Survey-1950's or now?

[alliesw]

I'd like to find out how many of you would be willing to give up all the technology that's been invented since the television in order to have our country back like it was in the late 1950's. My husband and I had a debate about this the other night over dinner. I told him that I would gladly sacrifice my computer, cell phone, and all the other things that make our lives "easier", in order to have a world like we did in the '50s. No, it wasn't a perfect world then, but when you look at what most technology has done, you'll realize that it has: eliminated millions of jobs in this country, isolated family members from each other, taken imaginative play away from children, contributed to obesity, and so forth and so on. I would just like to hear what you guys think. Thanks.

[tiredmike59]

I was born on the tail end of the 1950s, so my only memories of the period are old photos of me. If it wasnt for the cars in the background, you would swear the pictures were from the 1930s, i looked like one of the little rascals.
Good music was coming out then and some of the best cars ever made were in the 50s and 60s. Drugs were not as rampant,kids had more intelligence
and respected their parents,and were healthier too. Fat kids were not invented until the 1980s. You could find something interesting on tv any time of the day, but most of the time kids were outside playing anyway. Food didnt have all the chemicals that it has now, it tasted better back then. People were excited about the space program, These days they dont even know what NASA is doing. The major contributions of the internet,cell phone,
microwave have been to make people lazy,stupid and obese. The laws were better 50 years ago, murderers didnt walk free. Every generation will have their own opinion on your question,but mine is definitely the 50s-60s.

[MickeyMac]

I could do without a computer, cell phone, and I sure as hell can do without a CD player. The one cool thing about the 50's that is was records, records, records.!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Stuck In The '70's]

I always thought I was born a decade late anyway. lol

[LUNCH]

I fully agree with the opening post.Even though the 1950s are before my time,I'd give up all this BS technology in 2 seconds.Heck all this computer technology,cellphones etc. have made things alot worse in many ways.They have not made things more easier, they have made them alot more complicated and everything else the opening post mentioned.Heck things were alot better in the 1970s when I was growing up for both children and adults.Great question by the way!

[LUNCH]

Also great post by tiredmike59.What he mentioned also applies in many ways to the 1970s too.

[Retro4Life]

I'd be giving up air conditioning, which would hurt, but then again the weather didn't fry your eyeballs like it does now, EVERY SINGLE DAY, so I could have probably lived without it.

Also the medical technology of the 50's was primitive compared to now and people died of a lot of things that are easily curable today.

Women and minorities didn't have nearly the rights and respect they do now, and I'd hate to lose that.

Honestly, I think the 60's would have been the nicer decade to live in, since to me the music, TV and movies were better than in the 50's, but the cultural climate was a lot more volatile and I wouldn't relish living through the Vietnam War.

But I think a theme that everyone is expressing is that in the 50's/60's and even 70s there was more unity among people about a lot of things; respect, loyalty, decency, humanity. We actually communicated WITH one another and not in the impersonal, nanosecond methods we use now that give the illusion of intimacy without really delivering the reality. The pace of life was slow enough to allow us to know our relatives, friends and neighbors, and to use our imagination, not just spit out code or prepackaged life strategies or sound bite philosophies. Today there is arguably more intelligence but VASTLY less wisdom, I'd say and that's a darned shame.

So to answer...there would be good and bad about living in the 50's or any previous decade but I really wish we could transport all the good stuff to today because honestly, I'm just not feelin' it for this era.

[LUNCH]

^^^There was air conditioning in the 1950s.Most every convenience a person really needed or even wanted existed in the 1950s in America.Plus in many ways things were even more convenient. There were things like the Milkman which basically disappeared by the later 1970s.Things in general whether it's stores,movies theatres etc. etc. tended to be alot more local,there was less driving needed and so on.

[tiredmike59]

Yeah, the stray cats today dont know what they are missing with the disappearance of the milkman.

[Retro4Life]

^^^There was air conditioning in the 1950s.Most every convenience a person really needed or even wanted existed in the 1950s in America.Plus in many ways things were even more convenient. There were things like the Milkman which basically disappeared by the later 1970s.Things in general whether it's stores,movies theatres etc. etc. tended to be alot more local,there was less driving needed and so on.

Agreed but it was largely the province of the well to do. My family was middle middle class, and we never had air until the early 80's. Nor did almost anyone I knew.

Good points on the other conveniences. I could (and I'm sure you could as well) list a hundred other things that proved you got more bang for your buck back then, as well as little personal touches like newsreels and cartoons before movies and real service at gas stations. :)

[alliesw]

I fully agree with the opening post.Even though the 1950s are before my time,I'd give up all this BS technology in 2 seconds.Heck all this computer technology,cellphones etc. have made things alot worse in many ways.They have not made things more easier, they have made them alot more complicated and everything else the opening post mentioned.Heck things were alot better in the 1970s when I was growing up for both children and adults.Great question by the way!
Thanks. It's been on my mind a lot lately as I see our nation becoming another "Roman Empire." We are quickly destroying ourselves because of greed, lack of morals, and just plain apathy! Look at the legacy we are leaving our children, grandchildren, etc.

