13 Things I Did in the 90s That My Kids Will Never Understand
Step into the time machine of memory, and let’s dial back to the 90s – a simpler yet incredibly distinctive era for teenagers.
Before the dawn of smartphones, social media, and high-speed internet, 90s teens navigated a world filled with unique experiences that today’s generation might find almost alien.
In this post, we’ll explore the quintessential teenage experiences of the 90s, inviting those who lived it to reminisce and offering others a glimpse into a time that feels incredibly distant and warmly familiar.
1. Listening to music on portable CD players
Before streaming services and MP3 players, teens carried their music on portable CD players, often dealing with skips and carrying a case for their favorite CDs.
2. Renting movies from a video store
The ritual of going to a Blockbuster or local video store to rent a VHS or DVD for the weekend was a quintessential 90s experience, complete with the angst of late fees and the joy of browsing through aisles of movies.
3. Using dial-up internet
The unforgettable sound of the modem connecting to the internet and the patience required as web pages slowly loaded are unknown to today’s high-speed internet users.
4. Playing on dedicated handheld gaming devices
While smartphones now dominate casual gaming, 90s teens were more likely to be seen playing on Game Boys or Sega Game Gears, swapping cartridges to play different games.
5. Waiting for your favorite song to play on the radio to record it
Teens would sit by their stereo for hours, cassette tape ready to go, waiting to hit record when their favorite song finally came on.
6. Using floppy disks for school projects
Instead of cloud storage or USB drives, 90s teens saved their schoolwork on floppy disks, which held a meager amount of data by today’s standards.
7. Writing in diaries or journals with a lock
Before social media and online blogging, teens kept their thoughts and secrets in physical diaries, often with a lock to keep prying eyes away.
8. Reading teen magazines for celebrity gossip and advice
Magazines like ‘Teen Beat’, ‘Seventeen’, and ‘Tiger Beat’ were the go-to sources for the latest on heartthrobs, makeup tips, and quizzes.
9. Calling the landline and asking if someone can come to the phone
With the ubiquity of cell phones, the awkwardness of calling a friend’s house and speaking to their parents before talking to your friend is a thing of the past.
10. Watching music videos on MTV:
MTV was the primary source for music videos and discovering new music, with shows like “Total Request Live” being a daily ritual for many teens.
11. Making collect calls from payphones
Teens in the 90s, without the convenience of cell phones, often resorted to placing collect calls from payphones when they needed to reach someone without coins.
12. Getting a beep on their pager
Before smartphones and text messaging, pagers were a popular way for teens to receive messages and callbacks, requiring them to find a phone to respond.
13. Passing handwritten notes in class:
The discreet thrill of writing, folding, and covertly passing notes to friends in class was a common way to communicate before the era of instant messaging and texts.
Ah, the 90’s…
Which of these do you miss the most? What did I leave off the list?
