An Online Thread Shares ‘70s and ‘80s Facts That Appear Unbelievable, and Here Are 30 of Them
Memories from our childhood are something most of us treasure throughout our lives.
Some childhood memories never lose their grip, especially the ones that make modern life look a little too polished. For people who grew up in the ‘70s and ‘80s, everyday routines could feel rougher, stranger, and far less supervised than anything kids experience now.
This collection pulls together a viral online thread filled with posts about school, parenting, safety, and all the little details that once seemed normal. From free-range childhoods to classroom discipline and neighborhood habits, the stories show just how much has changed.
Keep scrolling, because a few of these facts sound almost impossible today.
Here is Dan's post
DanWuoriA lot of these memories sound unbelievable now.
1. So glad I was a free-range kid
kotstot12. Using only encyclopedias for projects
CourtneyAnnePh
3. In excruciating and painful detail
RobEdward1122
That kind of school project would be a nightmare today.
4. We made clay ashtrays
coach_mark1
5. Who remembers this one?
Ipiphiniz1
6. The dress code changed after a couple of weeks
MiraCeleste2
7. Using a payphone outside the gym
StacyKratochvil
8. Playground equipment was made of steel
RealGravitas
Safety standards were clearly a lot looser back then.
9. Teachers regularly threw objects at kids
athenakitty1
10. We walked to the bus stop for each neighborhood
crunchyrugger
11. Smoking in hospitals was allowed
pecriel
12. Making announcements and heading off to the forests
HughThunkIt
13. Hang on there, kid
long17_de
14. When a guy brought a little medicine vial
KevinGi62453362
15. A student was never a problem again
realtimaier
16. McDonald's had huge playgrounds
HelloKameHaHaHa
Some of the biggest surprises are the everyday details people forgot about.
And if you thought picture day was awkward back then, these school photos prove everyone had an awkward phase.
17. Our house was a party line
Seymour_from_GP
18. Country boys drove to school with gun racks
MelissaV007
19. Codeine was sold over the counter
liteknight57
20. I got jarts as a birthday present
jamesadewberry
21. This is a whole lot right here
JulieMcCrossin
22. Parents forgot their kids in different places
MegNumbers
23. Getting this to go as fast as possible
DarciaAnne
24. How we got vaccinated at school back in the '70s
HoldenCapt
25. When my first daughter was born in the '80s
3rdtimewalter
26. A 10-year-old buying beer at a tavern
Smilan317
27. Chasing behind the mosquito spray trucks
WatchYourRepsSC
28. They had a dental van that picked up kids
jan_ruscoe
29. Teachers had wooden paddles hanging by the door
Elisabethmngirl
30. How Netflix used to operate...
m00n_child_227
These childhood memories can still shape how people see the world as adults.
If you have a memory like this, drop it in the comments below.
Read on.
For more “built different” vibes, check out vintage photos where your grandparents’ era felt like a fever dream.
