In 1984, society was largely divided along ideological lines. In the United States, the Cold War was still in full swing, and the Reagan administration was in power. The economy was booming, but there was also a growing divide between the wealthy and the poor. The civil rights movement was still in full swing, and the AIDS epidemic was just beginning to be recognized. Technology was advancing rapidly, with the introduction of the first personal computers and the internet. The media was dominated by television, and the music industry was dominated by MTV.
