We all are tired of the dreaded “Back when I was a kid…” stories that our parents never seem to run out of. Although it may seem strange, they were all kids once too. So much has changed since their childhood; each generation is more different than the next.

Now let’s go back to when most of your parents probably grew up—the seventies. Life has completely changed since then. The biggest differences between now and then are the evolutions in fashion, music, and technology.

Fashion is constantly changing. When we think of seventies fashion, bell bottoms, tie-dye shirts, and anything hippie comes to mind. Back in the seventies, skirts, leisure suits, and bell bottoms were all the rage. Nowadays, huge fashion trends for teens include Ugg boots, yoga pants, skinny jeans, and skater shoes. Teen fashion back then was greatly influenced by the anti-war movement; whereas today, fashion is mostly influenced by media and pop culture. Fashion is a huge part of our everyday lives, and it has completely been reinvented since the 70’s.

Furthermore, music and pop culture play a huge role in how we live today. In the seventies, popular music genres included soft rock, rock, and of course disco. Back then, some popular artists included Elton John, the Jackson 5, and the Bee Gees. Today, the charts are dominated by hip-hop, rap, and pop music. Now the most well-known singers include Taylor Swift, Justin Timberlake, and Miley Cyrus. Music trends can change how we act, speak, and view the world. This is definitely true for both the seventies and now.

Another thing that also defines our culture is technology. Today, teens refuse to go anywhere without having their cell phones on them. An iPhone is a necessity and Twitter is the heart and soul of our social lives. But none of this even existed back then. The most hip inventions of the seventies were VCRs, the first video game, and the Walkman. This just shows how far we have come. Now teens depend on technology to socialize but back then kids actually had face time with each other. Definitely one of the most drastic changes in society since the seventies is our dependence on technology.

Instead of groaning when your parents tell stories of life back when they were a kid, try to think about how different our lives are from the past. Our changes in fashion, music, and technology have definitely been an improvement, but we also should learn some lessons from the “good ole’ days.”