Some AI generated videos have caused a stir on social media. They have touched a chord with GenXers and GenZ kids as well.
Those feathered-hair 80s kids sure are having a blast—they’re young and loving it! And many Gen Z kids feel jealous. A recent survey reported 60% of Gen Z wishes they lived in a time when everyone wasn’t “plugged in.”
But were the 80s actually better?
As a GenX I’m naturally biased because I associate it with my own youth. BUT… I do believe that time was better, but not for the obvious reasons.
Beyond the remarkably original music scene of the 80s and great movies and a youth-oriented fashion —MTV!—and a culture which brimmed with positivity and a go-for-it vibe and that encouraged joyous bust-a-move dancing… the true magic of the 80s was something no one gave a second thought to at the time.
It was that we had time and boredom and the challenge of occupying ourselves.
So we sought out friends and amused ourselves. We hung out.
Hanging out is something that GenX perfected. First we prearranged with a small group of friends that we would meet somewhere: at someone’s house, at the 7-Eleven parking lot, at a public park, etc.
Then we met and amused ourselves with conversation, jokes, telling of gossip, listening to music, complaining, wild speculation, impromptu dancing—but the focus was on friends. It was all about eye contact, body language and free expression. No one stared morosely at a smart phone. No one broadcast the occasion on social media, exposing it to the judgment of unseen people. It was about human contact and vibing on real life friends.
It was immediate. It was real.
We had Atari game consoles and TV but the tech was a minor sideshow in our lives.
The GenZs have suffered with tech childhoods. Their anxiety, rates of suicidal thoughts and general malaise are off the charts. They started strapped into the mini-van watching videos on every ride. We gave them laptops, smart phones and social media before they were out of middle school. Currently, they’re not hanging out, they’re not dating—their faces are buried in their phones. The smart phone is the fancy go-between and the barrier and the dopamine fake companion.
Dating has never been easy, but 45% of males age 18-25 are “rare approachers,” meaning they have never approached a girl.
This might reflect a lack of socialization, tech isolation, or a lack of hanging out skills. Maybe all of the above. But this is an ominous trend. You can’t fall in love, you can’t experience the joys of youthful passion if you’re not even conversing face to face with the opposite sex.
We’re hairy mammals, the tribe is our survival. Sitting around laughing about random stuff is our salvation. Your friends are your coping mechanism through school (just like in Breakfast Club!). They’re how you become socialized and find yourself and your confidence in the group. They’re how you learn to relate to other people in the world at large.
The GenZs will be ok. They’re figuring it out. We’re all figuring it out.
These days we’re all afflicted by the face buried in the phone syndrome. We’ve entered this Amazon delivery DoorDash meets Netflix stay at home algorithm fake world and we’ve got to refocus on human beings.
It’s always been about hanging out with real live people. It always will be. Less screen time and more human time is the formula for happiness.
In that way we can go back.
And in that way the 80s actually were better…
robb skidmore 
One reply on “Were Things Actually Better During the 1980s?”
I totally agree that “It’s always been about hanging out with real live people. It always will be. Less screen time and more human time is the formula for happiness.” Nicely done! Breezy