Scenario: You can travel to any year since the 1950's

[Samof94]

2008 as it’s be interesting to see the late 2000s as an adult and not a teenager.

[Don Vito Corleone]

In spite of the fact that as a minority I probably would have had a rough go of things, I have long had a soft spot for the 50s/early 60s, so probably somewhere there. Between the two, I lean towards the early 60s, because I am quite fond of President Kennedy.

If not then, then probably somewhere in the 90s. Not sure what year exactly but 1992, 1996, and 1998 strike me as the likeliest options. Not for any particular reasons, just a gut feeling.

[vitoNova]

Kinda odd how people are picking 1987, when the zenith of Eighties culture was 83, 84, and 85.

Synth-and-pink-neon bohemianism was already going out the window by '87 as the world was transitioning from Depeche Mode and John Hughes films to MC Hammer.  

[muon2]

Should've added that you can't actually change anything, prevent stuff you don't like, or play the stock market - merely be present to experience the culture scene. But I guess you found a good loophole.

That makes it even harder for an old like me. I was already around for most of the culture in the list of years (except the 50's), and I wouldn't particularly want to relive them again as an older me if it was just to take in the culture. At best I could maybe find a sequence of events in places around the world that would be worth experiencing firsthand rather than watching it on TV in the time that it happened.

[Del Tachi]

Picked 1981.  Experiencing the '80s in young adulthood (aged 25-34) and family life in the '90s (aged 35-44) would be pretty rad I guess, and my high-earning years would get to coincide with the productivity booms of the 1980s and 1990s

[Pro-Israel, anti-Bibi]

1978 so I could see Bruce Springsteen's legendary concert in Passaic NJ.

And spend time with my now-deceased relatives. And tell my family to invest in Apple and educate my aunt about the wonders of birth control. Also, warn America against the actor who was going to ruin everything in a few years.

Should've added that you can't actually change anything, prevent stuff you don't like, or play the stock market - merely be present to experience the culture scene. But I guess you found a good loophole.

Oh yeah, my primary motivation would be the concerts. The other stuff would be a bonus to make my future life better.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

If I go back to a year that's after my birth, what happens to me? Do I coexist with a younger copy of myself? Does that copy suddenly get erased the moment I join? Or do I simply move to a timeline where I had never existed in the first place?

Your copy is erased.

[Battista Minola 1616]

If I go back to a year that's after my birth, what happens to me? Do I coexist with a younger copy of myself? Does that copy suddenly get erased the moment I join? Or do I simply move to a timeline where I had never existed in the first place?

Your copy is erased.

Well that's scary, I don't want to find my parents mourning the sudden inexplicable disappearance of their son or something like that.
And if I go farther back in time, this probably means that when I reach 2000 I never get conceived, which is just too weird and paradoxical. Given my current age, even if I choose the earliest date possible of 1951, I am pretty likely to reach that year alive. So I am going to vote NOTA, I'd stay in 2021.

[Samof94]

2019. I'd want to relive my senior year of college and go to a lot more parties and travel since I know I won't be able to do it for a while.

Unfortunately you have to live with Trump being President.

[Obama-Biden Democrat]

1984. 80's is life.

[Beet]

Should've added that you can't actually change anything, prevent stuff you don't like, or play the stock market - merely be present to experience the culture scene. But I guess you found a good loophole.

In that case I change my vote from 2012 to stay in the present day (2021).

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

The stock market issue is a common problem in time travel stories. I ponder sometimes how that could be prevented if time travel were possible. Would we hire time cops to go back each year and check people from the future? How would they go about that? Do people own a simple card that validates their actions via absence of time travel?

I don't read or watch very much sci-fi, but this seems like a problem that often goes unaddressed.

[Bleach Blonde Bad Built Butch Bodies for Biden]

Kinda odd how people are picking 1987, when the zenith of Eighties culture was 83, 84, and 85.

Synth-and-pink-neon bohemianism was already going out the window by '87 as the world was transitioning from Depeche Mode and John Hughes films to MC Hammer.  

True. Perhaps I should have picked 1985.