Facebook, iTunes and Zac Efron - surely these pop-culture phenomenons belong to the coolest generation yet (that's ours), but could the free-loving '70s give the 2000s a run for its money?

BG: Life before google

Nowadays you'll be hard-pressed to find a household that doesn't have a computer with internet access - it's totally essential for us to chat online to keep up with our mates. Back in our folk's day though, when PCs were pretty much unheard of (gasp!), teens were forced to get off their butts. If they wanted to speak to friends, they used a landline, if they wanted to buy something, they used cash - debit cards weren't invented! Researching an essay for school meant encyclopedias, old newspaper clippings and trips to the library - yep, Google didn't exist either. OMG!

The Verdict: Thank gawd for technology!

Parents: 0 Us: 1


The Look

We love our skinny jeans, Converse and over-sized shirts, but fashion in the '70s was a whole different story. Far out maxi dresses, miniskirts, halter-neck catsuits and hot pants made such an impression that we seek them out in vintage fashion stores today. The only downside for those savvy '70s fashionistas was choice. Girls weren't able to order clothes from OS via the Net. So unless you had the cash to travel, you waited for those new threads to come to you. Or you made them yourself! Knitting needles, anyone?

The Verdict: '70s style kicks butt!

Parents: 1 Us: 0


The Sounds

The coolest part of life back in the Stone Age (we kid, we kid) was the tunes. Black Sabbath, Jimi Hendrix, ABBA, The Who and David Bowie all made their names during that time and changed the world with their sound. Woodstock, the Big Day Out of 1969, but with peace, love, crazy hippie hair and no bouncers, was the beginning of a new era of music festival and the world has tried to recreate that vibe ever since. Fast-forward to 2009 and Rhythm and Vines, which is held annually in Gisborne, is where today's festival kids hung out. After overseas natural disasters, the likes of Coldplay, Taylor Swift and The Presets have played to sell-out crowds who became part of history when concerts united for a live satellite link-up via the big screens.

The Verdict: We'd kill for tix to Woodstock!

Parents: 1 Us: 0



The IT-Boys

Celebrity is full-on no matter what gen you belong to but comparing Zac Efron to The Fonz or Michael Landon is kinda LOL-worthy.

The Verdict: Life without RPattz? No thanks!

Parents: 0 Us: 1


and the rest...

So you're living in your parent's teen era and thinking about uni - and guess what? It's free! That's right, kids back in the day didn't have to worry about qualifying for Youth Allowance or finishing their degrees with a 15 grand debt to their name. Can you say "free ride"? And while teens weren't dealing with nasty terrorism threats or swine flu risks, they were smack bang in the middle of the Vietnam and Cold wars with the threat of a nuclear bomb in the back of their minds. A very scary thought, huh?

The Verdict: Yep, each generation has their ups and downs. As teens today, life's pretty full-on and fast paced. Expectations are high and we pretty much want what we want when we want it - which is now, BTW. But wouldn't it be cool to take the best bits from both generations to create one super gen? Imagine the Jonas Brothers in their best '70s get-up with big hair, tight pants and vests - oh wait, they already do that! How about we take a page out of Miley Cyrus's book and say it loudly: We want the best of both worlds!