Groovy Things Young People Who Lived in the '70s Might Remember

Feeling nostalgic for a simpler time lately? You're not alone.

One thing everybody who was alive during the 1970s can agree on: The entire decade still feels like it only happened yesterday. Seriously, how can the '70s be five decades in the past? It's just not possible that the era ruled by bell-bottom jeans and 8-track cassettes was half a century ago. For those of us who lived through it—and survived that groovy yet perilous time—it will forever be a part of our souls.

Bestlifeonline.com was the source of most of these "memories".

1) Coveting an Atari or Pong video game console


No, you may not have owned an Atari console during the '70s (OR 'Pong'), but at the very least you knew somebody who did. The very idea of playing video games in the comfort of our own homes without ever worrying if we had enough quarters seemed futuristic.

2) Waiting for the phone
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Everybody in the '70s had just one phone in their house. It was a rotary phone that stayed in some central location, with a cord that could only be stretched so far. If someone was on that phone, you just had to sit and wait for them to finish.

3) Waiting until Saturday for cartoons


If you wanted to watch Bugs Bunny or Scooby-Doo or any of your favorite cartoon characters, you had only one chance to catch them—Saturday morning. If you missed it, those precious few hours of animated bliss were gone forever (or at least until the next Saturday).

4) Being oblivious to "stranger danger"


Most neighborhoods were that safe because prying eyes dads, uncles, cousins, moms, aunts, non-related neighbors and local cops all closely monitored every neighborhood. Strange "Characters" knew the danger of being "flagged" lest their personal health and limbs be at risk for the mere appearance of seeming to "lurk around kids".

5) Short shorts and tube socks
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No self-respecting '70s kid would ever walk out for gym class without a pair of tube socks, preferably one long enough to reach their knees. Everyone from Farrah Fawcett to Kareem-Abdul Jabbar made a very convincing case that tube socks were cool.

6) Hitching Rides


No car? No problem! Just stick out your thumb and wait for a kind stranger to pull over and offer you a ride. It seems unthinkable today, but for a '70s free spirit who didn't have the bread to buy their own car (or was too young for a license). During the 1970s you could actually "trust a stranger".


7) Moving the TV antenna for better reception


Clear TV reception in the '70s was unreliable at best. If the picture was distorted with zig-zag lines—or, worse, the dreaded "snow," where everything was fuzzy—the only way to fix the problem was to adjust, twist and turn the antenna, otherwise known as "rabbit ears."

8) 70s-Style selfies
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In the 1970s if you were out with friends (or your GF/BF) and wanted to take a quick photo but nobody was carrying around a camera, the only way to capture the moment was if a photo booth happened to be nearby. You'd crawl inside a cramped little space and wait for the camera to flash three or four times. If you didn't like the photos, well, tough beans. Being a narcissist was hard in the '70s.

9) Secondhand smoke everywhere


Smoking wasn't just acceptable in the '70s—it was ubiquitous. In offices, restaurants, airplanes, homes, and most public buildings, everybody was puffing away their brains out on their cigarettes (ha, or those funny-J's) without a care in the world.

10) Bicycle helmets not being required
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Born To Be Wild, 1970s: The wind blowing through your hair on your Schwinn (or Harley) was "Freedom". If you did wear a helmet while riding a bike during the '70s, it meant you were either recovering from a serious head injury or a wimp.

11) Taping songs off the radio



The music piracy of its day! Not enough cash in your piggy bank to buy the album or 45 rpm single? No problem. You'd sit next to the radio with your portable cassette recorder and wait… and wait… until finally that song you loved so much started playing. You'd then immediately press down on the record button, capturing your ditty for free.

12) 8-track players in your car
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The first time the driver became a DJ and own music replaced radio music (when the passenger wasn't immediately replacing it.) Key in the ignition. Stick an 8-track tape in. GO!


13) "The Bump", the best, one and only dance "cheat" ever


Looking good at the club but not a dancer? Too shy? Had NO clue? Hated dancing but wish you could to meet the ladies? NO PROBLEMO! The 1970's presented dorky guys the perfect solution: 'THE BUMP'! Strut out to the dance floor, sway to the music, aim and THRUST your back-hips into that special lady! ("How do you do fellow dancer!")


14) Shag carpeting made the best bed in history


Sure, shag carpets looked hideous, almost like the hair on the head of a gigantic Muppet. And yet, they were also surprisingly cozy on bare feet. The material felt so soft to the touch that an entire generation didn't much mind sleeping on the floor.

15) Laughing at Saturday Night Live


If you weren't old enough to stay up late and watch Saturday Night Live when it first launched in 1975, you probably had an older sibling or a parent who was—and did. The morning after, you'd beg them to recount every hilarious moment, even if you didn't always understand all the jokes. SNL was the apex of coolness, "must-watch" in the 70s.

16) Rolling up on our bikes, hanging out on porches and front stoops


During the 1970s your bicycle was your ticket to freedom to go anywhere and everywhere. And usually the "base of operation" was meeting in front or back porch or stoop of a friend's house. From there you'd plot and plan the day's itinerary.