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It was like neither. It was roughly the mid-point between '80 and '14. The 90's were a distinct decade with different cultures, music, and fashion than the 80's, let alone the 70's. 1980 was basically still the 70's.
In 1997, alternative grunge rock and gangsta rap were popular in music. MTV was huge. Baggy clothing was in. The economy was roaring. The internet had just gotten invented by Al Gore. I see no similarities with 1980 whatsoever.
In 1980, people were still listening to disco and wore their hair long and shaggy with long sideburns, huge glasses, and bellbotom pants were still in. The whole New Wave punk look was just coming into fashion. The economy was in the gutter. Technology sucked for the most part. The VCR was in its infancy. No MTV. The Cold War was in full swing.
In 1997, a lot of people were computer obsessed and on the internet and there was 24 hour cable TV with dozens of channels while in 1980, you were lucky if you could scrape up some money for a new pair of rollerskates and looked forward to going to a movie theater every couple of weeks. You would wait all week to catch Kung Fu theater, four hours of kung fu movie bliss. VCRs weren't even really around for most people in 1980.
Spare time was kiled in bookstores (like kindle, but on paper) and Ice cream parlors. If you had the money, you could go to the arcade and play pin ball or if you anted a futuistic experience as if you were in the movie Star Wars, you could play Space Invaders. By 1997 kids had handheld Gameboys and such. Also, in 1980, kids were skinny and had scabs. By 1997, kids were fat and anemic.
In 1997, a lot of people were computer obsessed and on the internet and there was 24 hour cable TV with dozens of channels while in 1980, you were lucky if you could scrape up some money for a new pair of rollerskates and looked forward to going to a movie theater every couple of weeks. You would wait all week to catch Kung Fu theater, four hours of kung fu movie bliss. VCRs weren't even really around for most people in 1980.
Spare time was kiled in bookstores (like kindle, but on paper) and Ice cream parlors. If you had the money, you could go to the arcade and play pin ball or if you anted a futuistic experience as if you were in the movie Star Wars, you could play Space Invaders. By 1997 kids had handheld Gameboys and such. Also, in 1980, kids were skinny and had scabs. By 1997, kids were fat and anemic.
The TV rating system, Harry Potter, anime in the US, DVDs, The View, and South Park also came in '97. I agree.
1997 is definitely a lot more "21st century-like" than 1996, with the exception of early 1997. When I think January/February 1997, I think that's "back in the day", but when I think November/December 1997, I think it should not "back in the day" at all.
1997 had the internet, like 2014. 1980 - no internet.
1997 had rounded cars with airbags, like 2014. 1980 - no airbags, even in Mercedes, and slab sided cars.
1997 had 3D video games, like 2014. 1980 - Atari 2600 and Intellivision were state of the art.
1997 music is closer to 2014 rhythms than 1980, but without widespread autotune it still sounds good.
The '97 laidback quality, easiness of life & peace, was more like the 80s.
Though the '97 fashion trends, movies (CGI), music rhythm, slang and internet are more like those in 2014. I mean, if I were to suddenly spawn in 1997 with the clothes I'm wearing I wouldn't look out of place. Whereas in 1980 I would look incredibly out of place and odd (especially how most men had big, wavy hair back then, and I don't).
1997 had the internet, like 2014. 1980 - no internet.
1997 had rounded cars with airbags, like 2014. 1980 - no airbags, even in Mercedes, and slab sided cars.
1997 had 3D video games, like 2014. 1980 - Atari 2600 and Intellivision were state of the art.
1997 music is closer to 2014 rhythms than 1980, but without widespread autotune it still sounds good.
I voted 1980 because from a world wide perspective I think they were more like 1980. If only because the Internet, cell phones and so on were not widely in use in most countries in 1997. Even in the most advanced countries only a significant minority of people were using these technologies and they were still relatively primitive.
Also in 1997 many countries were still dictatorships or mired in civil wars, much like 1980. Nowadays the main issue is economic inequality and democratic corruption but most of these countries are now at least technically established democracies.
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