As years go by tastes change in what people do for fun. It wasn't that long ago that the larger population wasn't equipped with the savvy technology of today. Even hundreds of years ago society found ways to entertain themselves within their means.
What people did to pass the time says a lot about each generation. Those who were born within the last couple of decades were given immediate access to the internet before they could even talk, whereas their grandparents came into their formative years with just the basics. These are some of the most common pastimes from the past few centuries.
Colonial Times Brought Recreation
Just as the United States colonies gained their independence in the 1700s, they needed leisure activities to take their mind off everything that was happening around them. Both children and adults were able to find some enjoyable free time. Their pastimes were meant for socialization with friends and even a way to meet their future spouse.
There were individual and team sports, board games, and spectator activities. Unfortunately, the games were mostly intended for men because women weren't given the opportunity to participate. Also, many of the events took place in bars, clubs, and taverns, which didn't allow women at the time.
New Toys Emerge In The 19th Century
The 1800s had children playing with many new and exciting toys. Some of the century's favorites included rocking horses, marbles, jacks, and the rolling hoop pictured above. Before kids had hula hoops to spin around their waist, rolling hoops were used for kids to trundle, race, or twirl.
During that time it would be common to play games in one's parlor, a special room for entertaining guests. People with large homes would set up their parlor to play guessing games, word games, and board games.
Outside Travel Is Key in the 1800s
When people didn't want to spend their free time playing games in the 1800s, many loved to travel to different outdoor spectacles. There was an abundance of things to do with family and friends. For those close to a big city, activities like horse racing, walking in the park, going to see a live band, music and dance halls, theatres, circuses, carnivals, and zoos were all popular choices.
On the countryside others passed the time by sewing and knitting, writing poetry, and simple foot races. Even though living conditions back then weren't the best, people were able to make the most out of what they had.
Head on Down to The Nickelodeon
Before Nickelodeon was commonly referred to as a children's television channel, it started out as a theatre in 1905. People would pay a nickel to watch silent films or live vaudeville acts for about 10 to 15 minutes at a time.
It was thought that only working class people attended nickelodeons because they were cheap, crowded, unsanitary, and hazardous, but it's been proven that many of the patrons were middle class. This was due to theatre locations being close to middle class neighborhoods and that group was more attracted to the films being shown.
Peddling Into the 20th Century
Otherwise known as the ragtime era, 1910 through 1919 was filled with many energetic pastimes like playing piano, bicycling, tennis, archery, and croquet. Susan B. Anthony was quoted talking about how much the bicycle was doing to liberate women during the suffragette movement.
Men and women loved to dance to live music in luxurious dance halls. It was also common for the daughters of the family to learn to sing and play the piano to entertain guests. Others made their way to see ballets, operas, and lavish musical shows.
Step Into the Roaring 1920s
After the Volstead Act of 1919 prohibited people from drinking alcohol, the nation started to rebel. This inspired the creation of speakeasies, a place where organized crime members would arrange for people to consume alcoholic drinks in a secret location.
In order to be allowed into a speakeasy, guests needed to know a certain handshake, password, or knock at the door. Not only would there be drinking, but people gambled, listened to jazz music, and watched dancing girls. To make the limited supply of alcohol last longer, cocktails were invented by watering down the drink with fruit juice, sugar water, or soda.
The Great Depression Aftermath
Shortly after the United States was hit with the Great Depression, families looked for cheap leisure activities to take their mind off the country's distress. Without the invention of the TV, most would gather around the radio to listen to the news or other entertaining shows.
Some would play records on a phonograph or play board games like Monopoly and Scrabble. Those who had a little extra money would make their way to the movie theater to watch stars like Shirley Temple, Clark Gable, and Fred Astaire. At the time President Franklin D. Roosevelt said, "As long as our country has Shirley Temple, we will be all right."
World War II Impacts Popular Culture
In the 1940's, American men were shipped off to go fight in World War II, greatly impacting the entire country. The United States was deeply involved with the war efforts, so the country's pop culture was centered around it. New songs and films were being written that dealt with love and loss.
Since the country was low on most of its resources, people were limited on what they could do to spend their little free time. When kids realized that metal pie plates would fly well in the air, it led to the invention of the Frisbee. Inventor Walter Morrison ditched the metal and made them out of plastic.
Nuclear Families Bring Wholesomeness
During Eisenhower-era America, people were just starting to get on with their lives after World War II. They needed lively pastimes to get them in bright spirits and wholesome activities the whole family could enjoy. Many teenagers would spend their time out with dates or friends at sock hops, drive-in movie theaters, and skating rinks.
The 1950s also brought television sets into the majority of homes. Families would spend evenings watching shows like I Love Lucy, Leave It to Beaver, and The Twilight Zone. Many children's toys were popularized during this time such as Barbie dolls, hula hoops, and electric train sets.
