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Dial-up internet, playing outside, and no social media... It may sound like a nightmare to today's kids. But for many of those who grew up in the 90s, life was a carefree dream.
We rented our VHS tape movies from Blockbusters, sent handwritten letters to penpals, got lost while using paper maps, and kept some change in our pockets in case we needed to call home. It was a time of creativity, freedom and exploration for kids. A time of baggy clothes for adults. We listened to grunge and hip hop. A handful of supermodels ruled the runway. And partied like the world was literally about to end in 1999.
That decade may (sadly) be long gone but thankfully, the memories are being kept alive. Online spaces like 90s Kids and 90s Design are dedicated to slowing things down in today's fast-paced digital era. The pages feature posts and memes that instantly transport you right back in time. Bored Panda has put together a compilation of the best of them, and many may have you thinking, "Today's kids will never know..."
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#2
The Peak Of Human Civilization
#3
Super Soaker Please
nut nibbler 1 day ago
It bad enough that there are some channels I watch and every advert seems to be for prebooking a funeral and getting life insurance.....wouldn't be surprised if they started adverts for Dignitas. I want to watch a show that makes me feel better and not want me to stick my head in a gas oven because of adverts.
It is said that you never miss a good thing until it's gone. Ain't that the truth. Back then, we didn't quite grasp how amazing we had it. And the kids of today. Well, they will never know. Life in the 90s seemed slower, kinder, and more magical.
If we wanted to watch a movie, we either had to go to the cinema or hire a VHS tape at the local Blockbusters. We spent a lot more time outdoors, riding bikes, playing under the sprinklers, exploring the neighborhood or roller skating.
#4
Thought It Would Be Different
#5
💻🖥️💽 😅
Justin Case 1 day ago
I still have some of these disks. That's because I have two of the original 1984 Apple Macintosh computers with software.
#6
So What Was In Yours …
One thing today's generation can learn from the 90s is slow living. In an time of social media, high speed internet and instant gratification, it's easy to forget to savor the small, meaningful moments.
"In the ‘90s, AKA the golden age of dial-up internet, you couldn’t just scroll for hours on a WiFi network—sometimes our parents needed to use the phone," explains Kara Nesvig in a piece for Parents.com. Her advice for the kids of today is to put down the screens and see what happens when you let yourself be bored.
#7
Its Possible Some Of Us Done All These 😂
#8
Best Gift I Got As A Child 🖍️
#9
🚴🚵♂️🚲…
"Go outside and find a friend to play with, grab some colored pencils and draw, or make up a game with your siblings in the yard," she says. "For many ‘90s kids, those hours of 'nothing to do' became the most fun and rewarding times of all."
Those who were fortunate enough to grow up in the 90s spent a lot of time outdoors. We were roller skating, playing hide-and-seek, throwing a ball, running through sprinklers and building sandcastles. With this kind of living comes valuable lessons, many of which cannot be taught be simply scrolling though social media.
#11
When There Actually Were Snow Days
#12
Who Remembers Space Cabet?
Brittany Hart says that she's been encouraging her children to grow up the way she did in the 90s. It's out with screentime and in with the great outdoors.
"One of the most inspiring aspects of their playtime is how they resolve conflicts over what to do. With five unique personalities, disagreements naturally arise," reveals Hart. "One child may want to host a frontyard fashion show, while another prefers a game of catch."
#13
😂😅👕🥼…
#14
The Early Computer Windows Era! I Can Hear The Sound In My Head From The Picture LOL
#15
Imagine That 😂
Colleen Glim 1 day ago
I’m still waking up with a toddler, an infant, and no money. No thank you
Hart adds that while personality and preference differences can sometimes lead to arguments among children, these disagreements are actually benefiting the kids. That's because by arguing or debating over who plays what, and when, the youngsters are learn to take turns, make compromises, and give everyone an opportunity to enjoy their preferred activity.
"Their ability to negotiate and collaborate without adult intervention (most of the time) is a testament to the social skills they are developing through these outdoor adventures," she writes.
#16
Ah, The 90’s Toothpaste
#17
The Subtle, Understated Tones Of A 90s Windbreaker
#18
Disney Store In The 90’s Was The Best
StrangeOne 1 day ago
Last time I went into The Disney Store all they had was the same common stuff you could find at Walmart or any other toy store, and the store was stark, plain white. It looked like a temporary shop that was about to close. No soul whatsoever. I miss the original Disney Store.
While many of today's kids might freak out if they aren't occupied 24/7, those who grew up in the 90s learned to be comfortable with silence and stillness.
"Boredom was a normal part of life," writes Will Curtis for Your Tango. "We didn't question it and found ways to entertain ourselves without depending on devices. That's where daydreaming happened, where we processed our thoughts, where creativity emerged from nothing."
#19
Best Part Of Class Was When The TV Rolled Out
Elladine DesIsles 1 day ago
And then the frustration when the bell rang before the movie ended, on the last day of school before the holidays. I was an adult before I finally saw Willow all the way through.
