“Discover 32 Bizarre ’80s and ’90s Norms That Today’s Youth Can’t Fathom!”
Ever find yourelf reminiscing about a time when life seemed simpler, or perhaps just more peculiar? Like, remember when the biggest pre-internet controversies were things like “Rewinding your VHS tapes at Blockbuster!” Or even more hilariously yet – bickering over who gets to use the phone next at home (oh, the humanity!). Ah, those were the times; a veritable treasure trove of normalcy for some yet a world of bewildering oddities for the younger crowd. You see, folks back in the ’80s-’90s had a special brand of everyday experiences — rituals and situations so commonplace then, they now sound like tall tales in our hyperconnected era. So, let’s take a nostalgic jaunt down memory lane as we dive into some of the curious 1980s and 1990s everyday scenarios, sparked by a question from one inquisitive Redditor: “What was a perfectly normal situation for you in the ’80s-’90s that the younger generations just can’t relate to?”. I’m expecting stories of epic quests for new video tapes of the latest sitcom or maybe even sitting at the radio, praying your new favorite song will play just so you could record it (Fingers crossed!). All of these anecdotes make you wonder how did we ever manage without endless online resources or instant communication? And, are you curious about how today’s world would react to such quaint quagmires? Shall we explore this temporal treasure accompanies by the collective wisdom of those who’ve lived it? Then let’s proceed, and remember, if you’ve got a tale to tell, then tell it, share, and most importantly, let’s learn from the history! <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/jyc5a1/whatwasaperfectlynormalsituationforyouin/?utmsource=share&utmmedium=web2x&context=3″>LEARN MORE.
Things that make up and shape our daily lives seem a natural part of it. And while these circumstances might seem to be changing faster nowadays, it is enough to hear about such experiences as “sitting by the radio and waiting for one’s new favorite song to come on, so one could record it on a cassette tape” or “being on the home phone when all of a sudden someone in the house picks up another phone and tells you to ‘get off’” from people who lived them and one might feel time slowing down, as if one has been transported back in time when certain things were and felt different. These people are sharing exactly these kinds of experiences from the recent past by answering one Redditor’s question: “What was a perfectly normal situation for you in the ’80s-’90s that the younger generations just can’t relate to?”
More info: Reddit
Parents kicked you out of the house and telling you to be home when the lamp posts came on. They had no clue where we were or what we were doing. My brother and I would play on the train tracks and under a bridge. I think about my kids doing the same and it stresses me tf out.
Edit to add, Saturday morning cartoons. I’m sad for my kiddos to not have the experience of getting up early to not miss cartoons before getting kicked out of the house for the day.
Going with your parents to Blockbuster to rent a movie and hoping a copy (VHS tape) was still available and not completely rented out.
Getting a new “TV Guide” each sunday with the newspaper and obsessing over it for hours highlighting what shows/movies you wanted to watch Calling the movie theater to get showtimes Shopping at Sears
Watching the news to see if your school scrolled across the bottom was cancelled because of inclement weather.
Having to stop at a gas station and ask for directions and pay attention to what the clerk is saying.
Bonus: waiting to call long distance after 9pm because it was free. Then getting very excited when they dropped it to 7pm.
Being on a phone call with someone using the home phone when all of sudden someone in the house picks up another phone and tells you to get off
Going out as a kid from dawn til dusk without your parents being able to contact you or know where you are. Then knowing you have to go home when the street lights come on.
Riding your bike around town with no destination, looking for a pile of your friends bikes so you can hang out.
Having your friends’ phone numbers memorized
Having to wait or be somewhere you don’t want to be like visiting your mom’s friend’s house or at the bank with NOTHING to distract you but your own mind. My parents never bought me a handheld game nor did she have room in her handbag for my books. So I just had to BE in the moment.
Going out into the world with no cell, a map in hand, hoping to find the new address you’ve never been to, and then in addition to that, hoping the people you were going to meet up would get there.
If you got there and your friends weren’t there, the most you could do was ask the business to lend you their phone or walk to a pay phone and call your friends house phones to see if they picked up. If they didn’t, you had no way of knowing if they were late, selling you out, or dead.
