re: Was Day-to-day American life in 1996 closer to 2016 or 1976?

Culturally, we were closer to 1976 than 2016. Whatever you call this hyper-political leftist culture we have now is nothing like what we were in the mid-90's.

As for the rest, it was a mix of old and new.

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I disagree. 1996 and 1976 were worlds apart. The only real difference today than '96 is the smartphone.

In 1976, people still had meals as families, lived in modest homes, worked on their own vehicles, etc. Drinking age was 18...

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You said it better than me, Roger. Basically what I am thinking.

Daily life in 1976 had practically no influence by the internet or computers. Considering how much those two have changed our lives I say 2016.
Those poor people didn't even have ATM machines.

In '96 I had a cell phone, internet at work and home (dial up for home), and had satellite TV.

In '76, my parents had one landline phone on a party line, 4 network channels (including PBS) through an antenna and were still 2 years away from purchasing our first microwave. We also cooled our house with two window air units, and used ice trays in our top freezer unit refrigerator. My father still had a slide-rule that he used (even though he also had our first calculator...which had to be plugged into the wall).

Which of these two scenarios sound more like today? The technology altered our customs.

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Recently while watching Vinyl(set in 73) on HBO

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Watched the first episode and was thoroughly bored out of my mind....does it get any better?

2016

I lived through both and by 1996, we had cell phones and Internet. We had 24 hour news cycles and politicians who are all bought and paid for.

For those who are too young, I really wish you all had the opportunity to live in the simple years. People were so much happier.

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All that except for the drinking age applied to me in the 90's but I wasn't around in 76 so I won't try to argue with you.

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Which really ought to be the only honest answer in this thread. Without having lived during both times, one simply can't answer this question with any personal knowledge.

Born in 1970 here...and yeah, the answer is clearly 2016. No...it wasn't exact and there were certainly holdovers, but by 1996 I was primed for 2016. There are certainly a handful of tech things that would have still seems remarkable had you made me jump 20 years ahead to 2016 from 1996, but had you made me go from 1976 to 1996 and showed me that tech, I'd have thought you a fricking warlock.

Culturally it's the same. 1996 was far closer to 2016 than 1976, despite all the daily grousing about transgender bathrooms and gay marriage worries...

I mean...go pull up an episode of All in the Family, follow it with Friends, and then follow it with Modern Family. It's not even close...

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Good question. I'd say 1976.

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I was only 17 in 1996

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I'm not going to answer because I was in preschool in 1996.