People Raised In The 60s & 70s Were Given 8 Opportunities Younger Generations Will Likely Never Experience
NadyaEugene | Shutterstock The world today gives young people an edge in so many ways. But what about all the opportunities that people raised in the 60s and 70s had? Unfortunately, younger generations will likely never experience those.
Older generations had to wait for something without instant access, and formed their identity before social media was around. These things, and more, truly set them up for success, while Gen Zers and millennials will spend ages trying to find or appreciate them.
Opportunities 60s and 70s kids were given that young people will never experience
1. True childhood independence
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Kids in the 60s and 70s had free rein in many ways. Thrown out of the house to explore the neighborhood and being alone most of the time while their parents worked, they learned true childhood independence before many kids today are trusted without a babysitter.
This gave them the chance to practice skills through unstructured, unsupervised play, but it also taught them how to be self-reliant. Compared to kids today who grow dependent on parents or distractions, this generation had the opportunity to build trust in and with themselves.
2. Analog learning
Compared to ultra-digital learning experiences of kids today, 60s and 70s kids were some of the last to go through school without any kind of online curriculum or devices. They experienced changes in technology like their teachers using projectors, but when it came to doing homework or learning in the classroom, most things were analog.
As adults, they still reap the benefits from having the opportunity to learn in a fully analog format. Not only is their reading competence better from having physical textbooks and no AI to comb through large pieces of text, but they're less reliant on devices in so many ways.
In their workplace and personal lives, they don't have to have a cell phone or a laptop to be successful. They've adapted to the modern world, but they also have the kind of intellect and cognitive abilities that only generations with pre-digital learning often do.
3. Developing identity offline
Whether it's comparison culture from social media or watching highlight reels from curated content online, so many kids today struggle with their sense of self because of their screen time. They weren't offered the opportunity to figure out who they were or what they liked before being thrust into the digital world.
The constant stimulation and distraction of a cell phone wasn't something Gen Xers or younger baby boomers dealt with at their most impressionable ages. They had independence and the opportunity to sit with themselves alone.
4. Being alone without constant stimulation
Being forced to manage their own boredom and fill their time for a lot of childhood, 60s and 70s kids had to practice being alone and figuring out their own entertainment. They had to practice trying new things and filling their time on their own accord.
While it might have been more than boring at times, it was truly an opportunity for them to build who they were. From creativity to personal identity and even intelligence, they had a chance to learn how to appreciate solitude without itching for an instant distraction, unlike so many kids today.
5. Appreciating something by waiting
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Many young people are socialized into a convenience-oriented mindset today where they not only demonize delayed gratification, but mix up something being good with something that's easy. They have instant entertainment on their phones and access to food delivery, but no sense of appreciation for waiting with desire for longer than a few moments.
For 60s and 70s kids, there was often no choice but to get comfortable with delayed gratification. Many frugal parents weren't buying them what they wanted, but they also had to work and plan out when their favorite cartoons would be on TV, or sit in solitude.
They had the opportunity to practice emotional regulation and desire, without the allure of impulsivity even being an option.
6. Dating and meeting people offline
Dating apps have completely misconstrued the way young people meet others. In a romantic setting, there's "choice overload" where people are giving up on connections and ending up exhausted. But even with friendships, more people are refusing to inconvenience themselves, which decreases their chances of success.
Growing up in the 60s and 70s meant socializing with people in person because there was no other way. They were expected to make their own friends and actually put effort into seeing people they were interested in. They had the opportunity to practice without phones, so they know how to build a connection where digital tools and devices only add value.
7. Working to appreciate music
With convenience culture also comes a sense of entitlement. Many people appreciate the little parts of daily life, like listening to music or cooking a meal, a lot less, because there are easier, quicker ways to do everything.
A few decades ago, listening to music was special. It was a privilege to be able to afford a vinyl record from your favorite artist or to save for a cassette tape. It might seem small, but the opportunity to appreciate art before the age of the internet and streaming platforms is something most young people will never have.
8. Accessible higher education
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Despite most generations still valuing higher education, more people than ever question its affordability today. When a college degree no longer guarantees a well-paying job or an opportunity to pay back student debt, young people are questioning how important it truly is to go.
But for many people raised in the 60s and 70s, they had the chance to figure out what they wanted to do in an era where kids weren't being prepped for college innately. They had the free time to do what they wanted, without being plagued by constant extracurricular activities and obligations, but they also had some kind of unspoken security around higher education.
Compared to today, where everything seems somewhat uncertain for young people around finances and education, the traditional timeline was still bearing a lot of fruit for these generations of young people.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a senior editorial strategist with a bachelor's degree in social relations & policy and gender studies who focuses on psychology, relationships, self-help, and human interest stories.
