35 Pics That Sum Up What The ’70s Were Like

Things got pretty weird in the 1970s, especially in the US, mostly because it came after the youth and change-driven 1960s and the incoming flashy styles of disco and punk. Even though people yearned for new social possibilities, they were faced with political division (Roe v. Wade, the Watergate scandal), hostility (wars in Asia), and rejection. As they started to lose hope of reuniting as a society with a common interest in goals, many focused on issues of subgroups they belonged to based on ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender, and religion.

During this period, many American citizens witnessed indigenous people seeking to maintain their culture and improve their quality of life. For decades, they were living in poverty and discrimination. In the '70s, the average life expectancy for a Native American person was 46 years, compared to the national average of 69. Half of them lived on reservations, where employment reached 50%. After many struggles and protests, the US government restored millions of acres of tribal lands and increased funding for Native American education, healthcare, and housing.

The drive for gay and lesbian rights intensified as well. The activists called for any homosexual individuals to come out and reveal their orientation. Therefore, gay communities moved from the underground to the political sphere. They strongly protested against the American Psychiatric Association, which categorized homosexuality as a mental illness. This “diagnosis” often resulted in job loss, loss of custody, and other serious consequences for the LGBT community. By 1974, it was no longer considered a mental illness. The same year, Kathy Kozachenko became the first openly lesbian woman to run for office in Michigan.

Women's liberation also continued in the 1970s. Feminists opened women’s shelters, successfully fought for protection from employment discrimination for pregnant ladies, reformed sexual assault laws, and funded schools that opposed sexist stereotypes. In 1973, the US Supreme Court, in Roe v. Wade, put in place several laws that made abortions during the first three months legal. This meant that women could seek help nationwide without needing to prove that the pregnancy was a danger to their health or that it was the result of a reported assault.

Growing up in the ‘70s amongst all of this was undeniably different from today. With the hippie movement in full swing and more women acquiring jobs, parents usually employed a “hands-off” approach when raising their children. Unsupervised play was still a thing, children of this era remember being told, “Be home when the street lights come on” or “Whose house are you going to, and when will you be back?” Kids between the ages of 5 and 13 would take care of themselves with no adult supervision before and after school on a regular basis.

One thing adding to the not-so-strict parenting was the lack of communication devices. There weren’t cell phones or smart watches back then. Getting hold of your child meant calling up your neighbors. Children would usually stay out all day, and if they needed to get in contact, they could use a payphone (ancient, we know). They got around without cell phones by making a plan days in advance and sticking to it. It’s hard to imagine doing all this planning just to go to a bowling alley with a friend after school. Nowadays, with nearly everyone having cell phones, we can make arrangements and know where someone is in an instant.

Some things that no longer exist in our current world but were useful in the ‘70s were services like milkmen, diaper changers, and television repairmen. Many people had metal boxes on their front porches, and the milkmen would pick up the empty glass bottles and leave milk on their doorstep. You could also leave a dirty bag of cloth diapers for someone to collect, and they would replace them with a stack of new ones. And if the TV broke, you would pay someone who came to your house in a van filled with parts and fixed it in your home. How ‘70s is that?

Also, let's not forget that reading paper maps and looking for distinctive landmarks were the only ways to travel successfully. Watching your favorite television shows in the 1970s was like making an appointment. Recording devices didn’t exist yet, so if you missed a show, better luck next time! Even thinking about it sends shivers down your spine. Additionally, at the time, the nationwide highway speed limit was 55 miles per hour in the US (now it rarely ever goes below 65).

The era of the 1970s was multifaceted in many ways. From social and cultural changes to daily life without cellphones or GPS, it was a mix of challenges and significant achievements that left a lasting effect on the decades ahead. Reflecting on this period, we have to ask, dear Pandas, do you recall something from the ‘70s that no longer exists or was peculiar even to this decade?