School summer holidays are almost upon us, and for some, that means silly season. Those long weeks that stretch ahead with nothing to do (for the children at least!) and the joys of having to keep those children occupied begin to take centre stage.
This got me thinking about my own childhood – and just how different the summer holiday experience is today… let’s compare the ins and outs of 1980s summers with how they tend to unfold today
1980s summers
The days when you’d leave the house on your bike in the morning (your BMX if you were lucky) & be told to be home in time for tea. Your parents had no idea where you were, no way of contacting you and it didn’t seem to matter.
Rainy days called for indoor entertainment… and a trip down to Blockbusters to hire out the latest film on VHS because TV didn’t start until the afternoon and there were only 3 channels – just remember to post it back through the return slot before 24 hours are up or you’ll have to pay a fine.
If heading abroad, your family may just have booked your break totally unseen through Teletext or Ceefax… but how incredibly frustrating when the screen automatically moved on and you hadn’t got all the information you needed yet…
When you got into your late teens and had to leave your boyfriend behind, he cushioned the blow by making you a mixed tape with all your favourite 80s tunes on it – which you listened to on your Walkman.
Sun’s out, time to get that cooking oil out. Not just tanning oil, actual cooking oil. And maybe the tin foil to maximise the tanning power. I mean what on earth were we thinking?!
Head down to Woolworths to pick up the latest album on cassette, maybe some pic ‘n mix, and possibly the latest copy of Smash Hits magazine – chosen specifically for the centrefold poster which you could blu-tack to your wall.
Loading up your camera with film (24 or 36 photos only) winding it on and snapping away conservatively so you didn’t run out before the end of the holiday. Then taking the film in and having to wait a week for them to be developed… only for half of the photos to come back with an “over exposure” sticker on them or indecipherable thanks to having your thumb over the lens.
summer 2023
Children leave home armed with their smartphone, Google Maps and most likely Find my iPhone (other apps are available!) fully enabled so that the child can be located by their parent at any given moment throughout the day.
Disney+, Netflix, Apple+, Paramount+, 100s of channels on Sky TV and multiple other sources means you have the pick of everything the world of TV and film has ever produced at your disposal 24 hours a day… but there never seems to be anything on!
Whether it’s AirBnb, an all-inclusive break somewhere or even a staycation, it’s all booked online – having checked out all the images of where you’re going & scoured TripAdvisor for any recent reviews. Just watch out for scammers with fake websites…
It’s not quite the same as seeing someone in person, granted, but it comes a close second. As soon as you’re on WiFi you can Facetime the boyfriend for hours on end…. and it won’t even cost you anything.
No member of the family steps outside into the Mediterranean sunshine without at least factor 30 slathered all over every exposed bit of skin.
Being able to access music at the touch of a button straight to your smartphone, streaming via Spotify or Apple Music as much as you like for a monthly fee. Tapping into playlists from unknown, unsigned artists just because you can.
From snapping away on your phone (just need to make sure you have enough storage) to uploading your chosen few to your social media platform of choice, every last detail of the holiday is captured & shared with your many followers
And as I compare the two I become nostalgic for those holidays of yesteryear. Yes, we may have been a little bored in 1980s summers without the constant stimulation we have available today but goodness weren’t they fun times! The freedom, the imagination, the ability to just be… What teenager wouldn’t give their Sega Megadrive for that?!
Happy summer everyone…