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10 things we remember from the '80s that hardly exist today
These things got us through the '80s. Today, they hardly exist in everyday life.
As time has passed, the inventions and innovations of the '80s no longer seem that cutting-edge or sleek. They almost feel extinct. From phone books as heavy as bricks (or what felt like it!) to being able to rent a movie from Blockbuster, the '80s offered a variety of items and services that we don't see very much of today.
Below are 10 things from the '80s that hardly exist today. Some of these things are missed, while others we can thank technology and other services for replacing.
Can you think of some other things that were part of everyday life in the '80s that are hardly used or mentioned today? Tell us below.
1. Phone Books
Oh, how we remember the 300-something paged books that would show up on our doorstep. From looking up businesses, calling an old friend and even setting up the perfect prank call, phone books were the ultimate contacts list.
Why it's on the list: Phone books still exist but they are used on a more rare occasion. With the ability to look up information at any given time and with the use of cell phones, we no longer need the hefty book. Do you still use a phone book?
Image credit: Pinterest.com
2. Payphones
Remember making phone calls for around 25 cents per call? Those were the days. We'd like the price of a phone call in the '80s with the same technology we use today, please!
Why it's on the list: Although you may still see payphones occasionally, they have been mostly replaced with cell phones. When is the last time you have seen a payphone and where?
Image credit: Unsplash.com
3. Magazine Posters
Tiger Beat, Bop and Seventeen: the place where you could find all your favorite celebrities, juicy gossip and the best part...the posters! Many of us remember tearing out pages and taping them to our walls to look at over and over again.
Why it's on the list: While it's still common to see posters on the walls of tweens, teens and even adults... the internet has caused posters coming from print magazines to decrease. How many posters did your bedroom have on its walls?
Image credit: Pinterest.com
4. Waterbeds
Waterbeds were very common in the mid-'80s. One in five people owned a waterbed. Were you one of them?
Why it's on the list: Although waterbeds are still around today and some people prefer them, most find them too heavy and high maintenance. Plus, with the advances in mattresses in general, you can buy a light-weight, water-free mattress without the potential for mold!
5. Blockbuster and Movie Rentals
Streaming services are everywhere and they are releasing new content daily. Thousands of shows, movies and more are available with a click of a button. With the rise of streaming services came the decline of companies such as Blockbuster. Blockbuster was founded in 1985 and shut its doors in 2014.
Why it's on the list: R.I.P. Blockbuster.
6. Watching music videos on MTV
The first MTV music video premiered in 1981. Were you one of the first to watch it? Most kids today don't realize that before the reality TV shows and sitcoms, MTV was known for playing music videos. It was one of the original ways to find new music before the Spotify and Apple Music days.
Why it's on the list: Of course you can still choose to spend all day watching music videos, but the days of watching them on MTV are long gone.
7. Cabbage Patch Dolls
Sure, kids can still find ways to get their hands on a Cabbage Patch Doll, but will they ever really understand the sensation that started in the '80s? You can find some versions of the dolls selling on sites like Etsy and eBay.
Why it's on the list: With many other toys to choose from, nothing will be quite like getting your very own Cabbage Patch Doll.
8. Indoor Smoking
In some places, specifically in many casinos and bowling alleys, you can still get a whiff of that distinct smell from years of smoking. Smoking indoors was banned in 2007. This was due to increased health risks and complaints from non-smokers.
Why it's on the list: Although smoking is still allowed, it's rare to find someone smoking a cigarette inside any establishment nowadays.
Image credit: Unsplash.com
9. Shopping Malls
With sites like Amazon delivering anything you could want in two days or less, many people aren't rushing to do in-person shopping. There are fewer than 1,000 malls left in the U.S.
Why it's on the list: Many malls in hometowns and cities have closed, or at least a lot of the shops in them have closed. Do you still enjoy having a shopping spree in a mall?
Image credit: Huffington Post
10. Paper maps
Remember wrestling with a map while trying to pinpoint the next turn you need to make? We can all thank GPS systems in cars and in apps that tell us exactly what to do.
Why it's on the list: There are some people who still prefer to look at a map on paper, but it seems like the younger generations may never know what it's like.
Image credit: Unsplash.com
149 Comments
Watched MTV while doing homework (college level).
I miss the malls. Meet Ma outside (name store) at (name time). Most have become "plazas" instead. Same location, different stores, different layout.
First legal alcoholic drink 1983.
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And yet, here you are.
But in terms of replacing the encyclopedia (facts and figures and real stuff) by all means, it's necessary. We can fix all kinds of things nowadays. And learn interesting bits of trivia. And hey, learn from each other! That's part of the fun of exchanging here. I mean, in decades, we never even knew how isolated we were (socially and informationally speaking). I just believe that it's objectivity should be preserved.
Oh and I still miss blockbuster, there is nothing like walking in and walking looking for a movie, now I probably spend more time looking for something to watch on Netflix then watching things, plus I was a manager of a blockbuster, fun times
1. Phone books - The White Pages are online now.
2. Payphones - Got my cellphone, way (!) more convenient
3. Magazine posters - Um, they still have magazines, posters, and even magazine posters. If you still want that.
4. Water beds - Yuck. Great for bouncing on as a kid, terrible for sleeping on.
5. Video rental places - Yeah, uh, I am happy just to instantly stream stuff, as opposed to having to do to go to all the bother of going out to a store, having to chose just a couple or few at most, handle something that dozens to hundreds of others have handled before (more than once we found some kinda crud on ours when we opened the box, some people are real pigs!), then have to trek back to the store to return it. It also cost the same for just two or three movies as it does not for any streaming service for a month. Oh and if someone says they miss the *experience* of going to those places, okay maybe I'll give you that if that was your thing, but is it really worth the trade off?
6. Music videos - These are still all over, what are you talking about? Just not on MTV.
7. Cabbage Patch dolls - Never had one, didn't care then, can't now, I guess.
8. Indoor smoking - Um. Obviously nobody misses this.
9. Shopping malls - I dunno, I never cared for them much, and now that we can buy everything onlne or in one stop at a giant big box store, I'm pretty happy.
10 - Paper maps - Aw, come on. Does anyone really want those unwieldy things as opposed to a nice, accurate GPS system? If anyone's nostalgia is that hardcore, I dare you to take separate trips to two different places you are unfamiliar with. One with a big paper map, the other with a GPS. Then tell me how much you miss those maps.
Since they went to their own delivery, it's faster.
Though I ordered on the 10th, and it's scheduled for the 26th. Too late for my birthday.
All of Amazon is a myth.
They charge "X" amount of money just to play the SAME song on Echo Dots in for different rooms. And you don't even want to hear their explanation of why.
How great was it that Neil Young's "Ohio" hit the radio stations on the heels of the Kent State killings? (sorry, if you are too young for this reference)
And I miss cars with window cranks (no expensive window switch to burn out on you) & those little triangle windows you could open & direct the breeze at your face....old school but I liked them! 😄