awesome, along with growing up with a young single "hippie" mom who loved me fully and set me free. It was a perfect balance of endless nature in sunny weather with tons of friends along with rapidly advancing technology that felt empowering.
We were no longer just being merely consumers of media, yet able to get inside those screens and speakers ourselves.
Wish more people these days would jump in with us:
https://vavrek.com
PS: Wanna see our "tech future?"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK_cdkpazjI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lK_cdkpazjI
Did you say, awful "Cop Rock"? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cop_Rock
Unfamiliar with this apparent "flop."
From the Urban Dictionary: "The name "butt rock" has a few possible origins. First, in the 1980s, the musicians in many hair metal bands often dressed in a "glam" style, wearing tight pants that would accentuate their butts. (This may also be the origin of the term "cock rock," which has the same connotations, as the tight pants would also accentuate the musicians' crotches.) A less flattering origin for the name is that the lead singers of these bands sounded like they were singing out of their asses. Finally, the term can generally mean that the music sounds like ass."
By the way, here is my band: https://tryad.bandcamp.com
From the Urban Dictionary: "The name "butt rock" has a few possible origins. First, in the 1980s, the musicians in many hair metal bands often dressed in a "glam" style, wearing tight pants that would accentuate their butts. (This may also be the origin of the term "cock rock," which has the same connotations, as the tight pants would also accentuate the musicians' crotches.) A less flattering origin for the name is that the lead singers of these bands sounded like they were singing out of their asses. Finally, the term can generally mean that the music sounds like ass."
By the way, here is my band: https://tryad.bandcamp.com
Given this is Hacker News… it was a magical time for technology. Yes it helped I was ages 5-15 for that period. Computers were just coming into the general population and that was a mind blowing thing. At the same time, the pre-mass internet era meant that our brains were our own. Concentration and space to think weren’t yet deprecated features.
Other than that it had the same ups and downs as any other time.
Other than that it had the same ups and downs as any other time.
>Given this is Hacker News… it was a magical time for technology.
Honestly, I was probably the most "techy" person I knew and I remember spending a lot of time back then messing around configuring memory and what was loaded to get things to run. It was interesting at the time, but I was also young and had nothing better to do.
To me, I find technology today be a lot more magical. I'm really glad I don't have to spend so much time just to get something basic running today.
Honestly, I was probably the most "techy" person I knew and I remember spending a lot of time back then messing around configuring memory and what was loaded to get things to run. It was interesting at the time, but I was also young and had nothing better to do.
To me, I find technology today be a lot more magical. I'm really glad I don't have to spend so much time just to get something basic running today.
Bloody awful in the UK, living under Thatcher and the streets awash with yuppies -- you're welcome to it.
Yes, yuppies were terrible. All those people getting good jobs and earning decent money. Bring back 70's under Labour with rubbish piled in the streets and the UK getting help from the IMF.
Thanks for this perspective. Had to google what yuppies were..learnt something new today.
Funny that by 80's definition, most non-trades adults living at median income levels today would be considered yuppies in the 80's.
The future is here and the yuppies won.
The future is here and the yuppies won.
just a little side note - The riot/protest scenes from "V for Vendetta" were apparently footage from the Thatcher era protests.
As a guy born in the 50s, I can state unequivocally that nearly every decade will have something you’ll like and a lot you won’t. Thus far, since 2020, it’s mostly been bad. The 80s started rough, coming out of the Carter malaise, the Iran hostage crisis, the misery index, gas lines, etc. By 1984, things in the States were improving rapidly. The PC and networking helped launch a revolution and an economic boom that is still expanding. Unfortunately, the caliber of our political class has decayed precipitously. Hopefully, we’ve reached the absolute bottom of the barrel. My advice is to not lament times past but seek better days in times present. Turn off the news. Quit buying into the crisis of the day. Ignore the inane memes like gender identity, pronouns, etc. Carve out your own identity. If you are defined by the group to which you think you belong, you aren’t living. Trust me you’ll be much happier.
