Bored Panda was fortunate to get hold of Jules Torti when we reached out to her. The author describes herself as "half cavewoman" and tells us she's not on X or Insta.

"I don't even have cell phone reception in my house—I have to walk halfway down the driveway and even then, if a red squirrel is out there or a crow flies over, forget about it!"

We already know we're in for a treat interviewing this witty and funny woman, who, as she puts it, "can be reliably found on Facebook and Substack at Jules is Out of Office: julestorti.substack.com"

Born in 1975, Torti has written a number of books, including a memoir, titled Been There, Ate That: A Candy-coated Childhood. "It's a nostalgic joy ride back to the '70s and '80s era of Jell-o everything, yellow dye #5, BHT, preservatives and margarine-laced!" she tells us.

We begin by asking Torti what it was like growing up in the '70s.

"The days were so carefree. My sister, brother and I were out the door after a bowl of sugar-high Lucky Charms and tearing through the fields on our banana seat and BMX bikes, untethered. I had three pairs of rugger pants and a pair of Kangaroo shoes with that cool zipper on the side. I alternated my Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt with my cowboy fringe shirt," she replies.

"Life was so innocent and simple. We didn't sanitize our hands. We weren't worried about the harmful effects of the sun's rays (how could they be dangerous?) Xanadu, our loyal dog, washed our faces. We played with lawn darts and survived. Our diet was 75% sugar and it didn't stunt our growth (but that purple Kool-Aid and ketchup-flavoured chips stained our fingertips and lips for days)."

The author tells us her family lived a few corn fields behind the Sunset Drive-In Theatre in Brantford, Ontario. "Amazingly, we could pick up the audio for the films on the walkie-talkies my mom bought at a garage sale for $5. We had to use our binoculars to dial in the grainy screen but it's a slice of time that I love falling back into. We didn't have cable TV due to our rural location and depending on the weather, there were only eight channels to reliably choose from," she remembers.

Torti says it wasn't until the '80s that VHS videos changed her world. "I still can't believe my dad fiddled around every Friday night, trying to connect a rental VCR with our old console television. My grandmother who lived on a farm just up the road from us had a satellite dish, microwave AND jacuzzi tub with jets. We thought she was the richest woman in the world," she says.

"Growing up in the country, we had to rely on creative alternatives for almost everything. We made our own caramel corn with a free pour of corn syrup. By the end of the bowl our molars were an inch higher from compacted sticky popcorn. But back then, we didn't count calories. They didn't exist."

We ask Torti what she believes the biggest differences are between the kids of the '70s versus kids of today. "Teens today have so many things to decide upon right down to their pronouns. I don't think I even knew the (former) definition of a pronoun until grade 11 English. There was no gender talk, we just were," she says.

"Anxiety wasn't a thing—maybe you'd have a bout of it before a test you hadn't bothered studying for but otherwise, it wasn't on anyone's radar. And back then, in the Taylor Swift-free era, you could go to a concert for less than $1,500 a ticket. If I added up all the concert tickets I bought up until the age of 40, I still think I'd be under $1,500 and I've seen Cher, Madonna, Cyndi Lauper, Tina Turner, Meatloaf and countless others."

The author believes kids of today have more anxiety because they're disconnected from nature and glued to technology. "Do kids need mindfulness sessions?" ponders Torti. "Shouldn’t they just be pushed outside and away from their tablets and iPhones? I know there’s probably an app for tree-climbing and grass stains, but c’mon. We need to be told to rediscover our 'wildhood' and introduce kids to earth basics like dirt, worms, and trees? Wow."

Torti tells Bored Panda there are some positives for the kids of today. "I'm happy that the teens of today have more expansive options though (beyond Starbucks drink menus and talk + text packages). There's a beautiful awareness about identity, Indigenous reconciliation, transgenderism, working nomad careers, BIPOC novels and films and greater opportunities for women in sport with the establishment of the Professional Women's Hockey League."

We ask Torti what the the downside was to growing up in the 1970s. "I was blissfully unaware that there was a negative aspect!" she replies. "I had a glittery green banana seat bike, an awesome NHL playing card collection, Sea Monkeys (that successfully hatched), a Chia Pet and a Dukes of Hazzard lunch box. I was want for nothing."

We're curious to know whether she'd rather have grown up now or back then. "I'd take an even split of the '70s and '80s," says Torti. "That era had the best soundtrack (INXS, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Culture Club, Tears for Fears, Blondie, Sinead O'Connor) and the films of these decades are unmatched—Top Gun, Stand By Me, The Outsiders, The Breakfast Club, Pretty in Pink, Footloose—these are just off the top of my head."

Before we end the interview, the self-professed "half cavewoman" tells Bored Panda, "Email, cell phones, streaming and AI were the stuff of a terrible futuristic sci-fi movie, and we were all the better for it. If only we could 'be kind, please rewind'."

Grab a copy of Torti's memoir Been There, Ate That: A Candy-coated Childhood for more beautifully written memories of growing up in days gone by. And let us know all about your own childhood in the comments.