If You Remember These Things You Were Definitely Born In The ’70s

1. Attending Roller Disco Parties - trying to enjoy yourself without falling over wasn't easy!

Image source / Express & StarRoller discos consisted of all the fun of a discothèque with the full on awkwardness of having wheels on your feet. We might remember these parties fondly  but it's a real miracle we didn't break bones trying to dance along to the Bee Gees while skating at ultra frightening speeds!

2. Waiting Patiently For The Home Phone - hurrying family members to finish their call

Image source / Vintage EverydayEverybody in the '70s had only one phone in their house and it was a a rotary phone that stayed plugged in to the same place with a cord that could be stretched only so far.  If someone was using it, you basically had to sit there and wait for them to finish.  Hogging the phone caused many a sibling argument.

3. Taping Songs Off The Radio - best memories ever!

Image source RedditWhen you had a new favorite song but you didn't have any money to buy the record, you would sit next to the radio with your portable cassette recorder and wait for it to come on the radio.  You timed it so you didn't get any of the pre-talk from the disc jockey before the song was played.  Happy days!

4. Counting Down The Days To Saturday Cartoons - the highlight of the week

Image source / OOIndividualIf you wanted to watch Bugs Bunny or The Flintstones on the tv, then you could only catch them on a Saturday morning.  There were a few hours dedicated to kids' programs and it was the absolute highlight of the week.  It was great for our parents, too, as it was the only time we kept quiet!

5. NEVER Consuming Pop Rocks And Soda Together - an eruption waiting to happen

Image source HuffPostWhen the carbon dioxide in the Pop Rocks was released, it caused the fizzling sounds the candy was well known for.  If you drank soda at the same time, you were a brave kid!  You felt like your stomach was going to explode with the amount of gas that needed to be released.

6. Drinking Tons of Tang - well, if it was good enough for astronauts ....

Image source / Military.comThe makers of Tang gave us the idea, through their tv commercials, that their instant beverage, which tasted vaguely of oranges, was the nutrition of choice for all astronauts!  It also led us to believe that drinking Tang for breakfast made you as intellectual as any member of NASA!

7. Having a favorite Charlie's Angel - not an easy choice to make

Image source / Common Sense MateJaclyn Smith and Kate Jackson were both beautiful crime fighters but the third Angel, Farah Fawcett, had most of us smitten, the guys because they fancied her and the girls because they wanted a hair style exactly like her's. Their tv show, Charles Angels, was one of the most popular during the '70s.

8. Was Jaws Really Only A Movie? - It felt so real

Image source CNNThe 1975 blockbuster movie had us all cramming the theaters, hiding under our seats. For ages afterwards we looked for sharks virtually everywhere, convinced their ferocious fangs were waiting to bite down hard on our toes and pull us underwater - even in the local swimming pool!

9. Bowl Hair Cuts - so what if it didn't suit us ....it was the fashion

Image source / RedditIf you're not familiar with the bowl cut, then count yourself lucky!  It is exactly as it sounds and was not a pretty sight, although we all went with it as it was the big fashion trend.  Some moms would attempt to style their kids' hair themselves by literally putting a bowl over their head and using it as a template - scary!

10. Clackers - a sure way to bruises knuckles and wrists

Image source / Groovy HistorySo simple and entertaining - clackers was a huge 1970s craze and it was addictive.  We'd play with this 'dangerous' toy until our knuckles and wrists were black and blue, from the hard balls banging against them.  Once the bruising had faded, we went in again for more punishment!  Clackers were finally pulled from stores because of the pain they inflicted.

11. Metal Lunch Boxes - when plastic was far too futuristic

Image source / EtsyPlastic lunch boxes weren't even thought about in the '70s and we were grateful for the metal ones, mainly because we could choose from an array of different characters to have on the front of them.  Evel Knievel and Strawberry Shortcake were popular ones and were perfect to carry our bologna sandwiches in.

12. Going Outside With No Sunscreen - no idea of the dangers

Image source FlashbackThese days we wouldn't dream of leaving the house without sunscreen, if we know we are going to be caught in those rays.  Back in the day, we never wore it and the dangers of sun exposure were unknown to us.  Yes, we got burnt and we put up with the itching until the skin pealed off.

13. Being Obsessed With The Atari Video Game Console - if you were lucky enough to have one

Image source / PCMagIf you didn't own an Atari console during the '70s, you made sure you became friend with a kid who did!  The idea of playing video games in the comfort of our own homes without worrying if we had enough quarters seemed futuristic and we would play on the consoles for hours.

14. Annoying (or Being Annoyed By) Your Sibling On Road Trips - took all the fun out of it

Image source / InsiderWhen a family piled into the station wagon for a long trek across the country, the only entertainment to keep the children occupied, while they passed the time, was to annoy and torture each other as they travelled, sat in the back seats.  No iPads to keep them quiet in the '70s.

15. Pretending To Be Bionic - imitating Steve Austin and Jaime Somers

Image source / Click AmericanaIf you are truly a '70s kid, we don't need to tell you what's involved in pretending you're bionic.  For those who aren't, you simply start running in slow motion, making a noise with your tongue that sounds vaguely robotic. Both 'The Six Million Dollar Man' and 'The Bionic Woman' bring back powerful memories.