Stranger Things is not a documentary. Life sucked in the 80s and things are better now.
Source: I was born in the 80s
Source: I was born in the 80s
I was born in the 70s and have to agree. I’ve commented to family members recently that some of the unpleasantness going on around the US lately is reminding me of the bad state my city was in during the 80s. I definitely do not want to repeat the 80s even if it had some highlights like my Commodore 64 and some good music.
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It's only obvious in retrospect does one realize just how special the 80s were. Home computers were a new and very exciting thing. Students wanted to learn as much about them as possible — not just learning to program in Basic but also in 6502. Besides computers, music and movies at the time were amazing.
I see. There is a reference to BASIC in mid Season 2, where they had to use a computer to unlock certain doors. The UI was Text only :-)
I was 10 in 81.
I would travel several miles from home playing with my friends.
Bikes were a big thing.
I had no computer and played D&D.
I read books like Stig of the Dump, The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings.
Your favourite tv show was on once a week.
I recorded music from the television or radio on a little cassette player.
I had a record player.
I slept in tents in friend's back gardens in the summer.
I played soccer with friends until it was dark.
I went swimming with friends in the sea and the swimming pool.
I grew up in Belfast and encountered several nearby bombings.
Children seem more afraid and unhappy now than then.
Technology-wise, "growth and engagement" wasn't a thing yet. Tech was mostly about making the world better instead of being a cancer trying to consume all of humanity's attention for advertising and marketing purposes.
Hrm. As a nerd growing up in the rural midwest (b.1972) (hundreds of miles from a significant population center, there were some entertainment concepts that were born (Tron, Max Headroom, Knight Rider) that were pretty neat to a 12-17 year-old. 8-bit computer mags were fun to collect--the 8-bit market had some distinctive architectures (z80, 65xx, 8088) that made it fun to try to create similar programs for different systems; some mags would publish the source code for a game or utility for multiple systems in the same issue--it was fun to try with our own code.
Other than that, the 80's were shit. The economy tanked. Rural America embraced Reaganomics during the campaign. Didn't turn out to be such a good deal for most of us, BUT...
We Gen-X rats were fed Superior Bullshit.
The 80's had the Star Wars Project. It is worth looking up--basically, we (the US) ran a (supposedly) successful con on the Soviet Union. Around $61 billion dollars was spent to incite a false tech race with the hope of siphoning Soviet resources into research that neither country had a hope of viably creating. The Reagan admin's winning card was having the money to cover the bluff (that money was doled out on legal contracts with not-altogether-clear film footage of some pieces of in-flight ICBM interdiction tech being dropped every few years).
How much that project contributed to the end of the USSR? Dunno. But it was cool!
Oh, and the Internet was wee. Most nerd comms were done by way of "borrowing time" on one of the corporate X25 networks (chat with a few primitive bulletin-board type systems) or by BBS. I don't know if that actually contributed to the 80's un/pleasantness, but they were fun (as long as you could dodge the bill).
The 80's might also have been the last complete decade that no one was arrested for letting their kids play outside by themselves.
Other than that, the 80's were shit. The economy tanked. Rural America embraced Reaganomics during the campaign. Didn't turn out to be such a good deal for most of us, BUT...
We Gen-X rats were fed Superior Bullshit.
The 80's had the Star Wars Project. It is worth looking up--basically, we (the US) ran a (supposedly) successful con on the Soviet Union. Around $61 billion dollars was spent to incite a false tech race with the hope of siphoning Soviet resources into research that neither country had a hope of viably creating. The Reagan admin's winning card was having the money to cover the bluff (that money was doled out on legal contracts with not-altogether-clear film footage of some pieces of in-flight ICBM interdiction tech being dropped every few years).
How much that project contributed to the end of the USSR? Dunno. But it was cool!
Oh, and the Internet was wee. Most nerd comms were done by way of "borrowing time" on one of the corporate X25 networks (chat with a few primitive bulletin-board type systems) or by BBS. I don't know if that actually contributed to the 80's un/pleasantness, but they were fun (as long as you could dodge the bill).
