Top 30+ Retro 1970s Habits That Seem Wild To Us Now

No seatbelts, lots of Jell-O, and even more brown decor, welcome to the ’70s. These 30 things were completely normal then, and totally bonkers now.

No Seatbelts, No Problem

Car safety wasn’t really a “thing”. Kids rode in the front seat, sometimes standing, and seatbelts were either ignored or not even installed. A mattress in the back of a station wagon? Totally normal.

Milk and Glass Bottles on the Porch

Milkmen delivered fresh bottles of milk right to your doorstep. You’d leave out the empties, and they’d swap them out early in the morning. It felt very wholesome and personal, but now it feels like a scene from a movie.

Phone Calls on a Rotary Dial

Calling someone meant spinning a clunky rotary dial and waiting for it to click back each time. You memorized phone numbers, and if someone was on the line, you got a busy signal. No caller ID, no texting, just patience and finger strength.

Kids Roaming Free All Day

Children had near-total freedom. They’d leave the house after breakfast and return by dinner, with no cell phones or constant check-ins. Somehow, everyone survived and had epic childhood stories to tell.

Brown, Orange, and Avocado Everything

Home decor was a sea of earth tones, especially avocado green and burnt orange. Your couch, carpet, and appliances probably matched. It was a cozy but it clashes today's minimalistic trend.

TVs Without Remotes

You had to get up and walk over to the TV to change the channel. Sometimes a younger sibling served as the remote. There were only a few channels anyway, and most went off-air after midnight.

Long Road Trips Without Entertainment

No tablets, no streaming, not even Walkman yet. Kids passed the time with “I Spy”, car bingo, and poking each other. If you were lucky, the family had an 8-track tape deck.

Payphones on Every Corner

If you needed to make a call away from home, you found a payphone and hoped you had coins. Phone booths were everywhere, sometimes even with an accordion-style folding door. Superman would be lost today.

High Schoolers with Mustaches

Teen boys often looked like grown men with full facial hair. Combine that with flared jeans and a denim jacket, and they looked more like truck drivers than students. Puberty hit different back then.

Polaroids and Film Rolls

Photos were taken on film, and you didn’t know how they turned out until they were developed. Polaroids gave instant gratification, but were still kind of fuzzy. No filters, no retakes, just raw nostalgia.

Shag Carpets and Wood Paneling

Homes were covered in plush, colorful shag carpet and dark wood paneling. It looked cozy but collected every crumb, hair, and sock lint imaginable. You couldn’t sneak anywhere, those floors were loud.

Flash Cubes on Cameras

Taking flash photos meant popping a literal cube onto your camera. It flashed once per side and then had to be replaced. It felt futuristic and magical… and then it burned your fingers.

Unsupervised Playground Equipment of Doom

Metal slides that baked in the sun, seesaws that could launch you, merry-go-rounds with no speed limit—it was chaos. Safety was optional, and so were helmets. Kids walked it off.

Pet Rocks Were a Real Trend

People actually bought smooth stones marketed as “pets.” They came in a box with breathing holes and a care manual. It was peak ‘70s weirdness and a marketing genius moment.

Hitchhiking as a Normal Commute

Sticking your thumb out and getting into a stranger’s car was a completely acceptable way to get around. People even encouraged it on college campuses. Now, it’s more like the plot of a true crime podcast.

Paddling in Schools

Corporal punishment wasn’t just allowed in many schools, it was expected. Principals literally had paddles, and nobody batted an eye. Nowadays, that’s a fast track to being fired and/or sued.

Asbestos in Ceiling Tiles and Hair Dryers

Asbestos was everywhere, in schools, homes, and even consumer products like handheld hair dryers. It was considered innovative insulation. The lawsuits are still being settled.

No Childproof Packaging

Medicine bottles, cleaning supplies, and chemicals had basic twist-off caps. Kids getting into the wrong cabinet was an everyday hazard. “Keep out of reach” was more of a gentle suggestion.

Gendered Job Ads

Newspaper listings were often divided into “Jobs for Men” and “Jobs for Women.” Spoiler alert: the “female” jobs were mostly secretary, nurse, or teacher. Good luck applying for anything else if you weren’t a man in a suit.

Babies Sleeping on Their Stomachs with Blankets and Pillows

Safe sleep guidelines weren’t really a thing. Babies were put on their stomachs, surrounded by soft bedding, bumpers, and sometimes even stuffed animals. It was adorable and extremely unsafe by today’s standards.

Airline Stewardesses Hired for Looks

Airline ads openly bragged about how attractive and single their stewardesses were. Some even had weight and age requirements. Flying in the ‘70s was practically a floating beauty pageant.

Chloroform in First Aid Kits

Some first aid kits and medical supplies from the era included items like chloroform or ether. Why? Who knows. It was the Wild West of DIY medical care.

Using Mercury Thermometers at Home

Parents handed kids glass thermometers filled with mercury to pop under their tongues. If it broke, they could just sweep it up and keep it moving. Now, it’s considered hazardous material.

It’s Just a Flesh Wound” Parenting

A bleeding knee, a bee sting, a rusty nail, most of it got a quick rinse and a Band-Aid, if you were lucky. There was no trip to the ER, no tetanus panic. The general rule was: If you weren’t crying that hard, you were fine.

Sunbathing with Baby Oil

Sunscreen? What’s that? People lathered up with baby oil and baked like rotisserie chickens for hours. Skin cancer wasn’t even part of the conversation.

Ads Featuring Punishing as a Joke

Print ads from the ‘70s sometimes featured men punishing women as a joke or selling point. It’s the kind of thing that would result in instant social media backlash (and lawsuits) today.

Lead Paint in Kids’ Toys

Bright, colorful and laced with lead. Many children’s toys in the ’70s contained toxic materials that would never pass safety standards today. Yikes.

Jell-O in Every Form

Savory Jell-O with vegetables or tuna? Yep. Dessert Jell-O molds with whipped cream and marshmallows? Of course. It was the most versatile, and occasionally terrifying, food trend of the decade.

Fondue Parties Were the Height of Chic

Melting cheese or chocolate and dipping stuff into it was considered the ultimate in sophistication. People dressed up for fondue night. It was social, interactive, and very, very beige.

Waterbeds Were Aspirational

Owning a waterbed meant you were cool or possibly a little wild. They sloshed, leaked, and were a nightmare to move but people loved them. It was peak ‘70s luxury.