Was the past a more optimistic time than the present?
 

This is mainly a question for you 30+ year olds

I only just became an adult a few years back and so I lack the overall perspective, but I'm looking for relatively mature perspectives of the 80's and 90s.

Were these better times? Better economy, homeland security (for you Murrricans), more thriving music scenes, pre-internet days where people's childhood wasn't corrupted by internet access. I enjoy the internet as much as anyone but it also damaged me in a lot of ways that probably never would've happened if I had grown up without it.

Most of this comes from my personal obsession with 80's culture at the moment, I feel like I really missed out.

I'd say the biggest concern back then was the feeling that we were facing inevitable nuclear annihilation. Ah, fun times. :)

Well yes, but only because they knew this was coming.

How old are you if you don't mind my asking?

They knew our current state was coming?

I think it was predicted.

I am 25 (close enough) and I remember the 90's being incredibly secure, Clinton was in power, music was experimental and fresh, and money went further. Food wasn't as expensive, nor oil and people actually made an effort to meet each other in person. TV was brilliant - Friends, Captain Planet, Gargoyles, Rugrats, Fullhouse (I was a kid). Even the internet was better (apart from dial-up) because forums were new and I met great people then. It wasn't all of this Facebook and Twitter rubbish. Games like Age of Empires seemed to lead the way and of course Fallout. I remember some brilliant electronica and even the radio was bearable.

No, they weren't better times. As stp mentioned, everybody in the 80s was terrified that the entire planet was going to be annihilated in a nuclear war. It really can't be overstated how much this was in the public consciousness. Also, as the 80s wore on people were absolutely terrified of AIDS and thought it was going to be the new bubonic plague. And Merkins were scared of being sucked into another Vietnam in Central America. Plus, the stock market crashed in 1987 and everyone thought we were going to spin into another great depression. And the Challenger blew up and obliterated all the hope and optimism of the space age. And people were terrified of airplane hijackers. And everybody thought crack cocaine was going to destroy civilization. And everybody was scared of child abductions. And us Merkins had an empty suit in the White House who stood for everything shallow and lame about our culture. And that was just the 80s. I'll save my 90s rant for later.

Yea back then kids used to play basketball in real life instead of on the Wii

and they weren't medicated either, Nowaday kids get medicated for being "hyperactive" when they are just being kids

ppl weren't so obsessed with their phones, we only had home phones stuck on the wall, and ppl got by just fine

i was born on 83 so my era is the 90's
that's when i came up age, and back then MTV was decent, they had a good show for every genre at the time MTV Raps (For rap) Headbangers ball (Hard rock) an Alternative nation (Alternative)

Also 120 minutes with matt pinfield (AKA the human music vault)
they showed all types of rock in that show

For my taste it isn't that the music was better, it was that POPULAR music was better, it had more diversity back then..

even popstars were bether then, MJ was still making hits, and Madonna was lady gaga and britney spears in 1 person

Born in '67.

Lol fair enough, I guess I just liked the pop culture of that era the best and didn't take into consideration all the political and social issues