Growing Up Retro

Something BIG is coming to GrowingUpRetro. When I started this page, I had one simple goal: bring people together through the memories of growing up in the '70s, '80s, and '90s. But something incredible happened along the way. I realized we weren't just remembering the past. We were building a community around something millions of us still love. And now, I want to take GrowingUpRetro to an entirely new level. I'm excited to officially announce what's coming! 📸 GrowingUpRetro is NOW on Instagram! Follow us at @GrowingUpRetroTV 🎭 GrowingUpRetro Murder Mystery Game — COMING SOON! 🎲 GrowingUpRetro Board Game — 2027! 👕 GrowingUpRetro Merchandise Store — 2027! And here's something especially important. Subscribers to this page will unlock exclusive LIFETIME DISCOUNTS on all three! That's my way of thanking the people who believe in this brand and want to be part of its future. I'm not building GrowingUpRetro to be just another social media account. My vision is to create a brand that brings generations together, creates new memories, and celebrates the ones that made us who we are. Thank you for growing older with me. The best is yet to come. 😉

There was a time when we thought getting older meant having fewer adventures. We watched our parents settle into routines, our grandparents slow down, and assumed that eventually life would become a collection of ordinary days. But the older I get, the more I realize how wrong we were. There are still places we haven't seen, songs we haven't heard, friendships we haven't made, and moments that will someday become our favorite stories. Think about that for a second. Some of the best memories of your entire life might not have happened yet. At our age, it's easy to spend more time looking backward than forward. And while I love remembering where we've been, I never want us to forget where we can still go. So tonight, go to sleep knowing there's still plenty of life waiting for you. We're not finished making memories. I'm glad we're growing older together. Good night, my friends.

Without saying your age… What was the first thing you ever saved up for with your own money, and how much did it cost?

There's a certain strength in being raised by people who didn't complain about every inconvenience. The heat broke, the car wouldn't start, money got tight. They figured it out. We grew up believing we could too.

I miss when people took pride in keeping things for years. The same kitchen table, the same Christmas decorations, the same old family car. Today, everything gets replaced. We grew up surrounded by things with stories.

You knew you were growing up when adults started trusting you with real conversations. They stopped sending you out of the room and started asking what you thought. Respect wasn't handed to us. We grew into it.

We grew up knowing that if someone gave you a ride, you offered gas money. If they bought you lunch, you got the next one. Nobody kept score. It was just how you showed people you appreciated them.

One of the most ridiculously awesome scenes in 80s action movie history. An entire squad unloading thousands of rounds into the jungle at something they can't even see. No CGI spectacle needed. Just pure 1987 insanity.

Honestly, I don't think we need more ways to stay entertained. I think we need more fishing with Grandpa, more family card games, more radios playing in the garage, and more afternoons where doing absolutely nothing felt like everything.

When I was a kid, my parents never knocked before opening my bedroom door. Their house, their rules. Privacy wasn't exactly something we negotiated. Did your parents knock on your bedroom door growing up?

I miss when you could open the hood of your car and actually recognize most of the parts without needing a computer to figure out what was wrong.

A conversation that would make no sense in 1986. 1986: Why are you talking to your refrigerator? 2026: I'm asking it what's inside. 1986: Can't you open the door? 2026: It has a camera. 1986: A camera? In the refrigerator? 2026: Yes. I can check it from the grocery store. 1986: Why? 2026: So I know if we're out of milk. 1986: HAVE YOU TRIED LOOKING BEFORE YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE?

Can somebody explain to me why we spent our entire childhood being told not to talk to strangers, only to grow up and share our entire lives with thousands of them online?

If you watched American Gladiators back in the day, you remember Malibu. And if you thought those giant muscles made him indestructible, wait until you see this hit.

Describe Richard Pryor with ONE word.

Does anyone recognize these?

Honestly, I don't think every part of life needs to be improved. I miss paper menus, real people answering the phone, cashiers who knew your name, and walking into a store without being asked to download an app.

In 1986, you bought a razor, replaced the blades when they got dull, and went about your business. In 2026, companies want to send you razors, vitamins, coffee, dog food, and toilet paper on automatic subscriptions. We've reached the point where forgetting to cancel something is practically an entire business model.