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“The Ultimate ’80s Page”: 50 Posts About The 80s That Today’s Kids Probably Won’t Get
Let me just tell you that the oldest millennials have turned 42 this year. And while we’re well aware of the fact we’re no kids, we don’t feel that ancient either. Dad jokes and cargo pants seem to be a boomer thing, but what if we’re not that far from them?
So today, my fellow millennials, we’re about to feel not just old, but ancient thanks to this walk down memory lane right back to our simpler and happier childhood days.
“The Ultimate '80s Page” Facebook page is a notorious source for nostalgia–inducing content, and below we wrapped up some of the best examples shared here. The page’s whopping 2.7M followers show just how much we all relate to the long gone days, and honestly, it’s no surprise.
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Lauren McMenemy, a professional writer, journalist, and writing coach who runs workshops and training to help people get their words down right, told Bored Panda that the immediate thought when someone says "1980s" is the cliches: “neon, big hair, shoulder pads, power ballads. It was an era of multitudes.”
She commented: “There was indeed that break-out fun, bright and fluffy, everyone's excited angle - but there was also the ‘Greed is Good’ angle, the Wall Street tycoons, the money-at-all-costs which really started to dominate at this time (and still does).”
#5
Serial pacifist 2 years ago
When you get a perfect picture but your finger sticks out in the corner…
Jon Clingenpeel 2 years ago
Or that you didn’t set the film up correctly and it never advanced
R Adams 2 years ago
Or, like my dad did a few times, forget to put the film in. My sis performed at Blackpool Tower and my dad was happily snapping away and people were asking for copies, only to find when we got home he had forgotten to put the film in! Lol
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OWEN CASH 2 years ago
Or you accidentally opened the back cover before the film was rewound and ruined the entire roll.
Katiekat 2 years ago
On the other hand, real cameras liked this forced you to learn good photography: lighting, distance, framing, exposure, etc. I've been taking pictures since I was around age 8, and started off with a Kodak Instamatic. My pictures nearly always turned out fine, although it's nicer now to see things immediately and delete what you don't want.
Ruth Kennedy 2 years ago
But you were so dependent on how they were processed. Did a roll of black and white on my Praktica SLR. Came back water stained and back to front. WTF. Or over-saturated. Such a disappointment.
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Remi (He/Him) 2 years ago
The disappointment of having the whole roll with your Versailles pics ruined because your shïtty camera somehow didn't close properly and all the pics had light pollution that came through the crack
Cassi Lyris 2 years ago
Actually it's making a comeback. Kinda fun to putz around with again. Taught my teenager what a shutter was for.
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
I had a Fujica Half camera my dad gave me. I sold it on eBay sadly. I had to figure I it the focus by estimating the distances somehow. Later I got a Kodak disc camera until he gave me his SLR. I was into photography from a young age. Took a photography class in high school and learned to develop my own film. Dad built a darkroom in our basement and I had my grandfather’s ancient enlarger. Remember going down to downtown Toronto to the one Henry’s store they had back then to get chemicals and paper. Took a cool trip to NYC with our class in 1988. Met the guy who played Carmine on Laverne & Shirley (Eddie Mekka) coming out of Sardi’s because i was a sophisticated teen who watched old movies and made my friends go to dinner with me there. Good times…
Lynn Morello 2 years ago
Only a week, My Gawd, what chemist did you go to? We waited 2 to 3 weeks.
Mick Perger 2 years ago
Owning a camera with a motor drive was a big deal. Having the money to keep your finger on the button until the film ran out was a bigger deal.
Lorraine Tilston-Brookes 2 years ago
They will never know that feeling of anticipation waiting for the pictures to arrive and the sheer joy looking though them and putting them in an album
Marvin HoG 2 years ago
Dang my new top looks great in this blurry photo double exposed with Mr. Thompson from across town's vacation pictures!
Claire Armstrong 2 years ago
God, I took so many photos with cameras like this and spent so much money on them! Now I have a Samsung Galaxy A13 phone with 4 camera lenses on it, one of which is a 50mp, and I hardly use it!!
CHRIS DOMRES 2 years ago
Or to take a ton of photos at the most fantastic natural wonder of the world only to find out the shutter on the camera was stuck open and the entire roll has been exposed.
