23 Shocking Misconceptions Younger Generations Have About Recent History Revealed
Ever wondered what it was really like to live through past decades—not just the glossy, filtered version Hollywood hands you or what you scroll past on social media? Turns out, the truth is a little messier, a lot less glamorous, and way more eye-opening. A Reddit user sparked a flood of tales from the trenches, where the “good old days” come with stories about steel mills, precarious jobs, and social battles that textbooks conveniently skip. From being the first woman in a factory to the grit behind feminism’s quiet victories, these firsthand accounts reveal a history you won’t find in your usual Netflix binge. So, before you nostalgically clutch your iPhone, maybe take a minute to see how history felt when it was still unfolding—because the past actually isn’t what you think it is. LEARN MORE
You can read books and watch movies about the days gone by but you probably won’t understand what a certain era felt like as well as the people who lived through it.
So when Reddit user WeirdJawn asked older platform users to share what young people have gotten completely wrong about past decades, their post received plenty of replies.
From the entertainment industry to social movements and everything in between, continue scrolling to learn what history looked like when it was still the present from the ones who witnessed it.
Being a young “boomer” was not easy. I worked in a steel mill, night shift, at age 18. I was the first woman to work in the foundry. I had to be escorted to and from the lavatory because my boss was afraid I would be assaulted. Then I finished nursing school and was propositioned by doctors. In my final career I was a PM at an engineering firm and was told repeatedly that I did not deserve the job. I hope younger women realize what us “older ladies” did to pave the way.
That feminism isn’t some mouldy concept from the distant past.
In the US, sexual discrimination in education wasn’t outlawed until 1972, which just happened to be the same year unmarried women were legally allowed access to birth control. Additionally, prior to 1974 women were not allowed to have credit cards or loans in their own names, they were simply authorised users of their husbands’ credit cards. Some employers also required married women to have their husband’s permission before they were offered employment.
