Believe it or not, airplane bathrooms used to come with built-in ashtrays—and not just for show. Back then, if you were in the smoking section, lighting up in your seat mid-flight was completely normal.

Today, popping by someone’s house without a heads-up is seen as inconsiderate. With text messaging at our fingertips, there’s no excuse not to check first. But in the ’80s, unexpected visits were often welcomed—and sometimes even expected.

Car safety in the 1980s was still evolving. Though seatbelts became mandatory later in the decade, many young kids still rode around without car seats. And riding in the way-back of a station wagon? That was just part of the fun.

Perms might have raised a few eyebrows, but mullets were the real statement. Worn by athletes and actors alike, this “business in the front, party in the back” style screams ’80s—and while it’s mostly out of favor today, it’s surprisingly making a quirky comeback.

It’s almost hard to believe, but many kids in the 1980s made ceramic ashtrays in school art class to bring home to their parents. Whether their parents smoked or not, it was considered a totally normal project at the time—something that would be wildly controversial today.

Back then, kids known as “latchkey” children often roamed free after school until dinnertime. Many look back fondly on that independence, though ironically, some of those same kids are now overly protective parents hesitant to let their own children have the same freedom.

In the 1980s, ultra-short athletic shorts were a common sight—think tennis legends like McEnroe or Borg. Today, the fashion has flipped, with longer, looser shorts dominating and few men daring to wear anything quite so revealing.

Before smartphones, you had to memorize phone numbers—or keep a physical address book handy. Today, if you recite someone’s number from memory, they might look at you sideways and wonder how you even know it.

While dusting chalkboard erasers may have been a minor classroom punishment, corporal punishment was a much bigger deal. Back in the ’80s, paddling or other physical discipline was still used in schools—something that’s now illegal in most places and considered inappropriate.

Another old-school punishment involved standing silently in a corner as a form of public embarrassment. While not physically painful, the emotional sting has stuck with many, leading to its decline as an acceptable disciplinary method.

Nothing crushed a kid’s confidence quite like being picked last in gym class. It was rarely about skill—more often, it reflected popularity, leaving the same few kids, often those who struggled physically, humiliated in front of their peers.

These days, being unreachable is almost impossible. Between texts, calls, and social media, someone can always find you—whether it’s your boss, your parents, or someone you ghosted. In contrast, the 1980s allowed for long stretches of genuine disconnection.

The sky-high perms of the ’80s didn’t come easy—they required a cloud of ozone-depleting hairspray to hold them in place. Back then, no one thought twice about it, but today, we’re (hopefully) more eco-conscious and far less willing to fry our hair—or the planet.

Before texting and group chats, making plans was a logistical challenge. Changing them on the fly wasn’t easy, so once you committed, you usually stuck to it—flaking just wasn’t part of the culture.

Few childhood thrills matched the excitement of riding in the back of a pickup truck. Ask someone who grew up in the ’80s, and they’ll either recall the wind in their hair from firsthand experience—or wish they’d had the chance.

Back in the 1980s, people accepted boredom as part of life. Whether standing in line or sitting through a family visit, there were plenty of quiet moments with nothing to do but think—and no screens to turn to for distraction.

Bringing homemade cupcakes to school for a birthday was a cherished tradition for many kids. While it brought smiles to classrooms, parents didn’t always love the late-night baking. Today, allergy concerns and strict school policies have made those spontaneous sweet treats a thing of the past.

Just a few decades ago, kids played games like “Cowboys and Indians” or staged backyard battles as soldiers or cops. Today, such games are considered inappropriate by many schools and parents, with some institutions even disciplining students for pretend play involving weapons.

These smiling kids probably stumbled into their own fun—something ’80s kids were masters of. Unlike today, where constant stimulation is expected, boredom used to be a normal (and creative) part of childhood.

Before teens had smartphones, the only way to chat with friends was by hogging the house phone. And just when things got interesting, a parent could pick up another receiver and end the call with a sharp command to hang up. These days, screen time is controlled with apps, not interruptions from down the hall.