Ivan Petrov 2 years ago
A ton of pictures? You had, what, 36 poses on a film. Definitely under 40.
Jason Taney 2 years ago
Nevermind that it cost 12 bucks to get it developed not to mention the cost of film
Houndywoman 2 years ago
People actually got film developed? I just took photos and then threw them away after a few months. :)
TrippyBanana 2 years ago
I could never figure out how to load the film and since this was before YouTube I couldn't just watch a video online.
Reenzy Bennington 2 years ago
I remember how excited I was to pick the pictures up with my mom. Shoeboxes full of old photos. I actually found a camera I got once and never used. So it's probably still working. Might get some film for it.
François Carré 2 years ago
It was not "a ton" of pictures. You had 24 of 36 chances at best and casually ended up with one or two good pictures.
JessieJ&LilyLovebug 2 years ago
Actually, if you use 35 mm film, most places did away with in store labs, so they are now sent out, and come back in about a week, just like the good ole days.
S. E. in Indiana 2 years ago
Remember the Photo Huts? You know that gut looked at every picture you took.
Margaret Zahn 2 years ago
You also had to drop off the roll at a camera store to get them developed
Alain Terrieur 2 years ago
A ton of pictures? 24 or 32 were the max that fit on a roll. I wouldn't call that a ton.
VonBlade 2 years ago
*36. And given that was the most that it was possible to take, and that film was super expensive if you were a kid, yes, it's a ton.
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Firstname Lastname 2 years ago
Ah, a time when my thumb was a much bigger enemy for unknowingly getting in the frame of the picture.
Lauren argues that what was unique about the '80s - aka her childhood - “was the sense of adventure and exploration, particularly as technology started to infiltrate the home. It was the first era of home computing consoles, of Nintendo and Atari.” So for her, as a kid, it was the absolute best time.
#8
The Other Guest 2 years ago
I got to spin the wheel once (relative works for CBS & he was giving us a backstage tour). It's *really* heavy.
Since the '80s style, from clothing to music, has been coming back to fashion in recent years, we asked Lauren why she thinks this bygone era has this enduring appeal.
Lauren believes that there isn't anything unique about the '80s that's driving this comeback. “As humans, we are inherently nostalgic, and there seems to be a trend that we go back every 30 and/or 50 years.”
In fact, Lauren argues, “in the '80s, we were obsessed with the '50s. In the '90s, it was the '60s, and so on. It's a long enough time-lapse that we can remember things with rose-tinted glasses.”
#10
Mimi La Souris 2 years ago (edited)
and it is resistant, since the 70s, we are in the 4th generation to play with, still works "Ding!" !
We also asked Lauren what’s her favorite '80s thing, and she said it’s “Back to the Future. Hands down, my favorite movie ever. And you get the double whammy of '80s and '50s nostalgia, too!”
“I'm also partial to hair metal and power ballads; put on The Final Countdown by Europe and I'll sing at the top of my lungs,” she added.
#15
Ariom Dahl 2 years ago
I recently went to a high school reunion. Those of us who are still alive are turning 75 this year. :)
#17
VodkaInMySweetTea 2 years ago
We called the theatre phone number and listened to the recorded listings on repeat
#20
Weiss Denise 2 years ago
I'll can tell you, as the teacher writing on and teaching from an overhead projector, that thing gave off massive amounts of heat! I pitied the kid sitting behind it.
#23
Ashley Schriber 2 years ago
I remember when those were called "hard disks" and floppy disks were larger and literally floppy.
#25
Geoffrey Scott 2 years ago
Maybe, but Ford has had a spontaneous combustion issue WAY before Tesla. Think it started with the Windstar
#27
Michelle M 2 years ago
“I have little feet because nothing grows in the shade.” - Dolly Parton Don’t you just love her. And here’s a cheesy joke. Q. How can you spot Dolly's children in a crowd? A. They're the ones with stretch marks round their mouths.
#29
Louisa Johnson 2 years ago
Yeah we had some, bloody horrific seeing them again. Somethings you don't need reminding of
#30
Anyone-for-tea? 2 years ago
Is this American? I think the UK equivalent is chip paper and those foam ceiling tiles!
