15 Things We Miss About the 90s
Ah, the 90s—a simpler time when phones were attached to walls, TV was consumed at a designated time, and the biggest argument of the day was whether *NSYNC was better than the Backstreet Boys. Life was a little less complicated. You didn’t have to juggle 47 streaming services to find something to watch, and you certainly didn’t have to worry about “doomscrolling” through endless feeds of bad news and brunch photos. Instead, you could spend your time rewinding VHS tapes or waiting an hour for one picture to download on a dial-up connection. Ah, memories.
Let’s take a little stroll down memory lane and reminisce about the 15 things we really miss from the best decade ever.
Blockbuster Nights
Back in the day, you didn’t just click a button to watch something. Oh no, you had to actually leave the house. Friday nights meant a trip to Blockbuster, where you’d spend an hour choosing the perfect movie, only to grab some snacks and probably a video game while you were at it. It was a whole event. And don’t even mention the stress of making sure you rewound the tape before returning it. Netflix may be convenient, but it’ll never replace the thrill of grabbing the last copy of Titanic before someone else snatched it up.
Slamming Down the Phone
There was no greater satisfaction than slamming the phone down after a heated conversation. It was the perfect exclamation point on any argument. These days, what are you going to do? Aggressively tap the “end call” button and hope it conveys the same level of rage? Nope. Hanging up a landline with authority is one thing modern life just can’t replicate.
Mixtapes (and CDs!)
Crafting the perfect mixtape was an art form. You’d spend hours sitting by your boombox, waiting to hit record when your favorite song finally came on the radio. It wasn’t just music—it was a heartfelt message for whoever you made it for. And burning a CD? Now that was a badge of honor. Streaming services have made music easy to access, but they’ll never replicate the feeling of giving or receiving a mixtape made with love (and questionable sound quality).
The *NSYNC vs. Backstreet Boys Debate
If you grew up in the ’90s, there’s a good chance you were either Team *NSYNC or Team Backstreet Boys, and you took that side *very* seriously. Heated debates took place on the playground, in malls, and basically anywhere else people gathered. Sure, it seems silly now (or does it?), but back then, this was a battle for musical supremacy. And honestly, some of us still aren’t ready to pick a side.
Tamagotchis
Remember when your biggest responsibility was keeping a Tamagotchi alive? It was like training for adulthood, except your digital pet wouldn’t hold it against you if you forgot to feed it for a couple of days. Sure, they were needy and prone to “dying” at the most inconvenient times, but they taught us all a thing or two about responsibility—and patience. Plus, who didn’t love a keychain that doubled as a pet?
Dial-Up Internet
Okay, hear us out. Yes, dial-up internet was painfully slow, and that screeching sound it made while connecting is still haunting. But there was something magical about the patience you had to develop. You didn’t take the internet for granted because every minute was precious—especially since your mom could pick up the phone and ruin your connection at any moment. Ah, the simple pleasure of hearing “You’ve Got Mail.”
Waiting for Your Favorite Song on the Radio
Back in the 90s, when you wanted to hear your favorite song, you didn’t just pull it up on Spotify or YouTube. Oh no, you had to wait—sometimes for hours—listening to the radio in hopes that the DJ would finally play it. And when it did come on, you’d scramble to hit record on your cassette tape, praying you didn’t miss the first few seconds. It was a game of patience and anticipation, and somehow, it made the music feel even more special. Sure, instant streaming is nice, but there was something thrilling about that perfectly timed radio moment.
JNCO Jeans
Baggy doesn’t even begin to describe JNCO jeans. These bad boys had so much fabric you could practically camp in them. But in the 90s, the bigger the jeans, the cooler you were. Bonus points if you paired them with a chain wallet. They might not have been practical, but practicality was never the point. It was about the look—and boy, did they make a statement.
Beanie Babies
These weren’t just stuffed animals; they were investments. At least, that’s what we all told ourselves as we hoarded piles of Beanie Babies, each with its own little heart-shaped tag. Would we ever part with them? Absolutely not. And, spoiler alert: Most of them are still worth the same as any other stuffed toy. But for a brief moment in time, we all thought we were sitting on a small fortune.
90s Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon in the 90s was peak entertainment. Rugrats, Hey Arnold!, Legends of the Hidden Temple, and All That were basically required viewing. The shows were weird, wacky, and completely original, and let’s not even get started on Nickelodeon Gak. Today’s kids have their own shows, but they’ll never know the pure, unbridled joy of watching Double Dare and wondering if you could complete the obstacle course.
Disposable Cameras
Before the days of smartphones, if you wanted to document your life, you had to carry around a disposable camera. And then wait days to see if your photos even turned out. The excitement of picking up a pack of prints from the store and flipping through each picture, hoping for at least one decent shot, is something today’s instant-gratification society just doesn’t understand.
The Macarena
Everyone and their grandma knew the Macarena. It was the song that somehow united wedding dance floors, school assemblies, and awkward middle school dances. The dance moves were simple, repetitive, and didn’t require much rhythm, making it perfect for everyone. Sure, the song was overplayed, but you couldn’t help but join in when it came on.
Collect Calling
Remember when making a phone call was actually complicated? If you were out and about without a quarter for a payphone, you had to get creative. Cue the collect call, where you’d “say your name” as fast as possible so the person on the other end knew it was time to pick you up. We were basically geniuses at finding ways around paying for things.
Y2K Panic
Ah, the glorious chaos that was Y2K. People stockpiled food, withdrew cash, and fully believed that computers might implode when the clock struck midnight on January 1, 2000. Spoiler: Nothing happened. But for a brief moment in time, we were all united in collective panic, and let’s be real, we kind of miss the weird excitement of it all.
Saturday Morning Cartoons
There was something magical about waking up early on a Saturday (by choice, no less) to watch cartoons. It was the one time of the week when getting up before 7 AM felt worth it. Shows like X-Men, Animaniacs, and Doug made sitting in front of the TV with a bowl of sugary cereal the ultimate weekend ritual. No on-demand, no streaming—just you, the couch, and a carefully planned lineup of animated goodness. Kids today might have endless shows at their fingertips, but they’ll never know the pure joy of a Saturday morning spent in front of the TV without a single adult around to tell them otherwise.
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