by Mark Belter – CEO, Father, Husband, Coach & Community Champion
What kids today will never understand. The thrill of looking through the TV Guide!! This was amazing to see what was going to be on our only Five or Six channels to watch for the week.
We typically received our TV guide with the newspaper, but I remember the little fancy TV guides at the grocery store we would get those occasionally. Those seemed like they were for the fancier people!!
Growing up in the 80’s and 90’s was a super fun time. One thing that was fun was watching all these TV Shows.
It is way different now. My kids watch You Tube. They watch other kids on TV playing video games! They do not sit down and watch a show every week at a certain time like we did growing up. I remember getting the TV Guide and looking through it to see what time our shows were on.
Watching TV in the 1980s offered a thrill and unique experience that is impossible to replicate today. Back growing up TV viewing was more intentional, and you had to plan your day around specific showtimes. If you missed a show, you often had to wait for a
rerun, creating a sense of anticipation and excitement. There was no recording shows and no pausing the show, you watch when it was on or you missed it! The fact that we only had a few channels also led to a more communal TV-watching culture. Families
and friends would gather around the TV at the same time, often to watch the same few popular programs. The limited options made TV feel like a shared experience, where everyone knew the same cultural references and talked about the same shows the next day. You do not get that same family bonding like you did back in the 80’s- 90’s. everyone has there own TV and can watch anything they want at any time.
In today’s 24-hour, multi-channel landscape it is overwhelming and often leads to mindless scrolling. With hundreds of channels and streaming services offering on- demand content, there’s no longer the same sense of collective excitement or anticipation. The abundance of choices can create a sense of decision fatigue, making it harder to truly connect with shows or experiences. In the 1980s, TV was more of an event, and missing a show meant something it was special. Today, with endless content at our fingertips, we often take TV for granted, watching it passively without the same level of engagement or appreciation.
Shows I watched in the 80’s (Mark Belter or North Ridgeville’s List)
Growing Pains
He-Man
A Team
Greatest American Hero
Dukes of Hazard
Three’s Company
Big Valley
The Lone Ranger
Hall Of Justice Cartoon
Smurfs
Family Ties
Different Strokes
Laverne and Shirley
Saved by the Bell
Who’s The Boss
The Fall Guy
Knight Rider
CHIPS