Boomboxes were the ultimate status symbol—loud, heavy, and perfect for blasting music in public. Unlike today’s discreet earbuds and playlists, 1980s teens made sure everyone within a block could hear their favorite tracks.

For a kid in the 1980s, Valentine’s Day could bring heartbreak—especially if they were the only one in class to go home without a card. To avoid that kind of exclusion, many schools now either skip the holiday altogether or enforce a rule that every student gets a Valentine.

Tetherball might bring back memories, but not all of them are good. The game often led to bruises—and bruised egos—as aggressive players used it to show dominance on the playground rather than just having fun.

Kids have always grumbled about school lunch, but at least today’s options are usually healthier and better tasting. For students in the 1980s, cafeteria food often bordered on inedible, and the trauma of those mystery meat Mondays still lingers.

While drug use wasn’t exactly “mainstream,” the 1980s saw a disturbing level of normalization in certain circles. Glossy magazine ads openly sold paraphernalia, and among some professionals and celebrities, cocaine was treated as part of the lifestyle—even though most people never touched the stuff.

Going braless is trending again, but this time it’s mostly among younger women. Interestingly, many women who embraced that freedom in the 1980s now favor the structure and support of padded bras that became the norm in the following decade.

Today’s students are used to sleek whiteboards and digital displays, but in the 1980s, chalkboards ruled the classroom. At the end of the day, one lucky kid might be picked to clap the erasers clean—a messy, chalk-dust-filled chore that teachers today would never assign.

Dodgeball used to be a playground staple, but it’s now banned or discouraged in many schools for being unsafe and overly aggressive. Considering how many kids remember taking a dodgeball to the face, it’s easy to see why it fell out of favor.

This image might be praised today as vintage “cool,” but glue sniffing was never actually cool—despite being disturbingly common. In early ’80s London, scenes like this, taken outside the Vortex Club, wouldn’t have shocked anyone, even though they clearly should have.

Back in the 1980s, there was a general expectation that the things we bought—cars, clothes, or electronics—would last. Fast forward to today, and we’ve normalized “planned obsolescence,” accepting that most products will fail just a few years after purchase.

Modern schools are locked down tightly after hours, with students required to leave unless involved in supervised activities. In contrast, ’80s kids often lingered in the halls after school, chatting with friends or simply hanging out before heading home.

While few students had access to libraries like the one in The Breakfast Club, both public and school libraries were widely used and respected in the 1980s. Today, many young people see libraries as irrelevant or outdated—a shift that reflects broader changes in how we value public learning spaces.

Before streaming made every show instantly available, watching your favorite series in the 1980s meant being in front of the TV at the exact right time. If you missed it, and didn’t own a Betamax or VCR, there was no second chance—you just had to wait and hope for a rerun.

Though it sounds ancient now, party lines—shared telephone lines that multiple households used—were still a thing in parts of the ‘80s. They offered a strange mix of convenience and chaos, where private conversations were anything but private.

If it seems wild that this young woman is bartending, consider that in the ‘80s, it wasn’t unheard of for kids as young as 10—or even younger—to serve alcohol at family gatherings. While most parents saw it as harmless, it’s an idea that would spark outrage today.

Alcohol in the workplace might seem unthinkable now, but in the ‘80s, a drink during a meeting was par for the course. Whether in your boss’s office or at the bank, it wasn’t unusual to be offered a scotch before discussing business.

Candy cigarettes were bad enough, but the real issue in the ‘80s was how normal smoking around kids was. Many children were even sent to buy cigarettes for their parents—something that would raise alarms in any store today.

Forget the polite “no checks accepted” signs of today. In the 1980s, many stores posted bold warnings with actual names: “No checks from Joe Bloggs.” This kind of public shaming was viewed as a practical way to deal with repeat offenders.

The 1980s were shaped by fears of communism and nuclear conflict, driving Western countries to support brutal regimes under the guise of fighting socialism. That strategy shifted to nation-building in the 2000s, and more recently, to isolationist policies in many countries.