If You Think The 70s Were Only 30 Years Ago, You Probably Say These 11 Things Often
zshadi / Shutterstock For some, the 1970s were their glory days. Honestly, I am jealous of everyone who came of age during this period. There were incredible movies and even better music. Everyone seemed to be on the same page, fighting for justice all around. Don’t get me started on fashion!
It can be hard to realize how much time has passed between decades. While you may still feel the 70s in your blood like it was yesterday, it’s been quite a long time since The Doors were playing concerts and a young Jane Fonda was the biggest name in motion pictures. If you’re still saying these things often, you may think the 70s were only a few years ago.
If you think the 70s were only 30 years ago, you probably say these 11 things often
1. ‘Kids today can’t pick up a phone’
SanneBerg from Getty Images Signature via Canva
Believe it or not, the first cell phone was invented in 1974. However, they did not become common until decades later. This meant that if you grew up in the 1970s, you were used to a phone at home that was connected to the wall by a cord. If you wanted to reach someone, you had to give them a ring and plan your hangout. When communicating vocally rather than via texts or emails, you might be frustrated if the younger generation chooses to communicate electronically rather than picking up the phone.
Let’s face it, every generation has struggled with the ones that come after them. Your parents definitely were not fans of your long hair. Whether you want to admit it or not, this annoyance is generational.
2. ‘Didn’t that song come out a few years ago?’
O2O CREATIVE from Getty Images Signature via Canva
This is something that has started to impact my own millennial life. Have you listened to a classic music station and heard one of your favorite songs from your youth? It’s a humbling experience, to say the least. You may be wondering, ‘Didn’t that song come out a few years ago?’ when in reality, it’s now considered a classic. When you still think the 70s were just 30 years ago, hearing this unfold can be shocking.
The 70s were an incredible decade for music. Janis Joplin, James Brown, the Rolling Stones, and Elton John were just a few performers who defined the generation. These artists are all still celebrated today. It can feel startling to realize how long ago your favorite music came out.
3. ‘I swear that actor just became famous’
SeanShot from Getty Images Signature via Canva
You may find yourself watching a movie or TV show and see an actor you were crazy about in your youth in a role. It’s exciting to see someone you remember from their early days continue to have a successful career. However, why do they look so … old? It seems like just yesterday this person was a young performer moving up the ranks. Wasn’t the 70s just a few years ago?
Time moves faster than we think as we get older. It may seem like just yesterday Jane Fonda, Barbara Streisand, and Faye Dunaway were at the peak of their careers. While they are still superstars, they are not as young as they once were.
4. ‘Groovy’
Collis from Pexels via Canva
The term ‘groovy’ became popular in the 1920s but slowly lost relevance. By the 1960s and 70s, the phrase was back in style. When you think of the 1970s, you probably picture someone holding up a peace sign and saying the word. The word became synonymous with a generation. Defined as fashionable and exciting. If you still find yourself saying this word, you may think the 70s were not long ago.
However, no one seems to use this word anymore. If you still say it, you might think the 1970s had only just passed. I’ll take groovy over some of our strange modern slang terms.
5. ‘Peace and love’
Lisa-Blue from Getty Images Signature via Canva
I’m from the San Francisco Bay Area, and I grew up hearing the legends of the iconic Summer of Love in 1967. This was an event that led to a movement. Well into the 70s, the phrase ‘peace and love’ was still echoed. The revolutionary hippy movement wasn’t all peace and love. They took serious measures for social change. While some people’s ideology changes over time, this catchy phrase has likely lingered into their current lives.
Saying this all the time can be a sign that you think the 70s were more recent than they actually are. There’s a chance that the younger people in your life may tease you for still saying this.
6. ‘They don’t make movies like they used to’
Eddisonphotos from Getty Images Signature via Canva
I’m a huge fan of classic movies. If you find yourself thinking movies these days just aren’t what they used to be, I am on your side. The 70s brought us monumental films like All That Jazz, Halloween, and Jaws, just to name a few. Watching modern movies may be less exciting than tuning into your favorites from the decade. To this day, the 70s are a beloved era of filmmaking. If you think this way, you may find yourself wondering just how long ago the 1970s were.
“It was the decade that gave us midnight movies, modern blockbusters, Blaxploitation epics, neo-noirs and the cream of the New Hollywood crop. The 'Film Brats' were in full bloom, and after the studio system had let the bearded barbarians in through gate, audiences were gifted with what seemed like some new beautiful, bleak vision of American life on a weekly basis,” according to Rolling Stone. “There’s a reason that the 1970s are idolized, fetishized, and consistently namechecked by several generations of cinephiles: the sheer abundance of great movies that came out during that 10-year span, especially (but not exclusively) from American filmmakers.”
7. ‘The 70s weren’t that long ago’
Pedro Paiva from Pexels via Canva
From my perspective, I can understand thinking the decade you grew up in wasn’t all that long ago. I grew up in the 1990s, and that feels like it was just yesterday to me. I still remember so many aspects of the decade. If you find yourself saying, ‘The 70s weren’t that long ago,’ you may believe the same. We were young, just a few years ago, right?
Again, as we get older, time can feel like it is speeding up. Out of nowhere, it seems, we are living in a completely different world. If you are someone who is constantly thinking about the 70s, you may remember it because it was the last decade you were not moving a mile a minute.
8. ‘That just happened recently’
khezez | خزاز from Pexels via Canva
Do you occasionally find yourself misremembering dates? Whether it is the year your first child got married or the release of a book, some things feel more recent than they actually are. I know I am guilty of this. I will say something happened just a few years ago, but when I look back at what I said, there is a shocking revelation. That thing you loved did not happen recently. In fact, it was decades ago.
When we experience nostalgia, we look at past experiences through rose-colored glasses. It can feel like just yesterday something happened. However, it can be our minds playing tricks on us.
9. ‘Back then, we didn’t text’
irene vega from Pexels via Canva
We have all heard this from someone in our lives. Baby boomers and Gen X lived life before the convenience of texting. Younger kids may find this hard to believe. How could we have talked to one another without texting? As it turns out, pretty well. We kept in touch easily. If you have a hard time with texting, it could be linked to other things.
There are definitely differences by age in how we use the phone. If you think the 70s were only 30 years ago, you still may not be used to communicating via text. This gap can leave you confused about the purpose texting serves.
10. ‘I remember when gas used to cost a dollar’
jallfree from Getty Images Signature via Canva
If I heard someone say this phrase, it would physically pain me. I have never experienced low gas prices in my lifetime. I would do anything to bring back $1 gas. I know I have a hard time going to the pump and seeing the prices. If you’re still mentally in the 70s, it can be especially shocking to see how high the cost has risen. Wasn’t that same gas just a dollar or two?
Gas prices have been on the rise for the last several years. I would love to join you all in the 70s with those gas prices.
11. ‘I saw that band live’
Alice Castro from Pexels via Canva
In my opinion, this is the coolest thing someone who lived in the 70s can say. If you think the 70s were just 30 years ago, it may be a shock to find out which bands from the era are still going strong and which are no longer around. Bands like The Doors are still beloved to this day, but the tragic loss of singer Jim Morrison brought the group to a halt. It may be strange to look back and think about each band you saw live and where they are now.
The 1970s were so long ago that we’ve lost several musical icons from that decade. However, if they feel recent to you, you are lucky. You can look back on those incredible concerts and be glad you were there.
Haley Van Horn is a freelance writer with a master’s degree in Humanities, living in Los Angeles. Her focus includes entertainment and lifestyle stories.