[alliesw]

I'd be giving up air conditioning, which would hurt, but then again the weather didn't fry your eyeballs like it does now, EVERY SINGLE DAY, so I could have probably lived without it.

Also the medical technology of the 50's was primitive compared to now and people died of a lot of things that are easily curable today.

Women and minorities didn't have nearly the rights and respect they do now, and I'd hate to lose that.

Honestly, I think the 60's would have been the nicer decade to live in, since to me the music, TV and movies were better than in the 50's, but the cultural climate was a lot more volatile and I wouldn't relish living through the Vietnam War.

But I think a theme that everyone is expressing is that in the 50's/60's and even 70s there was more unity among people about a lot of things; respect, loyalty, decency, humanity. We actually communicated WITH one another and not in the impersonal, nanosecond methods we use now that give the illusion of intimacy without really delivering the reality. The pace of life was slow enough to allow us to know our relatives, friends and neighbors, and to use our imagination, not just spit out code or prepackaged life strategies or sound bite philosophies. Today there is arguably more intelligence but VASTLY less wisdom, I'd say and that's a darned shame.

So to answer...there would be good and bad about living in the 50's or any previous decade but I really wish we could transport all the good stuff to today because honestly, I'm just not feelin' it for this era.
I wonder what it would take to try and bring some of those things back?

[alliesw]

^^^There was air conditioning in the 1950s.Most every convenience a person really needed or even wanted existed in the 1950s in America.Plus in many ways things were even more convenient. There were things like the Milkman which basically disappeared by the later 1970s.Things in general whether it's stores,movies theatres etc. etc. tended to be alot more local,there was less driving needed and so on.
Someone even pumped our gas, and it didn't cost $4.00 a gallon!

[alliesw]

I was born on the tail end of the 1950s, so my only memories of the period are old photos of me. If it wasnt for the cars in the background, you would swear the pictures were from the 1930s, i looked like one of the little rascals.
Good music was coming out then and some of the best cars ever made were in the 50s and 60s. Drugs were not as rampant,kids had more intelligence
and respected their parents,and were healthier too. Fat kids were not invented until the 1980s. You could find something interesting on tv any time of the day, but most of the time kids were outside playing anyway. Food didnt have all the chemicals that it has now, it tasted better back then. People were excited about the space program, These days they dont even know what NASA is doing. The major contributions of the internet,cell phone,
microwave have been to make people lazy,stupid and obese. The laws were better 50 years ago, murderers didnt walk free. Every generation will have their own opinion on your question,but mine is definitely the 50s-60s.
I love your quote "Fat kids were not invented until the 1980s." It almost seems that way, though. When I look at old photos ( by the way, I was born in 1953) no one was fat except maybe a grandma, and by today's standards she would be considered a little on the heavy side.

[alliesw]

Yeah, the stray cats today dont know what they are missing with the disappearance of the milkman.
Ah, yes, the milkman. We didn't have to waste gas running to the store every couple of days to buy milk. Plus, we had a bread truck that came by once or twice a week and we could by bread, rolls, etc. And let's not forget the ice cream man......

[Stuck In The '70's]

The only thing I'd probably miss is the DVR. I don't own a cell phone. I haven't used my CD player in 10 years and I still use my cassette recorder. lol

[JudgeGarth]

I'm 60 years old and a conservative right-winger, but I'd still rather live today. You can't go back. It'd be like trying to stuff the toothpaste back in the tube.

[markway895]

Honestly, that's a tough question to answer. It would be interesting to go back in time. But once I was there, how fast would I miss the internet?

I know one thing I wouldn't miss. People yapping on cell phones in public that have lost all social skills and common sense respect for others.

[alliesw]

Honestly, that's a tough question to answer. It would be interesting to go back in time. But once I was there, how fast would I miss the internet?

I know one thing I wouldn't miss. People yapping on cell phones in public that have lost all social skills and common sense respect for others.
People have lost respect for each in many ways, and, yes, cell phones are a perfect example. I laugh when I see a woman and man out to dinner together and they're both talking on their cell phones at the same time ( to other people). Like, why did they even go out TOGETHER?

[dakert]

Compared to the FAT people today the FAT people back then just seemed pleasantly plump.

If I was back in the 1950s I wouldnt miss the internet at all. I would be too busy enjoying life. Hey, how old am I a teenager, adult?

[Hughsgirl]

Wonderful question!! I agree with every thing the original poster said! I was born in 1972 and I miss my childhood, but I was always an old soul because even back then I wanted to know what it was really like to live during the time my mom was a kid. And yes, I would give it all up to go back in time! I can't think of one modern thing I couldn't live without......because I lived just fine without it all in the day!

[alliesw]

Wonderful question!! I agree with every thing the original poster said! I was born in 1972 and I miss my childhood, but I was always an old soul because even back then I wanted to know what it was really like to live during the time my mom was a kid. And yes, I would give it all up to go back in time! I can't think of one modern thing I couldn't live without......because I lived just fine without it all in the day!
We all did, and we had quality in our lives.