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Older Adults Are Sharing The Normal But Unique Experiences From The Past That Have Younger Folks Soooo Confused

Dannica Ramirez
·5 min read

Recently, older adults of the BuzzFeed Community shared the common, everyday experiences from "back in the day" that are basically obsolete now, and as an older Gen Z'er, I'm half-confused and half-fascinated. Here are some of the stories that, depending on your age, will have you feeling super nostalgic or utterly perplexed:

1."I remember when pants weren't allowed on airplanes. Men had to wear a matching pantsuit."

Flight attendant in 1960s uniform serving a drink to a seated passenger on an airplane. Retro aviation scene
Flight attendant in 1960s uniform serving a drink to a seated passenger on an airplane. Retro aviation scene

—loushortforlou

2."Back in the '60s and '70s, before cars had chimes and buzzers, people regularly forgot to turn off their headlights and left their car doors unlocked. If you came across a car like that, you could lean in and turn the lights off for them. It happened frequently back then, but my granddaughter doesn't believe me."

—Anonymous

3."You used to be able to go into someone's house during Halloween to get candy."

Adults and children dressed in vintage Halloween costumes stand on a house porch
Adults and children dressed in vintage Halloween costumes stand on a house porch

—homeyovercoat411

4."Grocery stores used to hand out stamps with grocery purchases. Our moms would have us lick the stamps and put them in a little booklet. With enough stamps, we could redeem products like small appliances, like a toaster or an iron. This was a common household practice!"

—Sue, 70, Illinois

5."Cable TV did not exist. We only had three TV channels to watch: ABC, CBS, and NBC! That was it!"

Family from the 1970s sitting on a couch, watching TV together
Family from the 1970s sitting on a couch, watching TV together

—Anonymous

6."The Charles Chips man. The potato chips were delivered in a big yellow and brown tin canister and were the BEST chips ever! I'm sure they probably had other stuff, too, but I only remember the chips."

—vibrantpotato892

7."Back in the '60s and '70s, if you were thirsty, you could just drink water from the garden hose."

Boy standing on grass, wearing checkered shorts, drinks water from a garden hose in a backyard
Boy standing on grass, wearing checkered shorts, drinks water from a garden hose in a backyard

—Anonymous

8."We had a ROTC shooting range (with rifles provided) and a student smoking area in high school."

—awfulduck3616

9."There were no car seats for children or infants at the time!"

Four children are playfully sitting in the back of an open vehicle, surrounded by travel items and a countryside backdrop
Four children are playfully sitting in the back of an open vehicle, surrounded by travel items and a countryside backdrop

—Jeni

10."In the '80s, my mom used to call various neighbors to check on where we were. She knew most of the families because she grew up in the neighborhood. And if she didn't call, the neighbors called her. By the time my parents passed away, I knew almost none of the neighbors."

—bentleylover2011

11."We had to carry all of our textbooks in our arms walking to and from school because there were no backpacks at the time."

Person in a blazer and skirt holding a folder, standing in a hallway, smiling
Person in a blazer and skirt holding a folder, standing in a hallway, smiling

—Marie, 68

12."When I was 6 years old in the early '80s, my dad would send me with cash across town to the gas station by myself to buy lottery tickets and cigarettes. There were no questions asked because it was normal back then."

—jenna44

13."Before, there was no expectation to pick up after your dog. There'd be dog poop EVERYWHERE. I'm glad that doesn't happen today."

A fluffy dog stands between people shopping at an outdoor market, with various items on the ground
A fluffy dog stands between people shopping at an outdoor market, with various items on the ground

—Ben, New York

14."Many kids and young people today think they have more freedom just because they can scroll endlessly on Instagram or TikTok or wear whatever they want. But, honestly? That's not real freedom. Real freedom was what we had: riding our bikes without our parents freaking out over helmets, playing outside for hours with our neighbors without cell phones, and walking to the nearest convenience store as kids to buy whatever we wanted. There were no tracking apps or worries. Younger generations think they have a lot more freedom, but in many ways, they don't. Sometimes, I feel bad for them."

—currywurst8

15."There was only one phone in the house, and it was tethered to the wall. You could forget about having private conversations most of the time."

Person holding a telephone, wearing a light-colored shirt, sitting by a typewriter and a lamp indoors
Person holding a telephone, wearing a light-colored shirt, sitting by a typewriter and a lamp indoors

—tropicanafilmstudios

16."When you bought a pie, you paid a pie tin deposit of 35 cents (it later increased to 50 cents, then a dollar). You had to take the pie tin back after cleaning it to get your deposit back."

—tteelo13

17."In the late '50s, we hitchhiked everywhere. When was the last time you saw someone on the side of the road with their thumb out?"

Two people hitchhiking beside a road with outstretched thumbs, standing next to a large backpack
Two people hitchhiking beside a road with outstretched thumbs, standing next to a large backpack

—sweetlamp151

18."People used to smoke on airplanes; there were ashtrays in the armrests. They smoked in hospital rooms and on trains, too."

—Patrick, 65, Illinois

19."I remember when all grocery stores had a bag boy. It was usually a teenage boy who'd not only bag the groceries but also take them to the car and load them up for you."

1960s supermarket scene with a woman in formal attire at the checkout. A cashier in a white coat scans groceries, including a bag of oranges
1960s supermarket scene with a woman in formal attire at the checkout. A cashier in a white coat scans groceries, including a bag of oranges

—bittermagician356

20."When I was in eighth grade, we were allowed to pick an instrument to learn. I wanted to play the drums, but the school didn't allow me because I was a girl."

—casualrocket447

21."I remember in school in the late '60s that your skirt had to touch the floor when you kneeled down."

—sportytoaster617

22.Lastly: "Getting your ass kicked for running your mouth was a common occurrence. Bullying was either accepted or ignored by most adults. If you complained, you were simply told to stand up for yourself. Respect was an actual thing that almost everyone practiced, as was doling out consequences for your actions. The general atmosphere was ripe with a healthy dose of fear. Everyone thought twice before opening their mouth or acting rudely. Nowadays, people are entitled and don't care about community — just themselves."

—Anonymous
—Anonymous

—Anonymous

Honestly, so glad society has evolved enough that I can show up to the airport in leggings, a large hoodie, and Crocs. If you're an older adult, what are some everyday experiences from "back in the day" that would sincerely confuse younger people? Let us know in the comments, or you can anonymously share your story using this form!

Note: Some submissions have been edited for length and/or clarity.

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