Those born in the 1970s belong to Generation X, a group that has experienced significant shifts and watched technology advance to its current state. They’ve seen the world transform in countless ways, such as the early days of video games and the explosion of mobile phones. Here are 15 things that people from this era remember more vividly than anyone else.
Family Vacations Without GPS
As mentioned by Good Housekeeping, a map might be impossible to fold, but it would never send you down a dead end or drop its satellite signal. It added excitement to planning your route for the family vacation. Those born in the ‘70s will probably remember the bickering of their parents as one of them gave out the wrong directions.
’70s Fashion Trends
Over the last 50 years, fashion has continued to change. Kids in the ‘70s will remember the emergence of leg warmers and brands such as Nike and Guess. They also can’t forget the neon color craze and no doubt have experienced some cringe moments looking back at photos from that era.
Music on Cassette Tapes
People born in the 1970s had their fair share of listening to music on cassette tapes. It was a new phenomenon that allowed people to listen to the music they wanted to. You’d create mixtapes and share them amongst friends, as well as master the careful skill of winding back the tape.
Dial-Up Internet
The youth of today probably haven’t even heard of dial-up internet, let alone know the process you had to go through to get online. The noise of the dial as it connected, the patience as you waited for it to connect, and the annoyance of being disconnected and going through the process again characterized dial-up internet.
Walkmen
The evolution of technology saw the growth of the Walkman—the freedom to listen to music on the go. For a day out, you would carry your bulky Walkman and bring several different CDs you wanted to listen to. Your confidence was high, as you looked like one of the cool kids.
Blockbuster Video
Having Netflix at the click of a button is convenient, but it doesn’t match the excitement of a trip to Blockbuster. The weekend ritual to Blockbuster was a highlight of the week, picking the latest video or game and choosing the snacks to go with it.
Mixtapes
As we briefly mentioned earlier, mixtapes were a mixture of your favorite songs all on one track. It was a lengthy process, but one that was worth it when you had all your favorite songs in place. You’d often make one for friends or a crush, which would be received as a token of love.
Pagers
Most people born in the ‘70s will remember the pager craze. According to Spok, in the 1970s, voice pagers were invented—after the tone, the pager relayed an audio message. A decade later, there were 3.2 million pager users worldwide. If you were one of them, people would be in awe of you.
The Evolution of Video Games
There is a strong argument that people born in the 1970s appreciate the evolution of gaming more than anyone else. They’ve truly witnessed the growth over the decades to the present day. They’ll remember playing the classic games such as Pac-Man and Super Mario Bros. and the old school consoles such as Nintendo.
Schoolyard Games
The younger generations of today don’t really experience the fun of playing games outside, as they have everything on their phones and consoles. Those born in the 1970s will remember playing tag and hopscotch with their friends and trading the latest Pokémon cards with peers at school.
The Rise of MTV
MTV changed the game for music and played a big part in the success of certain musical artists. Britannica reports that “MTV debuted just after midnight on August 1, 1981, with the broadcast of “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the Buggles.” They brought the latest music videos into the living rooms of fans at home.
Landline Phones
People in the 1970s didn’t have the luxury of mobile phones like we do today. If they wanted to communicate with their friends, they’d have to do so through the house landline. This meant you could only use it when your parents weren’t, and you always had to be careful in case your siblings were listening on the other line.
Polaroid Cameras
Polaroid cameras have a nostalgic feel to them. They created so many memories for people before the digital camera came along. They gave you the opportunity to capture the moment, and then the excitement of waiting for it to develop and provide you with that vintage image.
Record Players and Vinyl Records
Record players and vinyl records have become vintage items today due to their importance and popularity before the modern technology era. Those born in the 1970s will most likely remember their mom or dad carefully placing the needle on the vinyl and the analog sound that followed.
Collectible Stickers
‘70s kids will remember constantly nagging their parents for some money to buy the latest stickers. People would collect stickers and fill out their books on their favorite sports teams or cartoons. They would show them off to their friends and trade stickers for any duplicates they had.