Did people in the 1960s work harder than they do today?

In the 60s people generally only worked forty hour weeks or got paid for overtime if they worked more. Most families managed to live on one salary. Two income couples existed but were not the norm like now. You did have to get up and walk across the room to change the TV channel but with only 1 to 3 channels you didn't do much of that.

Yes.

Parents were harder on their children.

Chores were harder.

School was harder with no artificial grade boost for "AP."

We are essential devolving as a species.

The Donger wrote:

Yes.

Parents were harder on their children.

Chores were harder.

School was harder with no artificial grade boost for "AP."

We are essential devolving as a species.

Yes and they rested more- more just sitting around with the family. Fewer activities after school/work.

There was pride in what you did for a job.

The Donger wrote:

School was harder with no artificial grade boost for "AP."

We are essential devolving as a species.

Students who get a 4 or 5 on AP exams usually get to count those tests towards college credit, which by default implies that they have taken a college level course during their high school years. If that wasn't the case, then colleges wouldn't accept them for credit.

This is certainly a sign of the human race devolving.

Also, I believe you meant "essentially". You definitely didn't get a 4 or 5 on your AP English exam...

Sincerely,

Born in the 90's

What you say about the AP tests is nothing new. I graduated from HS in 1968 and a 4 or 5 would get you college credit then, too.

I went to an Ivy League school and could get out of the language requirement if I got a 600 on the SAT. I got a 620, so I took my foreign language in college. That just gave me more time to smoke weed and listen to records. It might have been better to learn another language.

I'm not so sure people worked harder in the 1960s. It depends on the job, maybe. Unless things have changed very recently, associates at law firms in certain big cities can expect to work 80 hours per week.

Generation gap wrote:

Regarding work, school, and even household chores, did people from the 60s, or even before then, work harder than today? !

Every generation thinks it works harder than following ones, but... technology has really changed everything and made it easier from running a household to physical labor. The Internet has been a great leveler of access to information that saves people huge amounts of time and money. However, on the down side of that, younger people in my office spend hours every day text messaging friends and looking at porn and playing games on the internet which offsets other productivity gains. (and they think it's their right to do this!)

The upcoming Depression followed by World War IV, will destroy the economy and natural resources (due to the nuclear clouds floating over from the Middle East) and that will be a true test of us all. Cheers.

It depends on who you ask. If you ask someone who had a full-time job in the 60s then yes.

These "my generation is better than your generation" threads are getting lamer and lamer.

I remember my grandfather (WWII vet) ragging on my dad, who went through Marine Corps boot camp in '61, telling him how easy he had it. And so it goes...

Work harder? Yes

Work smarter? No

Thanks for to technology we don't have to work as hard to get a job done. Old people don't understand this.

No they drank and smoked at work and screwed the secretaries without consequences.

They may have worked harder then but got less done.

It was harder to build things.

It was harder to get information.

It was harder to communicate.

The Donger wrote:

Yes.

Parents were harder on their children.

Chores were harder.

School was harder with no artificial grade boost for "AP."

We are essential devolving as a species.

Parents in the 1960's weren't harder on their children. They just interacted with them much less than today's parents do.

maxpower wrote:

It depends on who you ask. If you ask someone who had a full-time job in the 60s then yes.

These "my generation is better than your generation" threads are getting lamer and lamer.

I remember my grandfather (WWII vet) ragging on my dad, who went through Marine Corps boot camp in '61, telling him how easy he had it. And so it goes...

This isn't a "my generation is better" thread. I'm in my 20s.

Americans have always pretended they work hard.

Nothing Different wrote:

I went to an Ivy League school and could get out of the language requirement if I got a 600 on the SAT. I got a 620, so I took my foreign language in college. That just gave me more time to smoke weed and listen to records. It might have been better to learn another language.

620 SAT, didn't have to take FL, so you took FL, and now you wish you took FL.

Yep, you're Ivy League.

There was almost nothing of public welfare in the 60s, and especially so the early 60s. People didn't stay out of work because it had serious and near-term consequences. People took on the kind of jobs we push off to (mostly) illegal immigrants today.

I watch tv wrote:

No they drank and smoked at work...

No doubt. My dad was a serious Type A personality and he went through 1 1/2-2 packs a day when he was at work. I remember going to work with him a couple of times and watching him light one off the other while he was talking on the phone.

Without the internet, people back then probably worked harder. But with new the new inter web, people don't work as hard and rely on the internet.

ccrunner627 wrote:

The Donger wrote:

School was harder with no artificial grade boost for "AP."

We are essential devolving as a species.

Sincerely,

Born in the 90's

Lol, born in the what?

The internet has not made things easier. It means you can do more and have no excuse not to be working around the clock. I have access to all my office's tools from home or on the road so there are no more sick days or vacations. I work in construction, where there is input needed everyday, so technology means - no off days.

In the old days construction projects were methodical and evenly paced where a client would work with an architect, they'd have time to put out solid documents, and contractors had more time to build with complete information. Now developers expect that we can compress schedules using technology and we're building faster and faster with less developed construction documents.

In my experience, I'm working harder than my parents ever had to.