I was an 80s kid.

I was not born in 1988. That does not count. Doesn’t.

I was born in 1972. I was 8 when the 80s started and 18 when they ended. To be an 80s kid, you needed to be alive for the entire decade. More than that. You have to be able to remember the entire decade. You have to have been present for all the 80s greatness. Including but not limited to: seeing E.T. and Raiders of the Lost Ark in the movie theater, as well as both 80s Star Wars movies! Buying your favorite album on vinyl, cassette and CD. Working on an Apple II in your classroom. Begging your parents for an Atari 2600 and then do it again at the end of the decade for a Nintendo!

I hear the “I’m an 80s kid!” all the time. Then I inquire about their life. I hear they say they were born in 1982. I quickly respond, “you’re not an 80s kid but a 90s one!” Some seem offended. Many realize my point. If you were born in 1982, you were only 8 when the decade ended. There’s no way you ran home from school to watch He-Man, Thundercats, Voltron, Inspector Gadget. You didn’t get up early on Saturday to watch Saturday Morning Cartoons – Smurfs, Spider-man and his Amazing Friends, Carebears, Pac-man, Super Friends.

One doesn’t just have to be born in 1972 to be considered an 80s kid. But I do think the best range of birth years is 1970 through 1975. This allows you to be as young as 5 and as old as 10 when the greatest decade starts. But to be honest, I really think I had the perfect age range to enjoy the 1980s.

So, if you say you’re an 80s kid, make sure this simple definition defines you. If you were a kid and your earliest memories is watching Batman: The Animated Series, unfortunately, you just missed the 80s. You’re all 90s. Not to say I miss that decade from time to time.

Were you an 80s kid? Wasn’t it great?

Of course it was!