25 Things ’80s Kids Could Do That Today’s Kids Can’t

Did you know there are a many things '80s kids could do that today's kids can't? Technology and culture has radically altered the way we do things. What once was pretty normal is now either old fashioned, taboo, out-dated, or weird. Get ready to travel back in time!

Here are 25 things '80s kids could do that today's kids can't.

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Music Credit: Powerup! by Jeremy Blake

[abbottckd]

Keeping a blank tape in the cassette player to record songs off the radio.

[unlikeavirgin]

Getting mad at the radio DJ for talking over the beginning of your favorite song while you're trying to record it with the built in cassette player. D'OH!!

[FezzelwhigsForum]

I miss making mixed tapes, after school cartoons like Thundercats & He-Man, early morning cartoons like Robotech, and Saturday morning cartoons like Thundar The Barbarian, Dungeons & Dragons, & The Smurfs. I miss 80's TV ads and most of all, I just miss being a kid. Paying bills sucks.

[KathieWhat]

1970s stuff ❤ We went outside and came back when it started getting dark. No computers, we had to go find something to do, like every kid before us.
We had rules, and punishments when we broke them. We respected our elders.

[slobo]

As an 80s kids we did this cool thing called talking. To each other. In person. As in face to face. W no distractions.

[nbpraptor]

What about knowing 175 different phone numbers by heart?

[sherryherran]

Born in '69, I spent my childhood in the '70's and my teenage years in the '80's couldn't have been better.

[paullarussa]

When MTV wasn't a reality show, not going to the hospital unless something was broken, getting dirty bc you wanted too & not just bc you're poor, making toys last bc it's all you had, watching reading rainbow, spending all day outside playing, & so many countless days being a 80's kid was awesome..

[fremontjablonski]

Kids today will never recognize the phrase "Be Kind, Rewind."

[livvyweimar]

Answering the phone with no clue who was calling lol

[mr.hopkins]

One of my favorite memories of the 80's (born in 1977 here) was going to a Video Game Arcade and losing yourself in hours of beat'em up and adventure games...and then realizing you spent your entire allowance on video games lol but MAN IT WAS WORTH IT!!

[itsjuustmedontchaknow]

80s were the best time to live in. The best products, the best music, and freedom as a young one to not have to worry if someone was going to take you or do bad things to you. We could stay out all night and play ditch em down our whole block, which was basically hide and seek, and you had all the neighbors yards to hide in ❤️🇺🇸

[georgeecheveste]

Who else remembers getting thirsty and drinking from a hot hose on a hot day?
No bottled water for us.

[thomascocchiola]

Kids today will never know the feeling of being the remote for the TV

[BB_Axolotl]

Playing manhunt into the dark, sitting on mailboxes, slip and slide, birthday parties at peoples yards, rollerskate rinks, biking everywhere and pure FREEDOM

[VengeDracul]

Born in 75, Grew up during the 80s and loved it. Saturday Mornings were the best time to be an 80s Kid. I remember everything mentioned on this list. I used collect Garbage Pail Kids cards. Sadly I wish I still had them to just look at. Kids today have no clue what many of had. I am still aiming to find all 80s Cartoons to own. Very hard to find most of them.

[ufewl]

People would also take photos of other people rather than themselves.

[jackhammer]

Who remembers buying the cereal you didn't like just for the toy inside.

[spitwicked]

80's Hair Bands were the best. Long live the 80's!

[fredneckteddy]

I was born in 1971 and one thing i completely remember as a 70's/80's kid that you don't hear about much anymore are sleepovers. I know my best friend back then would come over for a sleep over and we'd get into all kinds of mischief and in turn i would go to his house and we'd have a grand ole time.