6. Everybody in the family shared one phone.
Just in terms of pure logistics, it was impossible for a kid to be on the phone all day in the ’80s. Tying up the family phone line during this decade meant nobody else would be able to use it, and that just did not fly with 1980s parents.
Also, because most landlines were centrally located, a kid really couldn’t have a private phone conversation without at least one parent being within earshot. And if you remember sharing a phone, then you’ll definitely recall these 20 Things Every “Cool Kid” Growing Up in the 1980s Owned.