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If You’re Gen X And Want To Remember How Childhood Tastes Like, Here Are 76 Posts For You
Generation X refers to people born between 1965 and 1980, which means they grew up during a pretty eventful few decades. They saw Star Wars in theaters and watched the first Space Shuttle launch on TV. They listened to Led Zeppelin and Madonna on the radio. They rocked bell-bottoms before swapping them for acid-wash jeans, and embraced some seriously huge hair along the way.
It’s no wonder Gen Xers feel so nostalgic about those years. So, to bring back a few memories, we’ve rounded up some posts shared on the “Real Generation X” subreddit. Scroll down to check them out and see which ones hit especially close to home.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
Did You Ever Go To A Keg Party?
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#3
Generation X Learned So Much From These Amazing People
Googoo Gaga 33 minutes ago
Kindness and empathy have disappeared from this world and it is frightening.
Have you ever wondered who decided to divide people into Boomers, Gen Xers and Millennials in the first place? Well, there isn’t actually an official organization responsible for naming generations.
According to Pew Research Center, generational names are largely created by social scientists and researchers, and their boundaries can vary.
The idea of studying generations goes back much further, though. Sociologist Karl Mannheim helped lay the foundations for modern generational research with his influential 1928 essay, The Problem of Generations.
#4
Does This Ring A Bell?
#5
Oh Yeah 😉
#6
Jerry Lewis Telethon
As for Generation X, its original name wasn’t nearly as catchy. It was initially called the Baby Bust because birth rates had dropped significantly after the Baby Boom.
Thankfully, Canadian author Douglas Coupland helped popularize a much cooler alternative with his 1991 novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. The name caught on, and the rest is history.
#7
Do You Remember?
#8
Did You Put The Fries In The Top?
#9
Can You Remember This Smell?
What is Gen X actually known for? Independence is certainly one of the characteristics most commonly associated with this generation.
Many Gen Xers grew up as so-called latchkey kids, who would come home from school and spend the afternoon looking after themselves until their parents returned from work.
This became increasingly common as more mothers entered the workforce during the 1970s and 1980s, as documented by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. For some kids, that meant learning to make their own snacks and finding ways to entertain themselves from an early age.
#10
Coolest Toy Ever
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
This was the gateway drúg to my entire childhood/lifetime spent playing video games XD
#11
Did You Ever Do This?
Elladine DesIsles 44 minutes ago
I had a whole little hidden workshop inside my desk, where I squeezed white glue into the moulded-in storage recesses, let it get semi-dry with occasional mixing, and then formed it into tiny animal figurines as if it were clay. And again, I somehow made it through school without ever being assessed for ADHD or autism. Being a "high-functioning" girl in the 80s was like having a magic cloak of neurodivergent invisibiity.
Interestingly, though, plenty of Gen Xers don’t particularly identify with their generational label. A 2015 Pew Research Center survey found that only 58% of Americans born between 1965 and 1980 actually considered themselves part of Generation X.
So, although it’s fun to talk about the things people from the same generation have in common, these labels don’t necessarily mean much to everyone. After all, your birth year can only tell people so much about who you are.
#13
Did You Have Any Of These?
#14
Could You See The Pictures?
Brian Droste 2 hours ago
I still have this book. I grew up in Michigan. One of the Sundays city's newspaper on the back would have a magic eye on it.
#15
Did You Ever Eat Your Cereal Right Out Of The Box?
Another interesting thing about Gen X is how much technology has changed throughout their lives.
They experienced childhood without the internet and witnessed personal computers becoming increasingly common. Then came the digital revolution, which completely transformed everyday life.
And Gen Xers certainly haven’t been left behind. In fact, Pew Research Center reported that 90% of American Gen Xers owned a smartphone in 2019. That’s quite a change for people who once had to wait until they got home to make a phone call.
#17
How Many Know It? High School Flashback
Of course, having experienced life before everything went digital also gives this generation plenty to reminisce about. They remember the excitement of visiting a video rental store on a Friday night and the frustration of having to rewind a cassette tape with a pencil.
Back then, if you missed your favorite TV show, you had to hope somebody had recorded it. These little things might seem insignificant now, yet they were such a familiar part of everyday life for many people.
#19
Every Kitchen Had One
Elladine DesIsles 50 minutes ago
Ours was more of a 70s yellow than 70s green, but yes, we did. I assume my parents got it as a wedding gift.
#20
Lunch Is Served
Googoo Gaga 26 minutes ago
My dad was also a depression dad- one of 13, but I am not into mustard sandwiches. 😝
#21
Did You Like This Ice Cream
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
I used to gnaw on the paddle-spoon afterwards until it splintered >_>;
And there’s actually a reason why looking at old photographs or revisiting childhood favorites can feel so good. Research from the University of Southampton suggests that nostalgia can strengthen our feelings of social connection and help us feel less lonely.
Recalling happy experiences can remind us of the people we shared them with. Perhaps that’s why finding someone who remembers the exact same obscure toy or television commercial can be so satisfying.
#22
In The 70s You Could Go To A Concert For 10 Bucks
#23
Do You Remember These?
#24
You Think You're Old? I'm Old!!
Giraffe Sitter 1 hour ago
I grew up Los Angeles in the late ‘70s. Our grocery stores didn’t give green stamps, they gave Disneyland A/B/C tickets.
Ultimately, Gen Xers have all taken different paths since their childhood days. Some have started families of their own, while others have followed completely different dreams.
