How has society changed since the 70s--your opinion

[ScarletMacaw]

I've seen some discussion of this on other threads and was wondering about different people's opinions...here's what I think:

Drugs: The 70s were more lax about drug use (both recreational and prescription), but there seem to be just as many drug addicts today, despite our laws and occasional hysteria. On the other hand, people today are more informed about drug addiction and are more likely to seek help/encourage others to get help when needed...unbelievable as it is today I had a prescription for barbiturates when I was 16 and my parents allowed me and my brother to drink wine and beer at home and my father even used to make me whiskey sours. Yet, I never developed a problem with any of these things Perhaps in addition to not being predisposed to be an addict, I learned to drink responsibly BEFORE college.

Sex: I had a 19-year-old boyfriend when I was 15 and this was considered normal. I even dated some men older than that. What was different is neither I nor any of the girls I knew who dated older guys (or guys our age) were pressured for sex. It seems to me that today girls are pressured for sex. Not that there was no sex among teens in the 70s, but in my high school at least it was usually only the serious couples and not usually before age 16. Also when there was sex it was just as likely to be the girls who initiated it. Among adults, there were a lot of one-night stands in the disco scene, but these were seen as being something totally different from relationships and were often anonymous. Some couples were into "swinging" but this was something that was in addition to but not a substitute for a relationship. I don't recall the term "friends with benefits."

Other social behavior: I don't remember "bullying" past elementary school. By high school we were almost like adults. Most people had part-time jobs, even if they didn't need them, so they could have their own money. I don't remember "mean girls." I do, however, remember some actual fights, although not on school grounds. My brother got his teeth knocked out in a fight. Overall, conflict was more rare, but more serious when it did happen.

What do you remember?

[ZEPFAN17]

It certainly has along with some points you brought up,it was just a different time. More laid back,kids my age had respect and didn't have anything handed to them, the drug scene was part of the 70s culture and the music has stood the test of time.The 70s was a good decade to grow up in and I will cherish my 70s memories.

[ZEPFAN17]

[slave to zep]

because i have always worked in retail, i blame a lot of problems on this notion that everything has to be open all the time.

now, hear me out, what i mean is ( and i guess this may not apply in major cities like new york ( ? ) ), both parents didn't always work. most of the time it was the mother at home, and sometimes she had a part-time job, but mostly not ( in my experience ). jobs were mainly 8-5 ish mon-fri, which meant most families had time together! the pubs shut early every night, and only stayed open till 10 or sometimes 12 on fri and sat.CLOSED on sundays!

having everything open 24/7 means that people are working/socialising crazy hours, and this has lead to the break-down of the family unit, and society. lots of kids are home alone a lot of the time ......

[Sunshine woman]

I won't exactly be able to compare to the seventies because, well, I was born in the '90s and I'm a 2000s kid, through and through - but I can tell you exactly how it is for me now.

In terms of drugs, I'm not going to lie I have dabbled in alot and it's an integral part of a teenager's lifestyle. But obviously, in main for teenagers in my area it's alcohol, marijuana, LSD and a psychedelic called 25i. As with alcohol, the first time I got drunk I was... fourteen, I think? I don't regret it, because I didn't do anything stupid on it. Alcohol is everywhere - but it might be different for the USA, seeing as Australia is alot less conservative with teenage alcohol consumption. I for one, haven't developed any problems and nothing I do goes beyond recreational, and after my NYE's last year, I think I've definitely learnt how far is too far.

AS with sex, I have friends that lost their virginity when they were thirteen/fourteen (mini Lori Maddox's in training?). Not that I'm judging or anything, but there's increasingly amount of girls having sex underage with other random guys they meet at parties under the influence of alcohol and social pressure. And theres alot of pressure to have sex with your boyfriend, because apparently being a sixteen year old virgin is something you should be ashamed of. I think alot of this has to do with the rise of pornography consumption and the sex saturation of the media.

I may be out of my depth here because I wasn't around in the seventies - but I think sex has, on a whole, changed into being more about a social status thing and is probably alot more about the male too.