16. Queuing At Gas Station Lines - for what seemed like an eternity

Image source / The Washington PostThe oil crisis in 1973 caused a nationwide panic, resulting in gas stations having to display green or red flags, dependant on whether they still had gas or not.  If they did, the queues would form round several blocks and, as kids, we seemed to be there for hours on end.

17. Being Oblivious To 'Stranger Danger' - the days when everyone was your friend

Image source / InsiderThe world appeared to be less dangerous for kids in the 1970s than it is today and our parents weren't as freaked out about it. Many of us weren't warned to ignore or run away from strangers.  In fact, if one offered us some candy or started speaking to us, we were really happy about making a new buddy.

18. Short Shorts And Tube Socks - for males and females!

Image source / RedditRarely in the whole history of fashion has a clothing style been accepted by both men and women .... and some would question why!  Short shorts and tube socks, that stretched up to your knee, were not flattering but we ALL thought we looked so cool.

19. Having The Oscar Mayer Commercial Stuck In Your Head - a load of bologna!

Image source / YouTubeI bet you '70s kids remember that commercial.  It was always on!  There was the cute kid fishing while eating bologna.  I think it was the catchy tune that got us and we'd hum it as if it was a chart topper on the billboards.  In fact, I can still remember it to this day!

20. Printing School Assignments On Ditto Machines - purple ink everywhere!

Image source / RedditAny homework assignment or worksheet passed out to students in the classroom, in the '70s, was very likely to have been created using either a ditto or mimeograph machine. Do you remember  the way they left purple ink on your fingers that was hard to get off - or that unmistakable odor?

21. Brutal Playground Equipment - scratchy and rusty

Image source Click Americana

Playgrounds in the '70s were NOT user-friendly.  The bars were made of cold, rough steel that could literally break bones without mercy.  Everything, from the slides to the seesaws and the swings to the merry-go-rounds, were built to last and that meant giving out injuries, cuts and bruises, without guilt

22. Hot Wheels - they were fast!

Image source / YouTubeHot Wheels had futuristic cars, muscle cars, hot rods and trucks. Is it all coming back to you now?  With their colorful and glassy paint schemes, they looked so groovy. Hot Wheels  could race downhill on their special track at some speed and were an instant hit with us kids.

23. Using Photo Booths At The Mall - decades before selfies were a thing

Image source / PhotomaticaThese photo booths really do give me a flashback to my childhood.  I remember being in the mall with my friends and we would all cram into the booth, sitting on the edge of the chair, as we posed for a photo.  We clubbed together to get the coins to use it and we would have to wait 5 minutes while the black and white prints developed.

24. Being A Passive Smoker - not out of choice

Image source / Daily RecordSmoking was totally acceptable in the '70s, in offices, restaurants, homes, cars and most public buildings, as well as the cinema and airplanes!  If you weren't a smoker yourself, you would breathe in the fumes and your clothes and hair would smell of smoke. Thankfully, we know better today.

25. Shaking 'Instant' Polaroid Photos  - to help them develop faster

Image source /HackadayAs soon as a new picture slid out of your Polaroid instant camera, we pinched it between two fingers and shook it vigorously, to make it hurry up and develop into a clear photo.  It only came to light many years later that this waving about made absolutely no difference at all!

26. Station wagons With Wood Trim - yes, it's true!

Image source / AutoweekWhy so many people admired cars that looked as if they were made partly out of wood is anybody's guess!  The wood texture was actually a vinyl siding that resembled wood.  The colour of the vehicle was very likely to be brown or a mustard hue.

27. Watching The Brady Bunch - which one did you relate to?

Image source BioSureWas it the lady killer Greg or awkward middle child Jan, maybe the young dreamer Bobby, that you resonated with, or wanted to? 'The Brady Bunch' appeared to reflect our own individual quirks although it was an unrealistic, oversized family.  Regardless of that, everyone watched it in the '70s.

28. Staring At The TV Test Patterns - when programmes closed down for the night

Image source / Turbo FutureIsn't it weird to think tv didn't used to run 24/7 back in the 1970s?  At some point, usually about midnight, the station would sign off and the test pattern would appear on the screen.  It would stay there until around 6 am the following day, when programs would resume

29. Bottle Caps

Image source / PinterestBottle Caps were made out of a sweet tart material, shaped like pop bottle caps. They were available in different flavors, cherry, root beer, grape and cola.  They were recently listed as one of the favorite 1970s candies and, if you remember them, you will agree.

30. Toaster Treats

Image source / MSNNow that toasters were becoming readily available to households in the '70s, breakfast toaster treats hit the market.  They went straight from the freezer to the toaster and could be eaten on the way to school, as mom was rushing us out so we weren't late.

31. Sneakily Picking Up The Phone From The Other Room

Image source / RedditWhen home phones were a thing, it was likely you had more than one in your house. And was there anything more fun than sneakily picking up the phone from the other room so you could listen in on your parent's conversations or listen to your sibling talk to their crush in the most possible cringey way?

