It's easy to romanticize the 1980s and 1990s. However, the 80s and 90s had their fair share of awful stuff. Recently, someone in an online forum asked for things that made the 80s and 90s totally stink. Here is what people shared.
1. Free Minutes
“Call me after 7 when I have free minutes” is not a sentence we ever say anymore. In fact, we seem to take for granted just how much freedom we have with smartphones these days.
2. Second-Hand Smoke
Back in the day, grandparents and parents would smoke cigarettes pretty much everywhere. You couldn't get in the car without expecting cigarette smoke to be running rampant.
3. The HIV/Aids Devastation
Pandemics and epidemics cause a lot of horror and fear, especially in the early stages. A contributor remembers the state of fear before people knew more about HIV/AIDs. Their aunt used bleach to wash her dishes after having guests over as she thought the virus could spread through shared utensils. They are glad we have knowledge and treatment, but they went through a traumatic phase that nobody talks about.
4. Landline Phones
Before everyone had a cell phone, a home landline phone was the only way to keep in touch with friends. Someone says that when you called and your friend’s parent answered the phone, there was an awkward 60 seconds of polite conversation.
5. Expensive Movies and Music Collections
Can you imagine a world where your favorite music isn’t available on demand? According to a commenter, in the 80s, they had to swap full albums with others. They had to ensure their stereo could record from other records and cassettes. The easiest way to triple your collection was to have enough friends.
6. Acid Rain
A significant success of the environmental movement is doing away with acid rain. One writes that reducing emissions resolved this issue in the Western world.
7. Rwanda Genocide
Some feel like the Rwanda genocide doesn’t hold any historical value. People in their mid-thirties either don’t know about it or don’t understand the magnitude of it.
8. Lost Connections
If you ever relocated as a child, you had to start making new friends from scratch. An individual states that long-distance calls were expensive, and letters were the only way to keep up with friends. You had to put in much effort to keep up long-distance connections.
9. Animal Cruelty
The information age has spiked interest in cruelty-free products. A responder observes that although we’re not where we need to be, the legal protection of animals is much better than in the 80s-90s.
10. Rampant Greed and Toxicity
Has anyone ever made fun of what you’re wearing? It stinks, right? A person replies that this was the norm in the 80s for children who did not wear the right brands. They made their mom drive two and a half hours to buy Guess jeans for twenty-five dollars.
11. Evangelical Pop Culture Paranoia
Several contributors lived through the satanic panic when parents suspected all media of having an evil agenda. They had to throw out their Marilyn Manson tapes.
12. Chlorofluorocarbons
The banning of CFCs in the US started with a bit of drama. One recalls how people lost their minds when they heard that the hairspray company was going to change the formula.
13. The Nightmare That Was Times Square
Timesquare wasn’t always like Disneyland. Many confirm that, at one point, it was full of adult play workers and strip clubs that made you feel gross as you walked through.
14. Finding Directions
Getting lost in the 80s and 90s was normal since nobody had GPS. A forum member describes how their dad read their mom directions from the Atlas to give her directions. Since their mom needed help reading the map efficiently, finding the correct route and destination was a massive trouble for her.
15. Don’t Get Involved Behavior
New York City had a lot of casual unkindness in the 90s. A commenter narrates how their abusive mother dragged them home from the subway station when they tried to escape. They begged for help, but nobody offered any. Nowadays, people are more friendly and open to offering help.
16. Constant Talk About WWIII
According to a responder, everyone was on edge in the 80s. Former President Reagan made Americans fearful of anything government-related. This erased a lot of social programs aimed at helping people, and health insurance dried up. Job provision was left to the private sector with less than beneficial jobs.
17. Over The Counter Diet Pills
Finally, a user says it was common for girls to take diet pills like Dexatrim in the early 80s. They assumed it was safe as the drugs were heavily marketed.
Source: Reddit.