1. Drinking Water from the Hose
Back in the day, if you got thirsty while playing outside, you didn’t run inside for a bottled water or a filtered drink. Nope, you turned on the nearest garden hose and took a gulp! It might’ve tasted a bit metallic and a little warm, but it did the trick. Today, with everyone so health-conscious and worried about contaminants, drinking from a hose would be almost unheard of. But back then? It was just part of a summer afternoon.
2. No Seat Belts in Cars
Believe it or not, wearing a seatbelt wasn’t always a thing. People would drive around with no restraints, and kids? They were either bouncing around in the backseat or riding up front without a care. Nowadays, we wouldn’t dream of driving without buckling up, but in the ’70s, it was no big deal.
3. Smoking Everywhere
Back in the ’70s, people smoked everywhere—indoors, in restaurants, on airplanes, even in offices. It was just a normal part of life. These days, with smoking bans and designated areas, the thought of someone lighting up next to you in a public space feels almost unreal.
4. Kids Roaming Free
Kids had so much more freedom back then. They’d head out on their bikes early in the day and not come home until dinner. No phones, no constant check-ins—just pure freedom. Today, the idea of letting kids roam the neighborhood unsupervised would make most parents pretty nervous.
5. No Digital Devices
Imagine life with no smartphones, no internet, not even personal computers. People relied on landlines and face-to-face conversations. If you wanted to know something, you had to actually look it up in a book! For younger generations, a world without instant access to information sounds almost impossible.
6. Hitchhiking
Hitchhiking was a totally acceptable way to get around in the ’70s. You’d see people on the side of the road with their thumbs out, and folks would actually pick them up. These days, the idea of getting into a stranger’s car—or offering a ride—would probably freak most people out.
7. Lead in Everything
Lead was in all kinds of stuff back then—gasoline, paint, toys—you name it. People didn’t think twice about it until the health risks became known. Now, the thought of having lead in everyday items would be a huge scandal.
8. Physical Discipline in Schools
Believe it or not, corporal punishment was totally normal in schools. Teachers could use paddles, and it wasn’t considered a big deal. Today, that kind of discipline would be seen as totally inappropriate, not to mention illegal in many places.
9. Cars Without Air Conditioning
A lot of cars didn’t have A/C in the ’70s, so if you got hot, you’d just roll down the windows and hope for a breeze. Now, we take climate control for granted, and driving without it, especially in the summer, would seem unbearable.
10. No Bicycle Helmets
Kids rode their bikes everywhere—without helmets. They’d crash, get scraped up, and just keep going. These days, not wearing a helmet would be considered reckless, but back then, it was just part of being a kid.
11. Casual Attitude Toward Environmental Issues
Recycling wasn’t really a thing, and pollution was just part of life. People would toss trash out of car windows, and littering wasn’t frowned upon like it is today. The environmental movement was still in its early days, so the ’70s were a lot more carefree (and wasteful) when it came to the planet.
12. Unlocked Front Doors
Neighborhoods felt like family back then, and most folks didn’t think twice about leaving their front doors unlocked, even when they weren’t home. There was a strong sense of trust, and crime felt like something that happened “somewhere else.” These days, with home security systems, video doorbells, and multiple locks, leaving your door unlocked would seem completely out of the question.
13. Minimal Supervision at the Pool
Remember those days at the community pool or local swimming hole? Kids would jump in and out, do cannonballs, and play endless games of “Marco Polo” with minimal supervision. There might have been a lifeguard, but parents weren’t hovering poolside like they do now. These days, with everyone hyper-aware of water safety, the thought of kids swimming without constant adult supervision would be enough to make most people’s hearts race.
It’s wild how much things have changed. What was totally normal back then would leave most of us shaking our heads today!
