I think for most Americans the decade of their youth will be the best decade with exceptions for certain circumstances. The majority of American children get to live at least some sort of innocent childhood. (note that I mentioned there are exceptions) Everything is easier for most American children. You get to play, you have a lot of friends, the mundane aspects of day to day adult life haven't hit you yet, etc. Even most poor kids don't realize they are poor until they get a little older. There's also nostalgia. Nobody is ever nostalgic (by definition) for their current life lol.
It's also the contrast. The 70's was complete dog poop. The difference between the despair of the 70's is such a stark contrast to the upbeat and prosperous 80's that it really creates a sort of idyll in the mind for those of us who were there. Miracle on Ice.. Bring Down This Wall.. Challenger... Bird, Magic, Jordan, Akeem.. computers in the home were just beginning to be a thing.. David Letterman.. Madonna.. Sussudio.. Aliens.. Cellular telephones.. the NES.. Eurythmics.. Ultimate Warrior.. Top Gun.. Highlander..Wrath of Khan.. Big Trouble in Little China.. Ah man, yeah, it was a special time, that's for sure..
I like the 70's equal to the 80's but I was born in '70. There are just as many cool things about the 70's as there are the 80's. And it's not like in the 80's we didn't have the threat of the sword of Damocles hanging over us too with the Russians..
I was born in '65, so a large portion of my formative years were smack in the middle of the 70's. And I can tell you without hesitation: NO. There were some good things which came from the 70's. It was a great time for movie-making, for example - Jaws, Star Wars, Close Encounters, Alien, Empire Strikes Back, etc. But that was escapism borne of the aftermath of the late 60's, a volatile cultural upheaval, and it was more of a decade of 'acting out', lashing out. Drugs, disco, punk rock, protests everywhere.. the smear on the country which was Nixon.. then Carter, and the Ayatollah, Iran, oil embargoes, gasoline shortages, lines, extremely high unemployment.. I remember it as being a really bleak and dismal time, personally.
80s and early 90s were a wonderful time. I could not ask for a better era to grow up as a child. I see the kids these days, yeah they have more technology and conveniences that we didn't have, but I feel like their lives are so much more stale than how things were with us. Riding bikes, playing football in the streets after school with the neighborhood kids, hell, even playing NES at each other's houses was more engaging back then - these days they all play XBOX at their own houses and connect to each other through the internet. Also, I think kids these days are consumed with extra-curricular activities, which is not a bad thing, it's good for kids to stay busy to stay out of trouble, but back in our day playing outside with the neighbors was our extra-curricular activity, and had its own value that I think the kiddos are missing out on today. Another consideration is it's more important for kids to stay busy now since there is more to be cautious of even at home with the internet and some of the rabbit holes it can trigger. Also, television: the Saturday morning cartoon lineup growing up was the absolute bomb! Also TGIF in prime Urkel. The kids these days got TRASH on TV to watch, there is zero imagination or creativity with kids programming these days. Just compare the Ninja Turtles movie in 1990 with the animatronic turtles, and the Michael Bay Ninja Turtles, look at how much more depth and character development was in the 1990 film - Raphael alone is a tragic hero.
I would bet you being 5yrs older makes a huge difference in a point of view, being old enough to get the vibe of the times. I had no sense of most of those things, with Viet Nam being a big exception with my Dad being stationed in Ft. Hood.