The 80's might also have been the last complete decade that no one was arrested for letting their kids play outside by themselves.
I grew up in the 1980's USSR and it was anything but colorful.
Born in 1968, I used to really deeply hate the 80's. Especially politics (Reagan, Thatcher, Cold War), the music scene (disco, danse music, new age), and economics (shit job market, high interest rates, raise of kleptocracy). At the time, I only listened to 70's music, was an adept of the No Future - FTW credo, and wondered why humans were enduring so much nonesense and stupidities. Movies were good.
You know the fear of nuclear war that the younger folk have been experiencing for the first time the last few weeks. It was like that. Constantly.
Sure, video games and MTV were new and fun. Computers were new. But aside from that, it was different decade with different styles, but the day-to-day life was the same. Go to school, hang out with friends, have dinner with family, maybe watch a little mork & mindy on channel 57, and go to bed.
Sure, video games and MTV were new and fun. Computers were new. But aside from that, it was different decade with different styles, but the day-to-day life was the same. Go to school, hang out with friends, have dinner with family, maybe watch a little mork & mindy on channel 57, and go to bed.
Brezhnev was in full control by 1978 and passing power to Gorbachev. The direct saber rattling was pretty much over by that point, and the Soviet-Afghan war had distracted them from all intentions of direct conflict with the West. The Olympic protests were symbolism of a socioeconomic difference that had taken the place of a military standoff. SALT II was ratified, and basically everybody understood the concept of MAD. China was officially opening to the west and the free market in general with the ascendancy of the Reform Party. The end of the decade was full glasnost from the soviets, privatization in China, and the fall of the Berlin Wall. American music and movies ensured that our system and way of life was not just victorious, but also celebrated everywhere.
Here is what it felt like for a brief moment in 1991, our national victory lap for the triumph of the 80s: https://youtu.be/eng4OTDqtoM
Here is what it felt like for a brief moment in 1991, our national victory lap for the triumph of the 80s: https://youtu.be/eng4OTDqtoM
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Joke:
Well, back in the 80's all you had to do to worship Satan was play your record backwards. Now it is so much more of a ritual.
Back in the 80's I felt like the year 2000 would be the epitome of tech, but now I have no hope for floating skate-boards.
Back in the 80's I had protection for my hair-do, but now my hair stands vulnerable to all forces of nature.
Well, back in the 80's all you had to do to worship Satan was play your record backwards. Now it is so much more of a ritual.
Back in the 80's I felt like the year 2000 would be the epitome of tech, but now I have no hope for floating skate-boards.
Back in the 80's I had protection for my hair-do, but now my hair stands vulnerable to all forces of nature.
In which country?
Japan in the 1980s was booming and would’ve been magical.
In the US, the 1980s was a sort of economic rebounding from stagflation and high oil prices of the 1970s.
The crack epidemic, the renewed “war on drugs”, nuclear war (“the day after” was a big deal), blatant racism, terrible American cars, and high interest rates?
I don’t miss those at all.
Japan in the 1980s was booming and would’ve been magical.
In the US, the 1980s was a sort of economic rebounding from stagflation and high oil prices of the 1970s.
The crack epidemic, the renewed “war on drugs”, nuclear war (“the day after” was a big deal), blatant racism, terrible American cars, and high interest rates?
I don’t miss those at all.
As the documentary Demolition Man shows, we communicated using jingles.
People weren't afraid of eachother.
For me, only 87-89 was the personally pleasant part. The early 80s recession was a difficult time.
Stranger Things is a pastiche of the 80s.
Growing up in the 80s in the UK I remember a lot of grey and beige TBH.
Growing up in the 80s in the UK I remember a lot of grey and beige TBH.
We were younger, and mostly remember only the good things.
Yes, but no (but I understand what you're sayin') :)
scarcity, naivety, ignorance and creativity
I was born in 1995, but I wish I'd experienced the 80's. I'd like to know was it like for HN'ers who were there at the time.