17 Things From The 90s People Miss Like Crazy
The 1990s is just a different decade in time, but it may as well be a galaxy far, far away. Those who lived through the 1990s feel old, but our old age can't take nostalgia away from us. Through technological advancement, social upheavals, and unprecedented changes in how humans interact, we'll always have our memories of the 90s. Here are cherished aspects of the 90s.
1. Good Posture
There was no such thing as a Cellphone Neck in the 1990s because, you know, there were no cellphones.
2. Trust-Based Socializing
Before ubiquitous cell phones, you set a meeting time and trusted that people would be there on time. When your buddy showed up as they said they would, it only cemented your trust in them. You couldn't text some lame excuse for not doing what you said you would do.
3. The Little Things
Back in the 90s', we were not attached to our phones like glue and could enjoy the little things just that much more. One member recounts that even just ordering pizza and having a conversation was different, and tubular.
4. Talking, and Lack Thereof
Before social media, what did we have? Conversations! Likewise, we had more control over when and who we were talking to. We could put our voicemails off until we got home. Can you imagine?
5. Spontaneity
Nobody is sending you a cellphone video of the concert. No social media posts alert you to exactly when the parade will start. If you wanted to have fun, you had to show up and see what's what.
6. Sense of Humor
There is no more troubling development than the “War on Humor.” The War on Drugs we could live with. The War on Terror ravaged personal liberties, but even then, we could handle it. The War on Humor, though? No matter how offended you may be by our jokes, we won't stand for it.
7. Saturday Morning Cartoons
Thanks to stricter parenting and the absence of personal computers, iPads, and other personal technology, Saturday morning cartoons used to be appointment viewing. If you weren't on time to catch the big reveal at the end of Scooby-Doo, you were missing out.
8. Airport Insecurity
In the 1990s, we didn't bat an eye at lax airport security. In hindsight, it was nice not having to worry about the fine folks at TSA copping a feel.
9. Freedom From Scary News
Believe it or not, Gen Z and younger, but there was a time when the news media's job was not solely to frighten the ever-living daylights out of you. Plus, they couldn't pop up on your phone without warning. It was really lovely.
10. The Magnitude of Music Videos
The release of a new music video was an event in the 1990s. We would watch hour-long shows on MTV comprised solely of music videos! Thanks to YouTube, the iPhone, and the internet in general, music videos have lost nearly all their luster.
11. Civility
Seriously, what happened? At some point around 2007 or so, it's as if one-third of the society said, “Let's forget this whole civility thing. I'd rather berate a stranger in front of their child in the supermarket because their T-shirt offends me.”
12. Face-To-Face Conversation
No matter how ugly or shy you were in the 90s, you were completely comfortable striking up a conversation with a stranger at the bar.
13. Disappearing
Is it just me, or are there entirely too many ways for people to get ahold of us today? In the 1990s, if you weren't at your computer or within earshot of the landline, you were in your little oasis.
14. Shopping Malls
In a time long ago, 1997, there were shopping malls with more than an Auntie Anne's, Hot Topic, Foot Locker, and 70 empty storefronts.
15. Rollercoaster Tycoon
We didn't need any stinkin' annual passes to Universal Studios. Playstation 4? You can keep it. We had Rollercoaster Tycoon, and that's all we needed.
16. Hope
What will Y2K be like? Will the 2000s be the century where America re-establishes its dominance and forges new economic and cultural frontiers? Will I be able to afford a home in 2015? Probably!
This was the kind of wishful naiveté people were indulging in the 1990s. Idiots.
17. A Social Media-Less World
Think way back to when ‘Gram was solely a measurement or when the only Facebook was the one your high school published and sold at the end of the school year. Weren't those simpler times?
Source: Reddit.
Pop Culture Writer, Life Hack Aficionado
- Focus: Film and Television, Life Advice, Comedic Writing
- Education: Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of South Florida - Tampa
- Published in several international publications, including stories completed as a Wealth of Geeks geek
- Nearly seven years' experience writing professionally
Experience: Sam Mire is a freelance writer with over seven years' experience writing about entertainment, global events, American law, and sports. He got his start as a journalism major at the University of South Florida, and has since spent weeks in the Alaskan wildlands, immersed himself in the world of Florida's homeless population, covered live sporting events, and served as a linchpin for media outlets in the legal, tech, and entertainment spaces. Sam has written news stories and Op-Eds featured in Fast Company, Forbes, Entrepreneur, AP News, Fox News, and, most notably, Wealth of Geeks.
Sam focuses on popular culture, film and television, and general life advice in his role for Wealth of Geeks. He strives to turn readers onto the directors, actors, and other creatives who deliver compelling content outside of the box-office top-ten. In his free time, he enjoys boxing, woodwork, engaging in battles of strength and wit with his dog, and spending time with good company.