32. Trying To Solve A Rubick's Cube

Image source / RedditDid you manage it? Or did you just try every waking moment before hurling it through a window? Every 70's kid had to have a Rubick's Cube, even if it just sat on your desk so you could pretend to solve it. Did you ever get one as a Christmas present, too? Though no idea why someone would think impossible frustration would be a great idea for a gift!

33. Console TVs

Image source / RedditModern day TVs don't even compare to these bad boys - these were the chunkiest and coolest TV sets around, and every household must have had one in their living room for all the family to enjoy. They measured about 20 inches of 70's entertainment. The time before Netflix binging when things were a little simpler!

34. Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robots

Image source / RedditThese robots had to be the best toys - or maybe the worst idea for very competitive siblings growing up. Every household was likely to rock 'em and sock 'em on a daily basis, and they were the perfect size for taking around with you in the car. That's if you didn't end up breaking yours after your sibling beat you for the tenth time.

35. Anything Star Wars

Image source / RedditStar Wars first premiered in the 70s, and to say it's a big deal today would be an understatement compared to the buzz when it first came out. Being born in the 70s means growing up with Star Wars right when it happened, so you probably remember anything and everything Star Wars related: lunchboxes, posters, toys and lightsabers!

36. And You Might Even Remember Going To Watch The Original Star Wars In The Cinema

Image source / RedditThe first Star Wars movie was 1977, so maybe you were born in 1970 and your parents took you as a little kid - maybe even sneaked you in. Or maybe you just remember everyone you know talking about how they'd just seen 'that epic Star Wars movie' at the theater and it's all you can remember people talking about - ALL of the time.

37. Steel Truck Bodies

Image source / RedditBack in the 70s, there was only one option if you wanted to upgrade your truck's body: steel. If your family had a truck, then it was probably a heavy, clunky and noisy steel contraption that rusted - A LOT. Trucks these days made from stuff like lightweight aluminium will never know the struggle of a 70's truck trying to move around without issues.

38. Rocking Those Wide-Collar Shirts

Image source / RedditIf you had a a shirt in the 70s, then it definitely had to be wide-collar - there's no doubt about it. And you probably loved wearing it, too. Your mum had one, your dad had one, your brothers and sisters had one.. heck, maybe even the family dog had one. Wide-collars were the absolute in-thing of the 70s - better yet with bright-colored pants!

39. Having A Pet Rock

Image source / RedditThe most well-behaved pet you could possibly have in the 70's, and doesn't take much effort to care for, either. You didn't need to feed them anything, put them on a lead and walk them or even make sure they were clean. All you needed to do was find a good place to put them so they could live their best pet rock life.

40. Making A Mixtape

Image source / RedditPutting your five favorite songs onto a tape and then playing it in the car or your home stereo. Was there anything more fun? These days you can get bored shuffling through your 1000+ song Spotify playlist, but back then, the same 5 songs on repeat was absolute heaven and never got boring. And of course they were the best of the best 70s hits.

41. Having Every Kitchen Appliance In An Offensive Color

Image source / RedditYour 2023 eyes wouldn't even be able to comprehend the color palette you had to go through in your kitchen back in the 70s. Was there ever a kitchen appliance that just came in simple silver or white? Nope. You probably remember green, yellow, orange.. any shade that isn't white or black, basically.

42. Rolling Around On Shag Carpet

Image source / RedditRunning your hands through it, taking off your socks to squidge it with your feet, or even have it be the perfect floor cushioning for when you and your siblings were play-wrestling. The shag carpet was a pinnacle of 70's homes, and it was perfect for sitting on the floor during family TV time or dinner.

44. Checking Out The Latest Issue Of Tiger Beat

Image source / Click AmericanaYou definitely couldn't miss a single issue of this in the 70's if you wanted to find out what your latest heartthrob had been up to, or start collecting the covers of John Travolta's face. You probably had piles upon piles of this fan magazine blocking the doorway in your bedroom, or maybe hidden under your bed.

45. Deciding Which Charlie's Angel To Model Your Hair After

Image source / Rotten TomatoesNot only did you spend far too much time deciding which one you wanted to be, you also had the difficult choice of which one had the best hair - and therefore which hairstyle you were going to try and model your own after. You definitely tried to have your hair like Farrah Fawcett at some point.

46. Watching Saturday Night Live Late

Image source / Insider

48. Perfecting The 'Bump' Move With Your Friends

Image source / Library of DanceThe bump can be defined as you banging your hips against your friend's to get that boost of serotonin, but there are many ways you could have done this particular dance move, and a lot of practice made perfect. Better yet, there were a ton of 70's disco tracks that were the perfect soundtrack to the bump!

49. Making Every Decision Based On Your Mood Ring

Image source / Reddit

50. Macrame - Macrame, Everywhere

Image source / RedditYou had no choice but to watch and do nothing as your mom filled the entire house with macrame decorations. Maybe you liked them, maybe you didn't - but the only thing that was certain was that you had no choice but to sit there and watch it happen. You've probably taken up the hobby as an adult because it was drilled into you!