And for other social behaviours, I think it might be an Australian thing but I think the whole aim of alot of the stereotypically rebellious teenagers, on a whole, do things the way they do in order to shock people. I mean, with the recent fashion trends of upside down crosses and tighter, more revealing clothing, the gap between teenagers and adults is growing. I also think that the gap between the norm (the status quo) and the non-conformists (all those stereotpe subgenres) has grown, as in, bullying is probably more prevalent, but probably in a more subtle way. There's less fights now and I reckon and that can probably be attributed to more education levels, with everyone thinking they have to attend uni to succeed in life and thus people resolve their conflicts mostly verbally.

I think all the mad social justice stuff of the nineties has carried on to the 2000s because people are more aware of what's politically incorrect and what is socially correct. But maybe that's wishful thinking because teens still throw around words like 'faggot' without realising what they're actually doing by saying that.

And in perviously unmentioned terms of difference and multiculturalism, teenagers have probably gotten worse at achieving justice and acceptance, and this is drawing on personal experience, as someone who doesn't typically conform to expectations, (e.g. I have half my head shaved to a two and the other half down to my waist) I get alot of offhand comments but that's probably more to do with feminism than anything else.

Everything I've said is all just personal experience/opinion and speculations, but that's due more to the convuluted nature of society rather than my own lack of eloquence. On a whole, being a teenager has changed and I think this is because teenagers conform to what is expected of them - to be obnoxious and recalcitrant and bratty. I for one, would love to experience the '70s because peace and love and Led Zeppelin.

[ZEPFAN17]

Society changes from decade to decade.look at the difference from the 70s and 80s. The Vietnam war had a big impact on the 70s it ended in 1975. I can remember going to Harvard Square in Cambridge near Boston and seeing Vietnam war protests there and on the Boston Common. It was after all a senseless war and the generation wanted peace they were sick of their family and friends coming home in body bags. The music was a reflection of that. The style of clothes was wild back then too if you remember! The cars have come a long way too..

http://www.welcometothe70s.com/70sculture.html

[redirtuo]

Drugs: Imho, present day society is more lax about prescription drugs. Mainly due to the wider scope of availability. We have drugs for everything from mood stabilizers to erectile dysfunction with lazy doctors willing to write up a script after a few minute interview. Synapse control?? Makes mushrooms look...well... organic. People driving to work every morning hung over from Ambien. Mother's little helper was replaced by Xanax, and Klonopin while hillbilly heroin clinics exist everywhere. Yet marijuana still requires a prescription if legal to obtain while several hundred thousand will die from tobacco this year while the "war on drugs" keeps churning along.

Sex: Kids today...they don't even believe oral should be considered sex and online dating sites for adults have turned Starbucks into staging areas for adulterous planning over java while sizing each other up after all the email, text and IM'ing got all the words out of the way beforehand. I want this, you want that. How tall are you? Not too BBW are you? It's almost like a job interview now.

I don't recall the term, “friends with benefits” back then either, we just called each other friends.

Other social behavior: The scene in "Dazed and Confused" where the little kids were chased by the bigger kids with paddles initiating high school? Lived it, ran from them, chased them and it was great listening to Alice Cooper along the way. Everybody's parents own rifles and handguns, hell they even closed school on the first day of hunting season, but nobody shot anyone. Arguments were settled with fists, maybe a joint in the far parking lot cranking some foghat. Now kids are walking through metal detectors with armed security guards patrolling the grounds and it probably won't be too long before the next mass shooting occurs.

I would much rather my daughter had experienced her teen years in the late 70's than early 2000's.

The "good ole days" rarely truly exist, but I do think things are worse today. Especially the music. Plus the fact we actually played outside and never had to worry about wifi spots :-)

[redrum]

I think we've become more health conscious but obesity and diabetes has really gotten out of hand.

[Charles J. White]

I think we've become more health conscious but obesity and diabetes has really gotten out of hand.

Agree 100% - Corn syrup is a MAJOR problem in the 21st century that really needs to be scaled back

[JesseNoah]

This is a topic that has always fascinated me. I dont own a cell phone, I refrain from smoking, drinking, and other promiscuous activities, anything that requires a pill to recover from I substitute a good diet, with lots of fluids and plenty of rest!

I have always done things the old fashioned way and people tell me I was born in the wrong decade,blah blah and insert the rest of the cliches here

The one thing that I really wish I could experience was a concert back in the day, can you imagine seeing zeppelin on a good night in 77?

