Top 20+ major differences between young people in the 1920s and today

The Jazz Age, or the Roaring Twenties, was a pivotal time that ushered in a new era for youth. It was a time of rebellion, with young people abandoning conservative ideals and asserting their independence.

Today’s youth face many of the same perennial struggles that come with growing up, but with the rise of technology and ever-changing trends, life could not be more different. Here are 20 ways that show how incredibly different it was to come of age a century ago versus today.

Fashion

While fashion experienced quite the shift in the 1920s, youth back in the day couldn’t begin to wrap their heads around how young people currently dress. More risqué trends like shorter flapper dresses were popularized in the mid-1920s, but today, youth are generally completely liberated when it comes to fashion. Popular style trends today include crop tops, short shorts and miniskirts.

Technology

The most obvious difference between today’s youth and youth from the 1920s is the rise of technology. Television wasn’t even introduced until late in the 1920s, so teens and young adults spent their time socializing in person, reading and listening to the radio. Today’s youth are privileged to live in a time of iPads, laptops, Bluetooth technology and the internet.

Education

The notion of education in the 1920s was much different than it is today. Many teens left school to get careers, and women were often discouraged from pursuing a higher education. Today, education is often of the utmost importance, with a large percentage of youth choosing to attend college, university or trade schools.

Gender roles

Adolescents and youth are often still navigating their identity, but in the 1920s, there was little room for discussion when it came to gender roles. Unlike today, females and males were expected to act according to traditional gender roles. Youth are generally free to explore and express how they feel. In doing so, gender-neutral pronouns like “they” and “them” have become commonplace.

Music

Music has always been universal, no matter what your age. However, in the 1920s, music popular with youth ranged from jazz and blues to swing, with the most popular musicians being artists like Louis Armstrong. Today, pop music, rap, R and B, and punk have become the preferred genres for teenagers and young adults, a far cry from the music enjoyed during the Roaring Twenties.

Marriage

Today, it’s almost unfathomable to be married in your early 20s, but in the 1920s it was the norm. The average age for women to marry was 21, while men were expected to marry around age 24. Today’s young people are happy to take their time to find the right life partner and be sure they’re ready for the challenges that come with such a commitment. Today’s average age for women to marry is 28, and age 30 for men.

Dating

Dating before the 1920s consisted mainly of dances, but as parental controls loosened, young men and women were free to see a movie or go to a jazz club alone in the 1920s. While casual dating was starting to become the norm, it was nowhere near what dating has become today. Youth are generally free to navigate dating without chaperones, and “hook-up culture” has become increasingly common and accepted.

Jobs and careers

The world was much different in the 1920s, which translated into the types of jobs that youth were entering. Popular careers at the time were skewed toward trades like blacksmithing, maintenance work and other labour-intensive jobs. Today, white-collar careers are preferred, and more youth are gravitating toward tech and entertainment-focused careers like content creation.

The idea of being a “teenager”

The idea of being a so-called teenager didn’t exist until the 1950s and 1960s. In the 1920s, youth generally went from being kids to joining the workforce as adults at a very young age. One of the most significant differences between youth today and in the 1920s is that young adults are given time to be young, make mistakes and navigate this time without the pressures of being considered an adult.

Hairstyles

Like fashion, hairstyles reflect the times, and young women in the 1920s were drastically chopping off their long hair in an act of rebellion. The bob became a popular female hairstyle in the 1920s, and while it continues to be relevant even today, women and men have free rein today when it comes to how they style their hair. From the “wolf cut” to the “broccoli cut,” Gen Z hair trends seem to be limitless.

Sexual freedom

In the 1920s, a scandalous concept called a “petting party” emerged among young adults. Given the rebellious nature of the times, the petting party was a place youth could go to hug, cuddle and kiss without being judged while also setting a boundary. While some consider it morally corrupt, the gathering in question is regarded as relatively PG today. Youth are free to explore their sexuality however they choose and to be as reserved or sexually free as they want.

Driving

Learning to drive is a rite of passage for teenagers, and it was no different for young people in the 1920s. In fact, it was in the 1920s that the automotive industry started to boom, and as a result, teen car culture became a thing. Driving and cars gave youth a newfound ability to be free of their parents. While vehicles have come a long way since the 1920s, it’s interesting to note that the desire to learn to drive has dwindled significantly among young people.

Activities and socializing

If you were a teenager or a young adult in the 1920s, you might occupy your time at the theatre, entering a dance marathon or sitting atop a flagpole. While some of the leisure activities of youth in the 1920s would seem bizarre today, there is quite a bit of crossover. Watching live sports, going to clubs and drinking were commonplace for young people in the 1920s as well. Naturally, youth today have more options for activities and are lucky enough to live in a time when music festivals, restaurants and travel are an option for almost anyone.

Motherhood

In the 1920s, motherhood was generally linked to marriage, and because young people tended to get married early, they also had children early. Being a mother to several children before you were 25 was not uncommon. Today, the average age for having your first child is 31 or 32, and the trend seems to be shifting to having children even later in life.

Social causes

The 1920s represented a transformative period for youth. After an oppressive period, young people wanted to assert their independence and freedom. This rebellious time gave rise to the culturally significant flapper girl and everything she represented. Today’s youth have different priorities when it comes to social causes, with mental health, environmentalism and racial inequality being just some of the most important issues.

Social media

The invention of social media has had a significant impact on youth culture and is all-encompassing, touching almost every facet of life today. It goes without saying that youth in the 1920s didn’t have to deal with social media and the internet and, for better or for worse, it represents one of the most significant differences between youth today and young people back in the 1920s.

Dancing

Dancing was a favourite pastime of youth in the 1920s. Iconic dances like the Charleston, the Fox Trot and the Shimmy were all invented during this time. So, what does dancing look like today? Youth in the 21st century tend to prefer hip hop and contemporary, and with the rise of TikTok, viral dances like the Shuffle have become popular.

Communication

Communication was incredibly different in the 1920s. If you wanted to see your friends, you had to make plans to meet up. The concept of iPhones and Facetime was unimaginable, but that’s precisely how youth communicate today. It has become so quick and easy to reach friends remotely that there are concerns that youth are spending less time bonding with people in person.

Subcultures

Youth have always used subcultures to figure out where they belong in society. In the 1920s, flapper subculture emerged and dominated the entire decade. Today, youth subculture varies dramatically, and most teens and young adults can identify with one of the many subcultures that exist today. E-Boys and E-Girls, VSCO Girls and Cottagecore are just some of the popular youth subcultures that 21st-century youth can relate to.