The family experience the technological wilderness that was the 1970s when domestic technology such as the Teasmade and cumbersome black and white television sets were luxury items and still made in Britain. But it was a trying time for British industry; industrial unrest impacted on the home; power cuts were a regular feature of everyday life. By modern standards the home was virtually free of high-tech distractions.
This was the decade when computers came into the average home – early in the decade Britain led the way in the production of home computers. Microwave ovens, video recorders and compact discs were all supposed to make our lives easier. Technology began to shrink in size and was geared more toward leisure and entertainment. But prices were still high and gadgets weren’t as user-friendly as they are today.
A whirlwind of technological progress and the communication revolution hit the British Home big time, Britain was introduced to a virtual world with the arrival of the World Wide Web and mobile telephones meant we stopped phoning buildings and started calling people. Electronic goods were mainly made outside the UK and ever-decreasing prices meant that gadgets and constant upgrades infiltrated every area of the home.