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Connections

When, exactly, were the ‘good old days'?

WXXI News

A recent YouGov poll found that no matter how old you are, you likely think that the "good old days" were your teenage years.

When was the best music released? The best movies? When were people the kindest? When was fashion at its peak, journalism the most reliable, and restaurants the best?

The poll found a staggering consistency: whether you’re 80 years old or 30, you think the answer to most of these questions falls in your late teenage years.

Why is that? What is it about our teenage years that evokes such a sense of optimism and positivity?

Why can’t we retain that? And when were the best years for each of these questions?

Our guests debate it:

Evan Dawson is the host of "Connections with Evan Dawson." He joined WXXI in January 2014 after working at 13WHAM-TV, where he served as morning news anchor. He was hired as a reporter for 13WHAM-TV in 2003 before being promoted to anchor in 2007.
Megan Mack is the executive producer of "Connections with Evan Dawson" and live/televised engagement programming.
Julie Williams is an associate producer for "Connections with Evan Dawson." She started at WXXI in 2019 and has been working on Connections since 2022.