#33
Trash Panda 🦝 2 years ago
"UUUUUUPPPPP next it's COUPLE'S skate!!! Grab your sweetheart and head to the floor!!!!" ::: Every middle schooler::::: immediately skates to the exit
#34
Gingersnap In Iowa 2 years ago
OMFG! I got this toy and I loved it I was convinced that I was going to be a fashion designer. I'm not.
#36
OutspokenHBW 2 years ago
By the time I was a kid we were playing Cruisin' USA. We earned those book-it pizzas.
#37
Kate Jones 2 years ago
Lol it's true. There was a point where everything had to be see-through so we can see the workings inside. Phones, toys, etc.
#40
Huddo's sister 2 years ago
I remember the day they replaced the blackboards in my school with whiteboards (2001)
#41
#49
Firstname Lastname 2 years ago
A lot of my pants cut off around the ankles because I have long legs. I still rock these bad boys.
#57
Benita Valdez 2 years ago
Damn I remember how those smelled. I was obsessed with stickers and had many sticker books
#58
Geoffrey Scott 2 years ago
Our still does Scholastic Book Fair. Just as freakin' expensive too.
#59
Michelle M 2 years ago (edited)
Minimalism is killing every ounce of creativity in several industries, especially food. A great comparison is logos. McDonald’s became an M, Chanel: two Cs, Sometimes Walt Disney appears as a single D, etc. And the latest brands/companies just have their names in solid fonts. Not even fancy ones.
#61
S. E. in Indiana 2 years ago
Or when Walter Cronkite gave you the news. The last newsman you could really trust.
#66
Michelle M 2 years ago (edited)
As much as I loved police academy, I think they were four too many. Stopped being funny after the third.
#71
#72
You know you grew up in the 1980's if you remember getting super-excited when it was Oregon Trail day.
#76
Delta Dawn 2 years ago
I was describing old school movie theater popcorn butter to a couple of teenagers a few weeks ago, and felt the winds of time blow through me
#84
S. E. in Indiana 2 years ago
And if you didn't smoke there was S&H Green stamps or Top Value stamps.
#85
#86
Kate Jones 2 years ago
This one makes me so sad. Roseanne was the only show on tv that showed what it was really like in a lower middle class household, which what so many people were. It was the most accurate to how I grew up and how most kids I knew grew up. Even the afghan on the couch was legit, lol. The kids were realistic. Honestly, the most unrealistic thing was how funny they all were. But I really loved the show and felt like Roseanne was one of the few people who stood up for that group. Now she's so batsh!t nuts conservative, and believes we're being controlled by snake people, she's racist and can barely put a cohesive sentence together. I don't know what happened to her.
#89
#90
#99
#100
Geoffrey Scott 2 years ago
My MIL was SO offended by this flik. But she had NO problem with kids watching F___ing Scarface
#101
#102
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What do you think ?
Trash Panda 🦝 2 years ago
I don't even care that I commented on almost every post. This was the best compilation I've ever seen on BP. I was borne in 80 and my brother in 81. We were 11 months apart. He died in 2020... I relived so many memories with him; things I haven't thought about in decades... This made my day 🥹 I miss you, man. ♥️
Trenise 2 years ago
I agree this is the best one, took me waaaaay back. Sorry about your brother 😞
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Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Like always, many of these still exist, or were at least still around in the 2000s. Still enjoy reminiscing but linking them to a single generation (or this case a decade) is not factual.
The Other Guest 2 years ago
And like always, many of these existed long before the 80s.
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Easily Excitable Panda 2 years ago (edited)
Usually I don't like these kinds of posts; they end up being so "We're cooler than millennials" type things. But this one celebrated the sheer insanity of age without criticizing (much, anyway). Mainly I just enjoyed being feral and wearing my jelly shoes. I wouldn't go back, though.
Helena R 2 years ago
I'm a 90s kid, there were loads of upsides, but I don't miss being called 'Gay' as an insult and I don't miss the bullying and general awful treatment of women by the media
Load More Replies...
