Everyone thinks they grew up in the good old days, but who actually did? What was the best decade to grow up in Lubbock?

I’ve lived here practically my entire life, and I’ve got a big soft spot for the 90s, but I’ll admit, every generation had its advantages. Some generations had pretty ridiculous disadvantages, too.

Lubbock in The 1970s: Freedom and Questionable Safety Standardsa woman sitting on the back of a carPhoto by Ellie Cooper on Unsplasha woman sitting on the back of a car

Pros: Kids rode bikes all over town, played outside till it was dark, and enjoyed the kind of freedom that would give modern helicopter parents a total nervous breakdown.

Cons: No internet, no cell phones, and far fewer options for entertainment. Plus, the devastating Lubbock tornado of 1970 put a damper on things in a BIG way. That decade was not all sunshine and rainbows here.

Lubbock in the 1980s: Big Hair, Arcades, and Zero SupervisionsStack of vintage boomboxes and old televisionPhoto by Bernd 📷 Dittrich on UnsplashStack of vintage boomboxes and old television

Pros: Arcades, roller skating, shopping malls, and rental movies reigned supreme. You could spend a whole afternoon with your pals without worrying about your mom tracking your location.

Cons: If your friends didn’t answer the phone when you called, tough luck. Everybody smoked everywhere, and some of those hairstyles had to be fire hazards; they just had to be…

Read More: Why Halloween Vehicle Accidents Pose Real Risks

Lubbock in the 1990s: The Golden Age of Being a Lubbock Kid?black digital device at 4 00Photo by Ben Griffiths on Unsplashblack digital device at 4 00

Pros: Hastings, Showplace 6, Discovery Zone, and plenty of opportunities to get in trouble before your parents could figure out where you were.

This was MY era, so of course, I loved it. We had enough technology to entertain ourselves, but not enough to distract us from a movie or replace our entire lives…

Cons: Dial-up internet sucked; we had to wait forever for songs to download, and calling your crush’s house only for their dad to answer was pretty awful…

Lubbock in the 2000s: The Best of Both Worlds?person using both laptop and smartphonePhoto by Austin Distel on Unsplashperson using both laptop and smartphone

Pros: This generation had the BEST video games, cell phones, instant messaging, and tons of ways to stay connected with their pals. They still enjoyed old-school hangouts, but they also got a lot more out of the internet, especially for major help with school projects.

(I was a kid in the 90s and a teen in the 2000s, so I sort of got the best AND worst of it all…)

Cons: Social media really started changing EVERYTHING. Suddenly, all of your embarrassing moments seemed to have a way of following you home. Things stopped feeling private, and your parents were given the option to track down your location.

What do you think? Who grew up in the best era of Lubbock? Email me at Chrissy.Covington@townsquarmedia.com and plead your case!

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