[ally]

Personally, the biggest single thing that I've noticed is that society's demands have changed . Too many who want , want it now but aren't willing to put anything back in. Not that wasn't happening in the 70's too but it's so prevalent today. Actually, it's been prevalent for a long time now. I guess the best way to describe it would be to say that the worst thing that happened to the 70's, were the 80's.

[chillumpuffer]

Personally, the biggest single thing that I've noticed is that society's demands have changed . Too many who want , want it now but aren't willing to put anything back in. Not that wasn't happening in the 70's too but it's so prevalent today. Actually, it's been prevalent for a long time now. I guess the best way to describe it would be to say that the worst thing that happened to the 70's, were the 80's.

Then the 90's etc etc.

My first album 1974, my first gig in 1976, my first drug experience in 1977 my first sex in 1977. I LOVED THE 70's !!

Oh boy the fantastic, headonist 70's.Drugs were kinder then. Hash was beautiful and the grass was not the kind that leaves you with a sense of impending doom. It was for real not the manufactured shite that appeared in the 90's. LSD and mushrooms and the Dead. Opium - oh lordy. It was a free kind of decade. Free festivals, long hair, flares, afghans, dump fuck coppers, LED ZEPPELIN. Long hot summers, buying vinyl, going out with mates, actually communicating with OTHER people face to face and not through electronic means. No worry if you couldn't get a signal !

Gigs were pentiful and cheap. And you actually listened to the band and NOT spend the whole evening peering through some kind of phone.

In England there was major fashion and the music that went with it. Mods, Rockers, Greasers,Bikers,Hippies, Jazz Heads, Folkies,Punks, Beat Boys, Soul Boys, Ska,Heavy Rockers, You could tell by the clothes what they were in to. Football Hooligans - in fact football,with standing stadiums and you paid on the gate to get in. The packed saturday afternoons. Kick Off 3.00 pm everywhere and not dictated by Murdoch TV. Yes TV we only had 3 channels. Not 503.

Finally a good example of how things have changed. This is a true story. Grandad to Grandson:

Grandad: Easter is coming up lad and I was wondering about buying eggs this year.

Grandson: Errrr not for me Grandad, just drop me some money.

[Pagesbow]

I was born in 1977 so I can't really compare. But surely, no-one was this dumb in the 70's....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Aco2DSCzro

[lightandshade]

Great topic!

I was born in the 80's, so I can't speak for life in the 70's... but like many of the younger members, I wish I could've experienced it!

Some friends and I were recently talking about social media, and how it's been both a positive and negative representation of how we've evolved (or devolved) as a society. We included Twitter, Facebook, youtube, the like in the discussion.

Pros:

- Connecting people with common interests who may never have met otherwise (this forum, for example!)

- Allowing family/friends that are separated by distance to keep in easier touch

- Spreading news/information faster than ever before

Cons:

- Obnoxious self-indulgence (the Twitter user that tweets every time he brushes his teeth; the person who becomes famous simply because of a silly/ridiculous youtube video) EDIT: Just saw Pagebow's video posted above. Perfect example!

- Detriment to oral communication skills (Why talk to someone face-to-face, or even over the phone, when you can simply Facebook message/tweet/text?)

- Detriment to writing skills (I can't tell you how many times I've seen "Tweet speak"/text abbreviations used in a formal paper.)

- Spreading gossip/slander faster than ever before

- Invasion of privacy issues

I argued that we can't really blame the technology itself. There will always be people who use it for a positive, productive purpose, and people who misuse it (or overuse it) in some way, shape, or form.

My questions, to those who lived in the 70's: If social media/internet had been around back then, do you think society would have had the same issues we have today? What would have been the function of Twitter/Facebook/etc.? For example, let's say that this forum had been around during the height of Zeppelin's heyday. Would it have taken away from the enjoyment/mystique of the band at all?

I can say that my love/appreciation for Led Zeppelin has only increased because of youtube/this forum... so I wonder how outlets like this would have functioned for "live" fans in the 70's.

Sorry, I'm a curious eager beaver today.

