The 1970s were a time of bold colors, big hair, and shifting cultural trends. It was a decade defined by disco beats, rotary phones, and the rise of love and freedom, yet it also carried a raw simplicity that feels distant today.
Technology was slower, connections were made face-to-face, and life often moved at a gentler pace compared to our hyper-digital era. People embraced trends, habits, and everyday practices that seemed perfectly normal then but would be questioned now.
Looking back, the 70s offer a fascinating glimpse into how quickly society has transformed in just a few decades. Some things were second nature and now doing them feels unimaginable, but these things remind us how much progress has happened in the way we live.
1
Using payphones everywhere
Since there were no cell phones, calls required coins and a public booth.
2
Waiting for your favorite TV shows once a week
Since there were no streaming services, there was no binge-watching.
3
Listening to 8-track tapes in cars
A format that's now extinct.
4
Smoking indoors
You could literally smoke anywhere without restrictions.
5
Driving without seatbelts
Back then there were no laws enforcing them.
6
Renting movies
Before VHS became mainstream, you could watch on reel-to-reel projectors.
7
Picking up hitchhikers
There are now much more safety concerns about this.
8
School corporal punishment
It was widely accepted and now frowned upon.
9
Looking up information in libraries
Before google, there were encyclopedias and cards.
10
Kids roamed freely
There was not the constant supervision that exists now.
11
Reading the newspaper
Only way to find out about the daily news, no social media.
12
No locking doors
Suburban trust was higher. Doors were not even locked at night.
13
Flying without heavy security checks
You could literally meet anyone at the gate.
14
Writing checks for everyday purchases
Cards weren't widespread back then.
15
Shopping only in person
There was no Amazon, Ebay or online checkouts.