Miss Frankfurter 2 years ago
I’m a boomer and this was so much fun to go through. Some of this was also from my childhood. All of these are so great to remember. Smiled through the whole thing. Thanks BO. Best one in a long time.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Agreed. Why the concept was there, it took hold in the US and UK particularly and.... yeeesh. What a ....
Load More Replies...
Tetelestai 2 years ago
I wish I was born earlier y’all!!! No offense or hate to my generation, but I feel like an old soul. I loved seeing you guys talk about the good times in the old days I had no part in 😭😅 and talking about some stuff I didn’t know about… y’all probably sounded as crazy as my generation’s slang heheh
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Stop acting like there's any decade that wasn't a sh*t show. Please. Warm fuzzy nostalgia for Grandma's cookies, fine. For any given decade or era as if it wasn't horrible in its own ways, no.
Sassawrasse 2 years ago
This generational argument over who had it best is so exhausting. Everyone's experience is relative. What I don't get is that so many adults actually have no idea who today's kids are outside of social media. They're smarter and more aware of global issues than we ever were. And our generations mucked it up for them too. We created those cell phones. We created that demon you call technology. Kids today are only living the life we planned for them.
Jennifer Norton 2 years ago
Yes! to all my fellow GenXers... we are the most amazing generation and this post proves it!
Teresa Spanics 2 years ago
They are missing the View Master and there miniature versions of the View Master that was the size of two flash drives which I can not remember the name of. Does anyone know?
Roan The Demon Kitty 2 years ago
considering I was born in '95, I can still relate to quite a lot of these hehe x3
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
Went to so many good concerts as a teen in the 80’s. Once I had tickets to see my fav band (besides Duran Duran -saw them in 1984 Maple Leaf Gardens - first concert ever), Platinum Blonde as part of the Kingswood $5 concert series at Canada’s Wonderland. Met Chris Steffler and Sergio Galli waiting in line at the broken down MineBuster roller coaster ride and talked to them for half an hour & they signed my tickets. Later in the 90’s would hang out with Kenny MacLean doing gigs in Toronto bars as my sister dated his keyboard player. He asked if I wanted to meet my former teen crush, the gorgeous Mark Holmes who was playing pool nearby but I croaked No because my sis had embarrassed my sensitive 22 year-old self by saying to everyone at the table how I was part of their fan club and drew pictures of him. So dumb. Who cares now? I should have said yes and I think he heard me and looked a little disappointed. Sorry Mark! Kenny was a great guy.
Rose Button 🇺🇦 2 years ago (edited)
*inhales, it's time to be that kid* AcTuLlY aside from the technology and general safety, kids today can relate to most of these! Just because you grew up in a different time period does not mean that you miss out on the simple joys of childhood.
Solar_Eclipse 2 years ago
Me being born in 2004 and relating to most of these... This was a great list. I am obsessed with all things 80s, so much so that I want a Macintosh from '84.
Kaceria DiRigazzi-Bonaccorso 2 years ago
So many of these were around way before and way after the 80s. A lot of this list is true for 2000s kids too. Y’all act like y’all are tougher or superior because y’all didn’t have modern tech. Calm down.
The Darkest Timeline 2 years ago
I’m a young GenXer (‘79) and I’ll say this: Nostalgia is a dangerous thing. It’s okay to look back and have fond memories but we shouldn’t think ourselves superior simply because our childhood was different. There are things we’ve lost but also those we’ve gained and that’s okay. Onward and upward.
Brandi VanSteenwyk 2 years ago
Kids thee days will never know the true meaning of carefree play.
Trash Panda 🦝 2 years ago
I don't even care that I commented on almost every post. This was the best compilation I've ever seen on BP. I was borne in 80 and my brother in 81. We were 11 months apart. He died in 2020... I relived so many memories with him; things I haven't thought about in decades... This made my day 🥹 I miss you, man. ♥️
Trenise 2 years ago
I agree this is the best one, took me waaaaay back. Sorry about your brother 😞
Load More Replies... Huddo's sister 2 years ago
Like always, many of these still exist, or were at least still around in the 2000s. Still enjoy reminiscing but linking them to a single generation (or this case a decade) is not factual.
The Other Guest 2 years ago
And like always, many of these existed long before the 80s.