[ally]

To answer your question L&S about social media in the 70's . I don't think it wouldn't have been much different than it is today. People have always wanted a way to connect and I believe social media would have been as just as widely used as it is today with the exception that I think people would have used it a little differently. In so many cases today, it's replaced the face to face contact we enjoyed so much back then. That said, beer was 20 cents a glass and the cost of living in the early to mid part of the 70's was relatively low so getting out to bars , night clubs , concerts, buying records etc was not costing you a days wages like it can today.

[chillumpuffer]

Example Take 2

I had a saturday Job which paid me £8.00 for the day

I saw Rush on the 2112 tour 1977. Cost £1.50

Rush who are playing in Manchester Next Month: Cost £66.00 + £5 fee

As far as social media back then it was concerts and clubs or the record store that you socialised with mates. Eagerly buying the latest album and going back to friends houses to listen and of course tape. I remember buying the lastest music mag and reading latest releases and buying them. It was pure bliss. A gatefold Yes album? Great times.

[lightandshade]

^ Thanks for your responses, ally and chillumpuffer, and for letting me live vicariously through your stories!

This is a topic that has always fascinated me. I dont own a cell phone, I refrain from smoking, drinking, and other promiscuous activities, anything that requires a pill to recover from I substitute a good diet, with lots of fluids and plenty of rest!

I have always done things the old fashioned way and people tell me I was born in the wrong decade,blah blah and insert the rest of the cliches here

The one thing that I really wish I could experience was a concert back in the day, can you imagine seeing zeppelin on a good night in 77?

Good for you! People tell me the same thing (about being born in the wrong decade), but I think it's more due to my pop culture preferences than anything.

What really makes me laugh is when people tell me that I'm very thoughtful and articulate for such a young person (not saying this to toot my own horn, just to make a point). Um, that's not so special - I'm 24! Since when were 24-year olds NOT expected to be thoughtful and articulate? A bit of a sad/unfair generalization to make about our generation/current society... but then I see how some people around my age act, and I'm not so surprised. (Wow, I sounded like such a grumpy old lady there... I do have my young and silly moments, too!)

Re: your cell phone comment - I'm an avid iPhone user, and admit to sometimes compulsively checking my email. But there's a time and a place for everything, and one of my biggest pet peeves is when people bury themselves in their phones during a social situation. (Again, grumpy old lady time!) This sums up my feelings perfectly:

[Bong-Man]

One of my best friends was kicked out of school our Senior year (1978) for carrying a knife in school. He didn't threaten anybody or try to use it. Just having it was enough to get you bounced. The thought of bringing a gun to school just wasn't even on anyone's radar back then.

Being gay, admitting you were gay, or thinking someone was gay, just didn't happen. Most people didn't even realize that Paul Lynde (Hollywood Squares) was gay. Elton John almost ruined his career by coming out of the closet in the late 70's. Flamin' Liberace was just a happy guy that liked candles to my parents. Being gay meant not only that you were in the closet.....the closet door was closed and nailed shut for the most part.

[Pagesbow]

let's say that this forum had been around during the height of Zeppelin's heyday. Would it have taken away from the enjoyment/mystique of the band at all?

I don't think a forum such as this would take away from the mystique of the band, anymore than being a member of a fan club would do so; given that the fans can only really react to what the band puts out there in the public domain. The fact that nearly everyone who goes to a concert these days has the ability to record said concert then post that footage to a worldwide audience within seconds would have certainly had an effect on the control Zep/Peter Grant had to maintain their mystique.

Surely Zep would have had to of adopted a more media friendly approach to survive if they were a band starting out today?

[ScarletMacaw]

My incompetent computer just deleted a long reply...

I think some of us old fogeys have forgotten, as Bong Man reminded us, that there were some negative aspects to the 70s such as the homophobia. Also the hedonism led directly the AIDS crisis.

I think the internet has mostly been a positive thing and in the long run may save music as it allows people to find out about music without the control of commercial radio...Pandora has introduced me to so much music...it's hard to even imagine Zeppelin in the internet age because music had changed so much between the 70s and the 90s...music videos were deteriorating music before the internet IMO...

I agree with Ally that people today expect too much for free/low cost and can't tie their insatiable desire for cheap stuff to their own low wages, forgetting the economy is a connected system....

