Disco, denim, bell bottoms, flower power, funk and decades of fabulous music. The 1970s: What a time to be alive. For those growing up in that era, life was all about being young and wild and free. And looking back now, more than a little reckless. There were no seatbelts, children played outside unattended, they rode their bikes without helmets and threw darts at each other on the lawn.
"We had great music and played it loudly; we danced, and grew our hair long, and lived every day like it might be our last," wrote Tab LaFollette in the book Growing Up Old School: Re-live what it was like to be a kid in the 60s and 70s. The 1970s was a time for taking risks and throwing caution to the wind, but always believing that, in the words of Gloria Gaynor, "I will survive!"
Bored Panda has scoured the depths of the net in search of the most sassy school photos from the '70s. Keep scrolling for an epic and funky trip down memory lane, and don't forget to upvote your favorites. You'll also find our interview with author Jules Torti, who grew up in the '70s and '80s, and wrote the memoir, Been There, Ate That: A Candy-coated Childhood.
#1 Fairfax High School (Los Angeles, Ca), 1975
Image credits: AxlCobainVedder
Bored Panda was fortunate to get hold of Jules Torti when we reached out to her. The author describes herself as "half cavewoman" and tells us she's not on X or Insta.
"I don't even have cell phone reception in my house—I have to walk halfway down the driveway and even then, if a red squirrel is out there or a crow flies over, forget about it!"
We already know we're in for a treat interviewing this witty and funny woman, who, as she puts it, "can be reliably found on Facebook and Substack at Jules is Out of Office: julestorti.substack.com"
Born in 1975, Torti has written a number of books, including a memoir, titled Been There, Ate That: A Candy-coated Childhood. "It's a nostalgic joy ride back to the '70s and '80s era of Jell-o everything, yellow dye #5, BHT, preservatives and margarine-laced!" she tells us.
#2 My Mom And Her High School Boyfriend In 1972
She was 15 years old and they were at the local carnival.
Image credits: Subject-Ad-4299
#3 My Dad Teaching Math In Southern California (Late 70's/Early 80's)
Image credits: iCollectSausage
We begin by asking Torti what it was like growing up in the '70s.
"The days were so carefree. My sister, brother and I were out the door after a bowl of sugar-high Lucky Charms and tearing through the fields on our banana seat and BMX bikes, untethered. I had three pairs of rugger pants and a pair of Kangaroo shoes with that cool zipper on the side. I alternated my Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt with my cowboy fringe shirt," she replies.
"Life was so innocent and simple. We didn't sanitize our hands. We weren't worried about the harmful effects of the sun's rays (how could they be dangerous?) Xanadu, our loyal dog, washed our faces. We played with lawn darts and survived. Our diet was 75% sugar and it didn't stunt our growth (but that purple Kool-Aid and ketchup-flavoured chips stained our fingertips and lips for days)."
#4 1975 High School Photo
Image credits: morganmonroe81
#5 [oc] My Aunt Graduating From Catholic School In Amman, Jordan, 1972
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#6 1979. My Mother, A Baller. Still Holds The Record For Most Points In A Women's Basketball Season At Our High School - Before The 3 Pt Line Was Established
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The author tells us her family lived a few corn fields behind the Sunset Drive-In Theatre in Brantford, Ontario. "Amazingly, we could pick up the audio for the films on the walkie-talkies my mom bought at a garage sale for $5. We had to use our binoculars to dial in the grainy screen but it's a slice of time that I love falling back into. We didn't have cable TV due to our rural location and depending on the weather, there were only eight channels to reliably choose from," she remembers.
Torti says it wasn't until the '80s that VHS videos changed her world. "I still can't believe my dad fiddled around every Friday night, trying to connect a rental VCR with our old console television. My grandmother who lived on a farm just up the road from us had a satellite dish, microwave AND jacuzzi tub with jets. We thought she was the richest woman in the world," she says.
"Growing up in the country, we had to rely on creative alternatives for almost everything. We made our own caramel corn with a free pour of corn syrup. By the end of the bowl our molars were an inch higher from compacted sticky popcorn. But back then, we didn't count calories. They didn't exist."
#7 Kurdish Girls Attending School In Iran, 1970s
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#8 Girls In The Parking Lot At School. 1970
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#9 1971 Girl’s Basketball Team From Local High School
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We ask Torti what she believes the biggest differences are between the kids of the '70s versus kids of today. "Teens today have so many things to decide upon right down to their pronouns. I don't think I even knew the (former) definition of a pronoun until grade 11 English. There was no gender talk, we just were," she says.
