Of course, many things changed from decade to decade but let's look back to the 1980s and what the kids had back then that children today don't have anymore.

Growing Up During The 1980s In Illinois

I'm so glad that I got to experience growing up during the 1980s in Illinois. It was a really fun decade. I have many great memories. It's funny because a lot of things I enjoyed back in those days are no longer around. The majority of kids today have no idea what most of these things are.

READ MORE: 1987 Illinois High School Graduation Changed For Bon Jovi

I did some research and made a little comparison between the 1980s and the 2020s in Illinois. The world for kids was completely different. I came up with 3 things from back in the day that are no longer relevant nowadays.

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# 1 Telephone (then) vs Cellphone (now)

I remember when I wanted to call a friend. I had to go into the kitchen and use the telephone that was mounted to the wall. It had a cord that was only a couple of feet long. Of course, there was no privacy. Kids today carry mini-computers in their pockets.

2015 General Election - Elderly Care
1980s Telephone (Getty Images)
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# 2 Saturday Morning Cartoons (then) vs Cartoons 24/7 (now)

For a few years. my parents made me go to CCD on Saturday mornings. That's when all the good cartoons were on TV. I would miss most of them. When the kids at school would talk about them on Monday, I was left out of the conversation. With streaming services, you can watch them 24 hours a day and seven days a week. I'm so jealous.

Cartoons
Saturday Morning Cartoons (Getty Images, Canva, YouTube)
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Atari (then) vs Xbox (now)

After playing the primitive Pong game, Atari became the coolest video game system ever. Well, that's at least what we thought. I showed my nephew videos of those old-school games and he wondered how we played them. The systems nowadays are like mini-movies.

Video Games
Video Games In Illinois During 1980s (Evan-Amos // Wikimedia Commons)
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It's pretty crazy to think about now but we didn't know any better back in the day. I still had a great time and wouldn't change it for the world. I'll have those memories for the rest of my life.

1980s Facts For Kids

KEEP READING: Check out these totally awesome '80s toys

Gallery Credit: Angela Underwood