[clw]

wow,I would have to almost ditto everything you said,can we mention what year we were born,I was 1960

I've seen some discussion of this on other threads and was wondering about different people's opinions...here's what I think:

Drugs: The 70s were more lax about drug use (both recreational and prescription), but there seem to be just as many drug addicts today, despite our laws and occasional hysteria. On the other hand, people today are more informed about drug addiction and are more likely to seek help/encourage others to get help when needed...unbelievable as it is today I had a prescription for barbiturates when I was 16 and my parents allowed me and my brother to drink wine and beer at home and my father even used to make me whiskey sours. Yet, I never developed a problem with any of these things Perhaps in addition to not being predisposed to be an addict, I learned to drink responsibly BEFORE college.

Sex: I had a 19-year-old boyfriend when I was 15 and this was considered normal. I even dated some men older than that. What was different is neither I nor any of the girls I knew who dated older guys (or guys our age) were pressured for sex. It seems to me that today girls are pressured for sex. Not that there was no sex among teens in the 70s, but in my high school at least it was usually only the serious couples and not usually before age 16. Also when there was sex it was just as likely to be the girls who initiated it. Among adults, there were a lot of one-night stands in the disco scene, but these were seen as being something totally different from relationships and were often anonymous. Some couples were into "swinging" but this was something that was in addition to but not a substitute for a relationship. I don't recall the term "friends with benefits."

Other social behavior: I don't remember "bullying" past elementary school. By high school we were almost like adults. Most people had part-time jobs, even if they didn't need them, so they could have their own money. I don't remember "mean girls." I do, however, remember some actual fights, although not on school grounds. My brother got his teeth knocked out in a fight. Overall, conflict was more rare, but more serious when it did happen.

What do you remember?

[clw]

I was so just the not right age in the 70's to see them and they only came even close to my town a few times,Minneapolis would have been the closest..I tell my kids the 70's had everything,the best music,the best cars etc etc..plus no computers,cell phones and all that crap,now everyone has to have their face plastered into something of that sort,things were just oh so much simplier

This is a topic that has always fascinated me. I dont own a cell phone, I refrain from smoking, drinking, and other promiscuous activities, anything that requires a pill to recover from I substitute a good diet, with lots of fluids and plenty of rest!

I have always done things the old fashioned way and people tell me I was born in the wrong decade,blah blah and insert the rest of the cliches here

The one thing that I really wish I could experience was a concert back in the day, can you imagine seeing zeppelin on a good night in 77?

[ally]

I will admit that I had a great time in the 70's but let's not forget that those were just the days of my youth so it's easy to look back and reflect on all the good times. Unfortunately, there were bad times too but they tend to get glossed over a bit whenever we reflect on those days. It's the same for most generations . Personally, I have always tried to live in the moment and believe that people should try not to dwell too much on the past. Better to take the good that we've learned and put it to good use in the present.

[lightandshade]

I will admit that I had a great time in the 70's but let's not forget that those were just the days of my youth so it's easy to look back and reflect on all the good times. Unfortunately, there were bad times too but they tend to get glossed over a bit whenever we reflect on those days. It's the same for most generations . Personally, I have always tried to live in the moment and believe that people should try not to dwell too much on the past. Better to take the good that we've learned and put it to good use in the present.

Spot on, ally! I feel the same type of nostalgia for the 90's. Although it's interesting and fun to look back and reminisce, we certainly have much to be grateful for in the present (in spite of recent tragic events).

[LedZeppfan77]

There was not internet, no cable, no cell phones, you could buy a pack of cigarettes in a machine in a restaurant, there was good hash around, good weed imported, not done with hydroponics, coke all over the place (though the 80s was known more for coke), and of course, you could REALLY SEE LED ZEPPELIN. You could still buy a classic 60's mustang. I used to play sports alot. Loved it. The internet has changed the world forever. But when we get power outages and lose satellite signals, we will have lots of young teenagers going nuts. OMG, what am I to do without my cell phone, I Pod and Kindle or Apple? Notice you cant find pay phones anymore? Why dont they just throw in the towel and legalize gambling. The offshore betting is off the charts. The long hair is gone also. And so too the perms of the 80's. Dreams of landing on Mars are now pretty much out the window.

You could get the real Coors when you were lucky to have someone bring some East. Not the piss water they sell now with preservatives