America Gets Music Fever
When The Beatles crossed the pond to come to America there was no looking back. After they performed on The Ed Sullivan Show in February of 1964 the country erupted in Beatlemania. Kids and teenagers spent their time buying records and going to Beatles concerts, with some fainting and crying at the sight of them.
New music during the 1960s also meant fun dance crazes. TV shows would constantly update viewers with hip dance moves like the Twist, Mashed Potato, Chicken Dance, and the Swim.
It's All About Sports
In the 60s people wanted to go outside and get physical activity. During that time surfing and skateboarding weren't considered a real sport but were in their beginning stages. Little League baseball teams and the introduction of soccer teams were also gaining popularity.
Before the 1960s, the only way to watch sports was at the game, but with televisions, people could watch professional games like the Olympics, the World Series, and even the first Super Bowl in the comfort of their own homes.
It's Not Quite High-Tech Yet
In 1970's America people had just seen the end of another catastrophic war in Vietnam and were keeping up with the effects of Watergate. At the time, teens wanted to be out of the house to have fun with their friends. They would go to parks, roller rinks, play sports, or concerts.
Younger kids had the chance of owning some state of the art toys like Rubik's cubes, lava lamps, and Atari game consoles. Pong was one of the earliest versions of a video game after it came out in 1972. Allan Alcorn invented the table tennis game that featured some simple two-dimensional graphics.
Everybody is Dancing at the Disco
One of the most popular fads of the 1970s was disco. It wasn't just a genre of dance music-- it was also a club for people to listen and dance along to the decade's biggest hits. Artists like Donna Summer, the Bee Gees, KC and The Sunshine Band, and Earth, Wind & Fire had catchy disco tunes at clubs all around the world.
This genre of music also highly influenced the fashion of the time. People wore bright jumpsuits, bell bottom jeans, and platform shoes. Many new hairstyles were also introduced such as Afros, feathered bangs, and long sideburns for men.
A Time For Playing Games
Those who lived through the 1980s were able to see some early attempts at modern technology. Arcades were a hot spot for kids and teens to play state of the art video games packed with bright colors and flashy graphics.
This decade was the golden age of arcades with popular games like Pac-Man, Space Invaders, Donkey Kong, and Asteroids. Since pretty much all of the games required people to stand and be around others of a similar age, it was one of the most social activities offered at the time.
Be Kind and Rewind
While VHS tapes were invented in the 70s, it wasn't until the 80s when they started to become a household staple. People would go to video stores like Blockbuster to rent whatever their hearts desired and watch it on their VCR players.
Before this time people were only watching movies in theaters or when they were shown on network TV, but the ability to buy and rent VHS tapes became a groundbreaking activity. By 1980 VHS tapes dominated 60 percent of the North American market, becoming the most popular video format of the decade.
Preparing For the Future
With the decade before having kids play games on big arcade machines, the 1990s brought a variety of handheld gaming devices to be used on the go. One of the most successful inventions of the time was the Nintendo Game Boy.
It may seem ancient now, but it was only a few decades ago where this piece of technology was sought after by millions across the globe. Game Boys featured a dull green dot-matrix screen, control buttons, a voice speaker, and separate cartridges that would be inserted to provide the physical media for the games.
Talking to Strangers Gets Easier
Computers and the internet were undeniably one of the most significant inventions to come out of the 1990s. People were now able to access the information they sought at an incredibly fast rate. One of the internet's most exciting features were chat rooms.
Anyone who had access to a computer could create an AIM account on AOL and electronically chat with people anywhere in the world. It easily became the leading instant messaging system in North America. Getting such an instant response was a vastly new concept, so it started the trend of making upcoming technology as fast as possible.
People Want Their MP3s
As the United States entered into the 21st century they were preparing for the biggest technology boom in history. New inventions to make life easier were released constantly. Apple was and still is one of the leading providers of savvy gadgets, including their various iPod models.
Only a decade before people were relying on CD players and Walkmans for their music, but the internet brought music files that were easily downloaded onto MP3 players. Music listeners brought their iPods everywhere, so they could listen to thousands of songs on the go with it not being too heavy to carry.
Computers At Your Fingertips
When cellphones were just starting out people could only make calls. Gradually cellphones got more advanced with texting, the ability to take photos and videos, applications, and internet access. Currently, smartphones are one of the most common items for a person to own.
Before leaving the house people make sure to take their smartphones because so much of their lives are attached to them. There are countless activities that they're used for now like uploading to social media, getting directions, or video chatting. Scrolling through apps on a smartphone has become the social norm.
Social Media Takeover
Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, and countless other social media platforms have taken over the world. Billions of people have created accounts across the sites to post updates of their lives online and to follow accounts of interest.
Going out to a restaurant, spending the day at an amusement park, or just making a bowl of cereal give people the opportunity to take photos and videos to instantly share to the internet. Social media is about finding connections with others, but sometimes it gets easy to compare the life someone shares online with your own.
