We've all lived through those cringe-inducing high school years. The fashion. The dating. The drama. And, oh yeah, probably some schoolwork sprinkled in here and there, too. 

As we looked back over the past seven decades, we realized while some of the clothes may have changed, the struggles always remain the same. 

The 1950s signaled the beginning of modern teenager culture in America. Before that, there was farm work that needed doing and wars that needed fighting. But, now that WWII was over, '50s kids had time to just...hang out. 

The country was prospering economically, too. If you wanted a job — get this — you could get one! Even if you were 16! Kids like the ones in the above photo were able to use all that sweet cash to buy stuff, like this sweet new ride. 

Just look at them. They're so much cooler than you ever will be.

When the calendar switched to the 1960s, being a teenager became all about rebellion. The music, the fashion and the culture were all screaming, "CHANGE!!"

Of course, you can't think of high school in the '60s without including the hippie movement. The kids back then didn't have much of an idea on the direction of their lives, but perhaps for the first time in American history, they really didn't care.

This isn't a staged publicity photo from a movie. This is a real picture of some real kids in the South Bronx in the 1970s. 

Teens in the '70s piggybacked from the social changes made in the '60s and took their fashion and day-to-day flashiness to the next level. Any look was cool provided you could pull it off.

Oh right, and also in the 1970s, teenagers smoked. ...Seriously, basically all of them did. 

In fact, lots of high schools even installed smoking lounges on their campuses. You know, just in case students might like lighting up a few smooth, silky cigarettes between classes. 

...Yeah. Crazy town.  

In the '80s, teenagers went fully bonkers, fashion-wise. Everything they wore or did to their hair seemed to scream, "LOOK AT ME!!!"

It all boiled down to a basic attitude that, after the exhausting social revolutions of the '60s and '70s, kids could maybe instead focus on just having fun. If you went to high school during that time, congratulations. You attended a 4-year party.

The teenagers in the mid-1990s were largely defined by cynicism. These were the kids who looked back at the extreme fashion styles of the '80s and thought, "Ugh. That seems like way too much effort."

The new challenge of day-to-day life: proving to your friends that you cared the least.

Then, after grunge fizzled out, everything in the '90s went big. Literally.

Does your store only sell clothes up to size XXXL? Sorry, not big enough for my 15-year-old, 130-pound frame. I'll be doing my shopping elsewhere, thankyouverymuch. 

While the previous decades were defined by constant "attitude," the 2000s teens rebelled by being...super corporate. Bubblegum pop and highly-polished teen TV dramas became all the rage. Also, cell phones were introduced on a mass level to this generation. Gone were the ideas of having any teenage freedom. Say hello to, "Check in every two hours so I know you're OK."

And now, here we are. Of course, it's hard to really pinpoint where this decade will end up, but we're pretty sure the number one takeaway will be: smartphones. Smartphones everywhere. 

This is a generation who grew up with their entire social experience primarily existing online. They might end up a little awkward in one-on-one conversation, but damn do they know how to take a good selfie.