Photo by Hennie Stander on Unsplash
A great deal has changed since the 1950s. After all, that decade has been behind us for nearly 80 years. Our cars are faster, our roads are busier, and our city centers are undoubtedly more crowded. We have more tech, more tools, and more knowledge.
As a result, it’s easy to assume that everything has changed and we’ve retained none of our past. As vastly different as our world is today, there are still significant similarities between the 1950s and today. Here are just some of the many:
Plastic Surgery
Plastic surgery through highly regarded clinics like the Dr. Jay Calvert plastic surgery clinic has been around since the 1950s, despite only growing in popularity in the late 1980s. Since then, we’ve seen rapid improvements in the technology used for plastic surgery, allowing for less invasive procedures, more cosmetic options to choose from, and shorter recovery periods.
Still, if there’s one thing that hasn’t changed between then and now, it’s how cosmetic surgery makes us feel. Whether you’re getting rhinoplasty, a brow lift, breast augmentation, or another procedure, you can experience a boost in your self-esteem when you’ve been able to remedy something you didn’t like about yourself. For most people, that doesn’t change, regardless of the era.
Reliance on Fossil Fuels
Despite having access to a broad range of renewable energy types, like solar, wind, and hydroelectric, we are still heavily reliant on fossil fuels like we were back in the 1950s. This is because they are a cheap and convenient energy source, and we still have widespread infrastructure for their extraction and use.
The good news is that our fossil fuel-using vehicles are far more economical than vehicles of the 1950s. A typical American vehicle from the 1950s would get an average of 14.5 miles to the gallon, whereas today’s vehicles average around 25.4 miles to the gallon. Since 2004, carbon dioxide emissions have also decreased by 24%.
Modes of Transport
Some people from the 1950s might have assumed we would be flying around in personal aircraft by now, but that’s certainly not the case. Our everyday modes of transport have become more advanced, comfortable, and efficient, but their fundamentals are the same as those in the 1950s.
We’re still driving around in cars, riding pushbikes, hopping aboard trains, and taking flights. We’re even still walking and taking taxis. We’re a long way away from everyone having a hovercraft in their driveway, and that’s probably for the best.
Fashion
Fashion changes all the time. The beauty of it is that we often see some trends come back around years after falling out of favor with fashionistas. That’s certainly true of fashion trends today and in the 1950s.
Full skirts and dresses with cinched waists that were once all the rage in the 1950s are now adorning shop windows in the 2020s. We’re even seeing the same high-waisted pants and jeans, cat-eye sunglasses, and cropped sweaters.
Alongside clothing, 1950s hairstyles are also finding their way into the 2020s. Men and women who pride themselves on being at the very pinnacle of fashion are rocking victory rolls, pin-up curls, and slicked-back hair.
Food Basics
The basics of what we need in our home pantries and refrigerators haven’t changed after all these years. For most people, milk, bread, butter, meat, and vegetables all make their way into our shopping carts every week.
However, that’s not to say that everything else around those staples hasn’t changed. We have significantly less buying power, with $1 in 1950 being equivalent to over $12 today. Milk was $0.82 in 1950, and, if inflation were considered, it would be $10.99 today.
Our Love for Music
Ray Charles, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly, and the Everly Brothers all had music lovers firmly in their grasp in the 1950s. They turned the volume up on the radio every time their songs would play, purchased their records as soon as they came out, and attended live concerts and gatherings.
We usually celebrate our favorite musicians and bands in the 2020s the same way. We buy and download albums as soon as they’re released, wait in digital queues for concert tickets to be made available, and purchase merchandise like t-shirts, caps, and posters. The only things that have truly changed are the technologies we use to enjoy our favorite musicians and bands, and, of course, the bands that are now leading the charts.
There’s no denying that a great deal has changed since the 1950s, but there is also plenty that hasn’t. From the positive psychological effects of cosmetic procedures and music to fashion and transport, we remain connected to past eras in some truly wonderful ways.