It is 2017. It is the age of Snapchat streaks, Instagram live videos, and waiting for a text back. Memes, hashtags, and the subject of fidget spinners are daily topics of conversation. The rise of social media, technology (particularly phone addiction), and focusing importance on small things that do not matter seem to sum up this current generation. This raises an important question. Have you ever felt as if you were born in the wrong time period?
Do you ever wish that you were alive during the 1920s? Picture living in F. Scott Fitzgerald's imagination in The Great Gatsby, on Long Island at one of Gatsby's famous parties. In the Roaring Twenties, jazz music was their EDM music. Flappers stood for women equality, showing that women can dress however they please. Not to mention, The Prohibition Era in this decade showed us that completely banning something will not prevent people from participating in it.
Or, how about in the 1930s? Full color films were starting for the first time. Imagine movie theatres in our era being in black and white. Also imagine watching the Empire State Building opening for the first time in this decade, one of the most noticeable buildings in the New York City skyline.
Let's jump to the 1960s. Imagine you are a hippie who is participating in an anti-war protest to end the unnecessary U.S. involvement in Vietnam. You are participating in the Civil Rights Movement to end the injustice and inequality that African Americans wrongly face. You might even be at Woodstock, listening to psychedelic music with people who all share the same thing: a love for music and positive vibes.
The 1990s was a catalyst for change for the youth of America, especially in terms of music. With the growth of Punk-Rock music, such as Nirvana, Green Day, and so on, there was a change in social norms for the youth of society. We also saw the beginning of rap music, with Biggie Smalls, 2Pac, Snoop Dogg, and Dr. Dre coming out with hit albums. The technology that we use today was beginning to develop. Although it was the beginning of the Technological Boom, most individuals did not yet own a phone or computer.
By fast forwarding the time machine by 27 years, we are now in 2017. Rap music is still popular, but it is a more modern form of rap. EDM and house music is a growing phenomenon. As a society, we are still fighting for equal rights for those of different races, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and so on. It makes you wonder, have certain aspects of history repeated itself/stayed the same?
As history has shown us, there are certain elements of each decade that define the people who grow up in this era. Whether it is related to social and political movements, music, TV, movies, and so on, there are defining moments that categorize each decade. By reflecting on the past, it makes us realize how much times have changed and how certain aspects of it have stayed the same. Life is not exactly like a time machine. We cannot go back in time, but we can always look ahead and make changes for both society and ourselves.