Load More Replies... Easily Excitable Panda 2 years ago (edited)
Usually I don't like these kinds of posts; they end up being so "We're cooler than millennials" type things. But this one celebrated the sheer insanity of age without criticizing (much, anyway). Mainly I just enjoyed being feral and wearing my jelly shoes. I wouldn't go back, though.
Helena R 2 years ago
I'm a 90s kid, there were loads of upsides, but I don't miss being called 'Gay' as an insult and I don't miss the bullying and general awful treatment of women by the media
Load More Replies... Miss Frankfurter 2 years ago
I’m a boomer and this was so much fun to go through. Some of this was also from my childhood. All of these are so great to remember. Smiled through the whole thing. Thanks BO. Best one in a long time.
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Agreed. Why the concept was there, it took hold in the US and UK particularly and.... yeeesh. What a ....
Load More Replies... Tetelestai 2 years ago
I wish I was born earlier y’all!!! No offense or hate to my generation, but I feel like an old soul. I loved seeing you guys talk about the good times in the old days I had no part in 😭😅 and talking about some stuff I didn’t know about… y’all probably sounded as crazy as my generation’s slang heheh
Leo Domitrix 2 years ago
Stop acting like there's any decade that wasn't a sh*t show. Please. Warm fuzzy nostalgia for Grandma's cookies, fine. For any given decade or era as if it wasn't horrible in its own ways, no.
Sassawrasse 2 years ago
This generational argument over who had it best is so exhausting. Everyone's experience is relative. What I don't get is that so many adults actually have no idea who today's kids are outside of social media. They're smarter and more aware of global issues than we ever were. And our generations mucked it up for them too. We created those cell phones. We created that demon you call technology. Kids today are only living the life we planned for them.
Jennifer Norton 2 years ago
Yes! to all my fellow GenXers... we are the most amazing generation and this post proves it!
Teresa Spanics 2 years ago
They are missing the View Master and there miniature versions of the View Master that was the size of two flash drives which I can not remember the name of. Does anyone know?
Roan The Demon Kitty 2 years ago
considering I was born in '95, I can still relate to quite a lot of these hehe x3
Marilyn Russell 2 years ago
Went to so many good concerts as a teen in the 80’s. Once I had tickets to see my fav band (besides Duran Duran -saw them in 1984 Maple Leaf Gardens - first concert ever), Platinum Blonde as part of the Kingswood $5 concert series at Canada’s Wonderland. Met Chris Steffler and Sergio Galli waiting in line at the broken down MineBuster roller coaster ride and talked to them for half an hour & they signed my tickets. Later in the 90’s would hang out with Kenny MacLean doing gigs in Toronto bars as my sister dated his keyboard player. He asked if I wanted to meet my former teen crush, the gorgeous Mark Holmes who was playing pool nearby but I croaked No because my sis had embarrassed my sensitive 22 year-old self by saying to everyone at the table how I was part of their fan club and drew pictures of him. So dumb. Who cares now? I should have said yes and I think he heard me and looked a little disappointed. Sorry Mark! Kenny was a great guy.
Rose Button 🇺🇦 2 years ago (edited)
*inhales, it's time to be that kid* AcTuLlY aside from the technology and general safety, kids today can relate to most of these! Just because you grew up in a different time period does not mean that you miss out on the simple joys of childhood.
Solar_Eclipse 2 years ago
Me being born in 2004 and relating to most of these... This was a great list. I am obsessed with all things 80s, so much so that I want a Macintosh from '84.
Kaceria DiRigazzi-Bonaccorso 2 years ago
So many of these were around way before and way after the 80s. A lot of this list is true for 2000s kids too. Y’all act like y’all are tougher or superior because y’all didn’t have modern tech. Calm down.
The Darkest Timeline 2 years ago
I’m a young GenXer (‘79) and I’ll say this: Nostalgia is a dangerous thing. It’s okay to look back and have fond memories but we shouldn’t think ourselves superior simply because our childhood was different. There are things we’ve lost but also those we’ve gained and that’s okay. Onward and upward.
Brandi VanSteenwyk 2 years ago
Kids thee days will never know the true meaning of carefree play.
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