Yet there’s something lovely about discovering that a complete stranger shares a little piece of your past. And judging by all these nostalgic posts, there’s certainly no shortage of things for this generation to reminisce about.
#25
Did You Ever Play With One Of These?
Colleen Glim 1 hour ago
Had one for my children. They were terrified. It got donated shortly after
#26
Star Trek: First Contact
#28
It Was Like Watching For The Winning Lottery Numbers
Googoo Gaga 16 minutes ago
Almost never. Québec had a sheetload of snow, but also had, and still has, the quickest, most efficient snow removal in North America. I''ll give them that.
#29
We Used To Have To Work For A Cold Drink
Brian Droste 2 hours ago (edited)
I remember this and I am a boomer. This was long before Gen X generation.
#30
Life Before Google
#31
Some Of You Are Here Today Because Of The Hard Work Of These 2 Hero's
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
We do not use the R-word any more. It is now considered an offensive slur and is no longer a proper, accepted term for people with intellectual disabilities. That being said, it WAS an accepted term to refer to those with intellectual disabilities back in the day, and we should not judge the past by our modern sensibilities in that regard.
#32
Do You Know What This Is?
#33
Ready For A Car Ride
Googoo Gaga 10 minutes ago
That bar would have surely caused abdominal injuries in an accident.
#34
It's 10 P.m. Do You Know Where Your Children Are?
#35
Sanford King Size Markers… Ah That Smell
#36
Remembering The Best Flavor From A Gum That Would Last 60 Seconds
LakotaWolf (she/her) 24 minutes ago
I was weirdly heartbroken to learn that Fruit Stripe gum was discontinued in 2024 :( I wish I'd had a chance to buy one last packet and be disappointed one last time in the flavor that lasted all of 1.5 seconds.
#37
Did You Ever Drink This?
Nik Odongray 2 minutes ago
I miss peach Hi-C so much! Took a drink box to school for lunch every day.
#38
Spuds Mckenzie The Original Party Animal
#39
Christmas Catalog Dreaming.. What Was Yours?
Colleen Glim 59 minutes ago
The Sears Christmas Wish catalogue. We would pore over it for ages
#40
Fragile Rock
#41
Did You Listen To This?
Multa Nocte (she/her 8647) 2 hours ago
🎶 Clap for the Wolfman - He gonna rate your record high 🎶
#42
If You Know This House , You Are Gen X
#44
Bill And Ted’s Excellent Adventure (1989)
#45
My First Computer
#47
A True American Hero
#48
Did Any Of You Wear One Of These In The 80s?
#50
Uncanny X-Men #268
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
The X-Men have always been my most beloved comic book heroes. I had such a huge crush on Gambit and would cut up mittens so I could have gloves that "matched" his XD I also had pet lizards named Rogue, Gambit, Wolverine, and Jubilee. I even pestered my dad to take me to Pizza Hut one time because they were having a special giveaway for an X-Men comic book you could only get at Pizza Hut. I still have that comic to this day! It has a hilarious ad for Stridex zit pads in the back, where Magneto helps some teenagers fight acne, for some reason XD
#51
Star Search With Ed Mcmahon .. Agt Of Our Time
#52
If This Was In Your House, Yep
LakotaWolf (she/her) 22 minutes ago
Ours matched my mom's wooden salad serving things, which looked like claws and always terrified me XD I would pretend that the giant wooden spoon and fork on the wall were actually a dragon's eating utensils, though!
#54
Iykyk
#55
If You Know Who This Hat Belongs To
#58
Did You Have One Of These In Your Kitchen?
#62
It Was Either This Or A Zippo
#63
Ok Guys And Gals, Imagine It's Prom Time!🥂
Googoo Gaga 40 minutes ago
Phoebe Cates was a best selling poster dream from the bathing suit scene. Brooke Shields was a beautiful child, but she was irresponsibly marketed for someone her age (greedy mother syndrome). I suspect predatory adult men liked her more than teenage boys. Kelly Lebrock was too old to be a prom date and Molly Ringwald was marketed as nerdy. Jennifer Conolly is also very pretty but who remembers her at this age? (I think that's her, correct me if I am wrong). Was Alyssa Milano prom material? Cute, but teenage boy dreamy? Too young back then, imo. Christina Applegate had a slutty character so let's not go there, lol. The rest - meh. Just my opinion as an 80's girl. Don't shoot.
#64
Kirby, Not Just A Vacuum It's An Adventure
#66
Did Your Vcr Remote Have A Cord?
#67
Franco American And The Mile Long Noodle In A Can
Googoo Gaga 1 hour ago
I don't think we had this brand in Canada, but I remember the commercials. Feels like a million years ago.
#68
TV Shows And Movies In The 80s Had Some Memorable And Iconic Vehicles. It's Your Lucky Day, You Have Been Chosen To Use One Of These Vehicles For A Month
Phantom Phoenix 23 minutes ago
I'd have to choose the DeLorean. Time travel! KITT would be my clear 2nd choice
#72
First Car ?
#73
I Know Y’all Are Hearing This Theme Song Right Now
LakotaWolf (she/her) 1 hour ago
My buddy (my buddy) my buddy my buddy, wherever I go, HE goes! My buddy and meeee!
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What do you think ?
Bald Eagle 11 minutes ago
nostalgia posts are low hanging fruit peddling brand recognition as warm, fuzzy memories
Bald Eagle 11 minutes ago
nostalgia posts are low hanging fruit peddling brand recognition as warm, fuzzy memories
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