"Anxiety wasn't a thing—maybe you'd have a bout of it before a test you hadn't bothered studying for but otherwise, it wasn't on anyone's radar. And back then, in the Taylor Swift-free era, you could go to a concert for less than $1,500 a ticket. If I added up all the concert tickets I bought up until the age of 40, I still think I'd be under $1,500 and I've seen Cher, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner, Meatloaf and countless others."
#10 A Lot More Difficult Without Internet
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#11 High Schoolers In 1976
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#12 School Dances 1972
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The author believes kids of today have more anxiety because they're disconnected from nature and glued to technology. "Do kids need mindfulness sessions?" ponders Torti. "Shouldn’t they just be pushed outside and away from their tablets and iPhones? I know there’s probably an app for tree-climbing and grass stains, but c’mon. We need to be told to rediscover our 'wildhood' and introduce kids to earth basics like dirt, worms, and trees? Wow."
#13 My Parents In High School 1976. They'll Be Married For 40 Years This June
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#14 'woke' High School Kids, South Charleston Wv 1972 This Is The 'Smoking Area' In Back Of The Bldg
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#15 School Lunch In 1975
Image credits: MeeranQureshi
Torti tells Bored Panda there are some positives for the kids of today. "I'm happy that the teens of today have more expansive options though (beyond Starbucks drink menus and talk + text packages). There's a beautiful awareness about identity, Indigenous reconciliation, transgenderism, working nomad careers, BIPOC novels and films and greater opportunities for women in sport with the establishment of the Professional Women's Hockey League."
#16 Mom And Dad At A High School Dance 1974
Image credits: HeadMischief
#17 Two Girls Gossiping By Their Lockers Circa 1970
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#18 This Pic Was Taken At My School Grade 8 Halloween 1974
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We ask Torti what the the downside was to growing up in the 1970s. "I was blissfully unaware that there was a negative aspect!" she replies. "I had a glittery green banana seat bike, an awesome NHL playing card collection, Sea Monkeys (that successfully hatched), a Chia Pet and a Dukes of Hazzard lunch box. I was want for nothing."
#19 My Dad Swears He Was The Coolest Kid In School 1979
Padlock on the belt loop really ties the whole outfit together.
Image credits: tattoovtwin
#20 High School Sweethearts, 1970
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#21 The Traditional "Before High School Graduation" Pose With My Aunt, 1971
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We're curious to know whether she'd rather have grown up now or back then. "I'd take an even split of the '70s and '80s," says Torti. "That era had the best soundtrack (INXS, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Tears for Fears, Blondie, Sinead O'Connor) and the films of these decades are unmatched—Top Gun, Stand By Me, The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Footloose—these are just off the top of my head."
#22 High School Seniors Fellow Students From Cuba , 1977
Three HS seniors girls from Santa Clara, Jesus Menéndez boarding HS in rural Yabu4, Villa Clara, Cuba.
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Before we end the interview, the self-professed "half cavewoman" tells Bored Panda, "Email, cell phones, streaming and AI were the stuff of a terrible futuristic sci-fi movie, and we were all the better for it. If only we could 'be kind, please rewind'."
Grab a copy of Torti's memoir Been There, Ate That: A Candy-coated Childhood for more beautifully written memories of growing up in days gone by. And let us know all about your own childhood in the comments.
#25 Teenagers Rolling Joints In School Science Lab, Early 1970’s
Image credits: reddit.com
#26 Livermore High School, California. 70’s Part 2
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#30 1979 Yearbook Photo Of A Student At Saddleback High School In California
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#31 High School Students Getting Weapons Training, Ussr, Ca. 1970
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#32 My Mom And Aunt With Some Friends Back In High School Cira Mid To Late 1970s
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Image credits: Cabramatta High School
#34 Driving Away On The Last Day Of High School, Los Alamitos High School, California, 1974
Image credits: vintage everyday
#35 1970s Schoolyard, Florence Middle School, Dallas Tx
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#36 These Are The Libyan Students Of My Father, Who Was A High School Physics Professor In Belgrade, Yugoslavia. Late 1970’s Or Early 1980’s
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#37 My Dad In His Early Years Of Teaching High School Math, Late ‘70s
Second generation Italian, my dad was one of the first in his family to have a bachelor’s degree. He retired in 2018 after over 30 years of teaching at the same school.
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#41 1972: Sophomore Year High School Buddies After A Soccer Match
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#47 Early 1970s (?) High School Business Classroom
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#54 Livermore High School, California. From The 70’s
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