17 Trends That People 40 And Older Wish Would Make A Comeback In The 2020s

Have you ever thought about a trend from your childhood and been like, "We should really bring that back"? Well, we recently asked the BuzzFeed Community which trends they think should make a comeback, and they made a lot of really good points. Here are some of the best ones:

1.

"I miss when the 'news' was just that and not opinion shows with a news format. You used to be able to turn on the evening news and get the facts of what took place from local to national, no BS included. This needs to come back; we live with so much disinformation that if Americans had the 'news' back, we could sort out that disinformation."

—anonymous

2.

"Going everywhere without a mobile phone or some digital device! A feeling, a lived experience, of real freedom and PRIVACY. No one to interrupt you wherever you were. Real conversations, face-to-face, without distractions."

—anonymous

3.

"Coffee clutching — sitting around with other moms talking about everything. We would gather at one person's house, bring the kids, and chat and drink coffee or tea while the kids played. We solved a lot of problems and supported each other and just laughed. It was a closeness and togetherness you don’t get anymore. Everyone is so busy and occupied with social media/phones and has no time to just sit and talk. I miss the person-to-person conversations."

—anonymous

4.

"Book fairs! Those were the most exciting things. I looked forward to them every school year. The only thing I would end up buying was those scented pencils in all the fruit 'flavors,' like strawberry or chocolate. I also LOVED buying stuffed animals during our lunch breaks."

—anonymous

5.

"The cost of living being appropriate for the wages we earned. Being able to go to the grocery store and buy a few things and not have to spend $150."

— boidiva02

6.

"Daytime soap operas being popular, I can't tell you the number of friends I bonded with over our shared love of soap operas. We used to run off the school bus to watch our soaps and would obsess over every detail of the episode the next day! Everybody had their favorite soaps and favorite characters. Watching the Daytime Emmys each year was a yearly ritual, and we'd spend weeks discussing the winners and losers and who wore what! Soaps were a huge part of my childhood, and now I really am sad to see how few are left and how nobody seems to love them anymore."

— boidiva02

7.

"Block parties, neighbors getting together and having fun, enjoying good food, and getting to know each other. I've lived in the same place for two years now and have met one neighbor."

— clumsydaisy55

8.

"Drive-in restaurants. Mom, dad, and kids piling into the family station wagon (no seatbelts) and going out to eat on a Friday night. Never had a better hamburger. The tater tots were legendary. Thickest, creamiest milkshake I ever slurped. Sigh."

— deadpancupcake92

9.

"Letting my kid walk to their friend's house unsupervised without worrying that some Nosy Nellie would call the cops. My kid is 9. Their friend literally lives around the corner from us. I walked to the babysitter's house after school, over half a mile, in kindergarten. I roamed freely to my friends' houses at age 8. I was a latchkey kid. How are we supposed to raise independent adults when we are not allowed to let them out of our sight until they are 15 or even older?"

— eds99

10.

"Disappearing. No cellphone, no GPS, no smartwatch or chip. Before there were cameras everywhere and we were constantly being recorded.

I can remember as a 13-year-old sneaking out with neighborhood kids to the river, playing like we were outlaws. We never got 'lost,' but we got lost in a way that's an impossibility today. So sad!"

— angelicgamer11

11.

"Colorful appliances and fixtures. Avocado fridges, pink toilets…black, white, and stainless might 'go with everything' but say nothing. Commit to an aesthetic , cowards!"

— tiktokism

12.

"I miss the simplicity of Lego and other toys back in the day. Of course Lego already had themed building sets, but they weren't as detailed as today; they left more room for imagination and creativity. I wish more simple and versatile toys would come back."

— kaa

13.

"Pride in selling products that last a lifetime. Nowadays it’s all about getting people to buy again, so products simply aren’t made to last anymore."

—u/ The_Tell_Tale_Heart

14.

"Music stores. That whole atmosphere is gone because of digital music. I don't hate digital music; it would just be great to have a place to go listen to people, maybe even exchange music with each other, and discuss bands and trends in music."

—u/ buff_duckly

15.

"Hear me out — real television program seasons! Having 21–23 new episodes starting in the fall and running 'til spring, no weird five or six-episode mini-seasons or two years between seasons. Give me a May cliffhanger that we waited breathlessly until September to see resolved!"

—u/ Providence451

16.

"Arcades. The coolest place to hang out, see and be seen. You didn’t need to be invited to the cool kid’s party. You just needed a pocket full of quarters and a ride."

—u/ LaLeeTwin

And finally...

17.

"My right to choose."

— shadyslytherin