Do over 220 surveys justify drawing general conclusions? For us, the answers provided serve as a kind of guide to our own memories. The questionnaire was divided into two age categories. The first included questions about childhood; the second, about adolescence. Those born between 1985 and 1992 were asked:
- What year were you born?
- Where are you from?
- My favorite toy from that period…
- My favorite game at home…
- My favorite outdoor game…
- The toy I dreamed of…
Most respondents were born in 1987 (27%) and came from Kielce and its surroundings, though there were also participants from Lower Silesia and the capital.
The toys indicated by respondents can be divided into two main groups: traditional toys and those that can be classified as new and branded—items that had been very difficult to obtain in previous decades. Thus, the exhibition features toys that were easily available and relatively inexpensive (e.g., building blocks, board games, toy guns, teddy bears, dolls), as well as dream toys: Barbie dolls, Lego sets, and the interactive Furby. At home, we waited for cartoons and television programs. Over time, iconic video tapes appeared, freeing us from the rigid schedule of television broadcasting. Many responses included a key word—“collecting.” Each of us was a collector, and we collected everything—beer cans, bottle caps, phone cards, and above all memo sheets and notebooks. This collecting craze was skillfully used by food manufacturers—tazos were added to Lay’s chips, and Star Foods packages contained collectible cards with various information depending on the series.
Most of our time was spent outdoors. The most popular sports were football and basketball. In Kielce and its surroundings, karate also enjoyed considerable popularity. We dreamed of Bauer rollerblades and watched with envy as older boys performed tricks on skateboards. We explored the new reality through our beloved magazines: “Kaczor Donald” was the most popular, but other titles mentioned included “Ciuchcia,” “Świerszczyk,” and “Miś.” Completing the picture were the objects that changed our reality forever—computers and consoles, and consequently, video games. Ours was the first generation to encounter the virtual world, which at the time was treated as a curiosity and a form of entertainment.
The questions for the older group (1975–1984) were slightly different:
- What year were you born?
- Where are you from?
- What did you do in your free time (after school)?
- Did you belong to a subculture or have contact with one?
- Which youth magazines did you read?
- What did you like to watch on television?
- What did you dream about during that period?
- Did anything cause you anxiety?
Most responses came from those born in 1981, 1982, and 1983, from Kielce and its surroundings, as well as from Lesser Poland and Greater Poland. In the responses of the youth of that time, one central theme emerges—peer relationships, spending free time with friends, and a strong need for self-expression, especially through clothing, often referencing a preferred musical genre. Appearance was a sign of rebellion, characteristic of youth regardless of the decade. In the 1990s, one could encounter punks, metalheads, skinheads, hip-hop fans, Depeche Mode followers, and skateboarders on the streets. Among respondents from Kielce and the surrounding area, there are frequent references to the growing popularity of hip-hop and the term “scyzoryk,” long used to describe residents of the Kielce region, which entered youth slang following Liroy’s 1995 song.
Magazines and TV programs completed the picture: symbols of the era included “Bravo” and “Popcorn,” later joined by “Bravo Girl” and “Bravo Sport,” as well as more specialized titles connected with particular interests: “Machina” (music), “CD Action” and “Top Secret” (computer games), and “Piłka Nożna” (sports). On television, young people eagerly watched “Rower Błażeja” and, from 1997 onward, “30 ton lista, lista, lista przebojów,” while those with cable television tuned in to MTV.
The answers to question seven can be seen as a sign of the times—many respondents dreamed of traveling, especially to the United States, which fueled a strong desire to learn English. Yet the world of youth also included concerns arising not only from growing up but from observing a changing reality. Young people feared unemployment, war, violence, problems with alcohol, and the consequences of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. Adulthood was waiting just around the corner.