What would you be like in the 80s: find out

The 80s marked a time of visual, cultural and behavioral transformations that shaped entire generations.If you could travel back in time and see yourself in that decade, it would probably be a very different version of yourself. In this article, you will explore what your life, style and personality would be like if you lived in the 80s.

Fashion, technology, music and even the way you related to other people were completely different from those we live today. Understanding what you would be like at that time is not only a fun exercise in imagination, but also a way to better understand the social changes that have brought us here.

Your Fashion Style in the 80s

Your personal presentation in the 80s would be radically different from what you wear today. Vibrant colors, bold patterns and exaggerated silhouettes defined the style of the decade, and you would certainly be immersed in this explosive visual universe. Men would wear suits with pronounced shoulder pads, colorful pants and T-shirts with flashy graphics, while women would opt for leg warmers, bulky skirts, wide-sleeved blouses and accessories in abundance.

The concept of “less is more” was completely absent at that time. You would probably have voluminous hair that required hours of hairstyle and fixation with gel or spray, hair lengtheners, and would not fail to wear marked makeup, with shades of blue, purple and pink in the eyes. The sunglasses was a practically mandatory accessory, even on cloudy days, and you would certainly have a few pairs with colored or mirrored frames.

Your wardrobe would have an impressive variety of pieces that today you would consider extravagant. Overlapping transparent mesh tops, custom jeans jackets with patches and pins, neon shoes, socks with geometric patterns and wide belts of leather or metal would be part of your day to day. The goal was to draw attention, be noticed and express your individuality in a visual and dramatic way.

Your Social Life and Entertainment

Your entertainment routine would be completely different without the internet and the smartphones that define your life today. You would plan meetings with friends through phone calls from home, combining schedules and locations with days in advance. There was no confirmation of presence at the last minute, nor text messages to warn you that it would delay; you simply went and hoped that the other person was also there.

Your nights would be centered around analog activities that today seem nostalgic.You would rent VHS tapes at rental companies to watch movies at home with family, play video games on consoles like Atari or Nintendo, or go to nightclubs and nightclubs where music was played live by DJs who created their own mixes on record players.There was no Spotify or YouTube; you bought vinyl, cassette tape or CD to listen to your favorite music.

Your hobbies involved more analog creativity and less digital consumption. You could write letters and postcards to friends who lived far away, collect stickers from photocopying albums, make mix tapes to give gifts to loved ones, or simply spend hours walking down the street, meeting friends by chance. The concept of “going out without warning anyone” was absolutely normal, and you discovered events and parties through rumors and personal invitations.

Technology and Communication in Your Routine

The personal computer was a luxury item that not all families owned, and those who had used gigantic machines with black and green monitors, which stored data on 5-inch floppy disks.You would probably use a pay phone or have a landline at home, the only communication device available, and would have to ask your parents for permission to make local or long-distance calls.

Television was your primary means of mass communication and entertainment.You would watch shows in real time, without the option to pause, advance or replay scenes, and would have to sit in front of the screen at predetermined programming times. Commercials were an inescapable part of the experience, and you could not skip any of them with a digital remote control.The deprivation of on-demand content made each watched program a shared and memorable experience.

Your photos would be captured on analog cameras that used 35mm film, requiring you to reveal the photos in specialized labs after using the entire roll.There were limit of photos you could take in a day, and you needed to wait days or weeks to see the result. There was no “selfie” or instant verification of the captured image; you simply shot and waited.

Your Career and Professional Perspectives

Your career path in the 80s would be marked by more definitive and less flexible decisions.You would choose a career still in high school and probably follow it for life without many changes or reinventions. Opportunities were more limited, and the job market offered few options compared to the variety of professions available today.

Your resume would be simple, reduced to a page or two, with basic information about your experience and education. You would look for employment by newspaper ads, personal referrals or visiting companies directly with your printed resume in hand.There was no LinkedIn, online portfolios or digital presence that attested to your skills; your reputation was built entirely through personal relationships and referrals.

Work meetings would take place in closed rooms with lots of paper, printed memos and communication through correspondence or phone calls. You would not have access to global information in real time, depending on newspapers, specialized magazines and newsletters to keep up to date on your professional area. Remote work was practically non-existent, and you would attend the office or factory daily, without the flexibility that modern technologies provide.

Your Health and Well-Being

Your approach to health would be less informed and more confident in conventional medicine. You would not have access to endless information about symptoms and treatments on the internet, relying mainly on the diagnosis of local doctors and the information found in physical encyclopedias and medical manuals. Prevention was less emphasized, and the focus was more on treating already manifested diseases than on preventive practices.

Your exercise routine would be different, centered around collective activities like aerobics in studios, park runs or gyms with basic equipment. You would not have fitness apps that track your steps, calories and heartbeat; you would simply exercise and trust your sense of well-being. Awareness about nutrition would be lower, and you would eat what was available without as many worries about detailed nutrition labels or dietary trends based on scientific research.

Seeking a psychologist or psychiatrist was considered more stigmatized, and you would probably rely on talking to friends, family, or religious leaders to deal with emotional problems.The concept of “self-care” as we know it today did not exist, and the idea of practicing mindfulness or meditation was virtually unknown outside specific spiritual circles.

Your Intellectual Education and Development

Your educational background would be based solely on printed materials and face-to-face interactions with teachers. Libraries would be your only repositories of knowledge, and you would have to conduct thorough research consulting encyclopedias, specialized books, and journals.There was no quick search for information; learning required time, effort, and physical access to educational resources.

You would participate in lectures where the teacher was the main source of knowledge, and discussions were limited by class time and the willingness of the educator to engage. Group work required face-to-face meetings for discussion and coordination, which made collaboration more complex and time-consuming. Visual presentations were made with glass slides and projectors, or simply with paper and chalk on the board.

Your language learning would depend on face-to-face classes with native or non-native teachers, without access to interactive platforms, translation apps or educational videos. You would have to rely on cassette tapes to practice pronunciation, and language immersion would be much more difficult for those who did not have the financial resources to study abroad. Knowledge was more compartmentalized, and learning something new required intentionality, time and specific resources.

Your Family Life and Personal Relationships

Your family relationships would be structured differently, with more defined roles and stricter expectations.You would probably spend more time at home, as there was not so much possibility of being connected to multiple people and activities simultaneously. Family meals would be more consistent, with everyone sitting at the table without distractions from smartphones or tablets.

You would meet people through friends, family, school, or work, and the time you spent together was limited to the times you could be physically close to. There was no online dating or constant communication through messaging; you relied on planned dates and phone calls, usually monitored by parents if you were still a teenager.

Without the possibility of sending digital messages to clear up misunderstandings, you would have to confront people in person or simply leave the issues open until the next meeting. Communication was less frequent but potentially deeper, requiring greater intention and vulnerability when you actually met someone.

Your Relationship with Fashion, Pop Culture and Identity

Your personal identity would be most strongly influenced by your immediate social circle and available media.You would have to choose between the fashion options that physically existed in nearby stores or that you saw in magazines and on television. The possibility of discovering global subcultures was limited, and you would likely participate in cultural movements that resonated with your local community.

Your cultural influences would come mainly from TV shows, film films, music videos (especially after the emergence of MTV) and conversations with friends. You would not have access to user-generated content or personal influencers sharing their lives; instead, you would learn about trends through celebrities and public personalities created by the entertainment industry.

You would have less pressure to maintain a “personal brand” or consistent online presence.Your actions and appearance were mostly watched by people you knew, and there were no permanent digital records documenting your teenage or youth moments.You had more room to experiment, quietly fail, and evolve without leaving a permanent digital trail.