20 Things ’80s Kids Did That Would Shock Kids Today
Kids from the '80s lived in a wild, rule-free world that would leave today’s kids absolutely speechless.
- Sophia Zapanta
- 7 min read
Growing up in the ’80s meant freedom, danger, and a whole lot of questionable decisions. From riding in cars without seatbelts to drinking straight from the garden hose, life was less about safety and more about adventure. Today’s kids would be horrified by the risks, but ’80s kids wouldn’t have had it any other way.
1. Riding in Cars Without Seatbelts
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Back in the ’80s, seatbelts were just a suggestion, not a requirement. Kids would pile into the back of a station wagon, rolling around like loose groceries. The lucky ones got to ride in the open bed of a pickup truck, wind in their hair, common sense nowhere in sight. What if a cop saw it? They’d probably wave.
2. Drinking from the Garden Hose
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Filtered water? Please. The closest thing to a hydration station was the nearest rubbery, sun-heated garden hose. Sure, it tasted like metal and warm plastic, but that just added to the experience. If you were really lucky, you got sprayed in the face first.
3. Playing Outside Until Dark With No Supervision
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Parents in the ’80s had a simple rule: “Be home before the streetlights come on.” No one had a phone, GPS, or even a vague idea of where their kids were for hours. Neighborhoods became lawless wastelands of bike races, scraped knees, and secret forts. Somehow, most of us made it home alive—barely.
4. Calling Friends on a Landline and Praying Their Parents Didn’t Answer
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There was no texting or DMs, just the terrifying ordeal of calling a friend’s house. If their mom or dad picked up, you had to awkwardly ask, “Hi, uh, is Jason there?” The wait time felt like an eternity, and sometimes, they’d say no, and you just had to deal with it. Hanging up and trying again five minutes later was the only strategy.
5. Walking to the Store Alone as a Kid
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It was totally normal for a ten-year-old to walk a mile to the store with nothing but a crumpled dollar bill. No one batted an eye when kids wandered through town like tiny, unsupervised adults. Stranger danger? Barely a concept. The biggest worry was spending all your money on candy before you got what your mom actually sent you for.
6. Using Encyclopedias Instead of Google
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If you had a school project, you didn’t ask Google—you went straight to the bookshelf. Encyclopedias were basically prehistoric Wikipedia, except they weighed a ton and were outdated the second they were printed. If your family didn’t have the full set, you were out of luck. Your best bet was to “borrow” information from a friend whose parents actually invested in knowledge.
7. Watching Whatever Was on TV—Because There Was No Streaming
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There was no “on-demand.” If you missed your favorite show, too bad—you had to wait for a rerun, which might never come. Saturday morning cartoons were sacred because that was the only time you could binge-watch. If you wanted to skip commercials, you had to sprint to the kitchen and back before the break was over.
8. Getting Left in the Car While Parents Shopped
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It was totally normal for parents to leave kids in the car while they ran errands. No AC, no entertainment—just cracked windows and boredom. You’d entertain yourself by playing with the car’s buttons or making faces at strangers. If you complained, your parents told you to “use your imagination.”
9. Blowing on Nintendo Cartridges to Fix Them
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If a game wasn’t working, there was only one fix: take out the cartridge and blow on it like it was a birthday candle. Every kid swore by this magical technique, and somehow, it always seemed to work. Science has since proven it was useless, but the ritual lives on. If that didn’t work, you just jammed it in harder.
10. Using Pay Phones to Call Home
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If you needed to call home, you had to find a pay phone and hope you had a quarter. Otherwise, you’d dial collect and scream your name as fast as possible before the automated system kicked in. “Mom! Pick me up!” was a common greeting. If your parents were smart, they’d reject the charges and just come get you.
11. Wearing Metal Playground Equipment in the Summer
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Playgrounds in the ’80s were built like medieval torture devices. Metal slides could hit surface-of-the-sun temperatures, and monkey bars doubled as concussion machines. No soft padding, just straight-up asphalt or gravel to break your fall. If you got hurt, you either walked it off or got some good-old antiseptic that burned worse than the injury.
12. Eating Sugar-Filled Cereals With Zero Nutritional Value
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Breakfast in the ’80s was a rainbow-colored sugar rush. Cereals were basically candy in a bowl, and nobody cared. If a box had a cartoon character and a prize inside, it was part of a “balanced breakfast.” The milk was just a delivery system for more sugar.
13. Riding Bikes Without Helmets
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If you wore a helmet in the ’80s, you were either a professional cyclist or a total weirdo. Kids flew down hills, popped wheelies, and crashed into curbs with nothing but their skulls for protection. A few scrapes and bruises were just part of the adventure. If you actually broke a bone, you got a cool cast for everyone to sign.
14. Smoking Candy Cigarettes Like They Were Cool
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Nothing screamed “future bad decision-maker” like a kid with a pack of candy cigarettes. These chalky sugar sticks let kids practice looking cool while pretending to inhale. Some even had powdered sugar “smoke” for extra realism. Parents barely blinked—after all, it was just candy.
15. Being a Latchkey Kid
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Coming home to an empty house was just part of growing up in the ’80s. Kids let themselves in, made a snack, and entertained themselves for hours. There are no calls to check in, no security cameras—just total independence. The only rule? Don’t burn the house down.
16. Watching Cartoons That Were Basically Toy Commercials
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Half of the best cartoons existed just to sell toys. “Transformers,” “G.I. Joe,” and “He-Man” weren’t just shows—they were elaborate advertisements with fight scenes. Every episode introduced a new character you suddenly needed as an action figure. Yes, we fell for it every time.
17. Learning to Type on a Loud, Clunky Typewriter
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Before computers were in every home, typewriters ruled the world. Making a mistake meant either starting over or using white-out like an amateur. The keys required actual effort, and your fingers felt like you’d just finished a workout. If you hit the return lever too hard, you risked launching the whole machine off the desk.
18. Waiting Weeks for Photos to Get Developed
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Taking pictures was a commitment. You had to shoot an entire roll of film, drop it off at a photo lab, and wait for days to see if you even got a decent shot. Half the time, the pictures were blurry, overexposed, or featured someone blinking. Yet, we still put them in albums like they were treasures.
19. Watching Movies on VHS and Rewinding Like a Caveman
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VHS tapes were the height of home entertainment, but rewinding was a nightmare. If you were fancy, you had a separate rewinder to speed up the process. Otherwise, you sat there, watching the counter roll backward like it was the Stone Age. If you didn’t rewind before returning a rental? Shame on you.
20. Actually Memorizing Phone Numbers
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No contact lists, no speed dial—just raw brainpower. If you lost your little paper address book, you were doomed. Every kid knew their best friend’s number by heart, along with a few emergency contacts. Today’s kids don’t even know their own number.