#20
Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia '99
#21
✍️⭐️⭕️🔺
1-800-OMG-STFU 16 hours ago (edited)
Oh my lord. I completely forgot about the stamp markers. I used to stamp my nails all of the time.
While social media has the ability to allow us to "meet" hundreds, if not thousands, of new "friends," these relationships often aren't authentic. In the 90s we were forced to make friends with people face-to-face.
"It's always amazing to me that people will talk about having thousands of online friends or followers, but at the same time, they can't tell you the name of the person who lives next door to them," Curtis notes, adding that having online connections can be beneficial, they can't beat true and authentic friends.
#22
Erasers That Never Erased Anything
#23
Gina Ekiss, Designer Of The Solo Jazz Cup (Circa 1990)
#24
Craving The Pizza Hut Buffet On These Cold Winter Days
Curtis believes that 80s and 90s kids were idealists with optimism. Many always had hope, and still do.
"Yes, the generations before Gen-Z sometimes glamorized the process of struggle for the sake of beauty, love, and many other things. There was indeed a willful ignorance as to how bad certain things were in life — discrimination, racism, gender bias — but at the core, there was hope and belief that the human spirit would prevail and endure."
#25
Definitely Was A Time! I Never Wanted To Get Out LOL
#26
Mcdonald’s Happy Meal Toys!
WFH Forever 16 hours ago
I am old enough that I worked at McD's before Chicken Nuggets or Egg McMuffins existed.
#27
🍿🛼🎳🎶🎥
#28
We Grew Up In The Wood Grain Era!!!
#29
I Need That Chair To Think
#30
The First Christmas Of The Best Decade. I Miss When Shopping Looked Like This
Partypants 1 day ago
I miss the big fat Christmas Sears catalogue and circling all the things I needed..like moon shoes!
#31
Definitely Loved The Teal Era We Grew Up In!
Elladine DesIsles 1 day ago
I'm still in my teal-turquoise-aqua era. It's my favourite, and I no longer care what anyone else thinks.
#32
Little Mermaid Book
#33
It Was A Feast
#34
The Pink Medicine
Partypants 1 day ago
I remember a horrendous ear infection and having banana flavor penicillin, it was kind of good actually!
#36
Love The Color And The Teal Color As Well That Took Over The 90’s LOL
#38
Malls Becoming The Thing Of The Past
#39
Star Toothpaste
#40
I’ve Always Loved These Glass Block Dividers
Elladine DesIsles 1 day ago
I have always loathed those glass block dividers. And pretty much anything made of glass blocks. I used to have two old blocks that I used as spacers behind my sofa to make sure it never got pushed up against the baseboard heaters, and they still irked me there, completely out of sight.
#41
We Didn't Know What We Had… 1999
#42
Two-Tone Icy Bouncy Balls
#43
The McDonald's Floors
#44
We Know What We Saw Growing Up!
OneHappyPuppy 1 day ago
Monopoly guy never had a monocle, the Mandela effect came to be because of Mr. Peanut - I figured it out years ago. But Fruit of the Loom on the other hand... It's the reason I know what a cornucopia is dammit!
#45
Boston Electric Pencil Sharpener Model 18
#46
Brain Quest (1992)
#47
Perfectly Preserved Taco Bell Receipt From 1999 Found In Library Book
Spittnimage 21 hours ago
That's why everybody made a run for the border, it was cheap and they stayed open late.
#48
We All Played With This Ball At The Stores And Definitely Never Took It Home LOL
Elladine DesIsles 1 day ago
There was deifinitely a ball just like this in my home during the 90s. However, I have absolutely no idea how it got there.
#49
Mall Of America, 1992
Glen Ellyn 1 day ago
The whole place is ridiculous nowadays. Consumerism at its finest. So much stuff, most of which you can get just about anywhere else. But hey, it's great to have an indoor mall during Minnesota winters.
#50
LOL Right! Didn’t Last Long
#51
I Actually Had A Pair Back Then LOL ! What About You Guys?
#52
Definitely Was The 90’s Birthday Kid Starter Pack!
Bored Silly 18 hours ago
And kids were happy with this. Now everything has to be Tic Tok worthy and way over the top.
#53
Definitely Had The Same Kitchen Table Growing Up For Sure!
#54
We Feel It Everyday Man Dang! LOL
#55
Santa Lollipops
#56
Anyone Remember This Shampoo?
Elladine DesIsles 1 day ago
The only thing that worked on my daughter's extremely fine, tangly hair. She called it "fooshee" shampoo.
#57
A Couple People Told My That Our Office Furniture Looks Like Their Grandmothers' Furniture From The 90s
#58
Does This Fit? My Local Taco Bell Since 91
#59
My Local Taco Bell Unchanged Since The 90’s
#60
The Limelight (NYC) - 1990s Club In A Gothic Revival-Style Church Built In 1844
#61
Somebody Tossed This To The Curb
#62
Fruit Straws! The Bestttttt LOL
#63
Halloween Was So Good Back In The Day 🥺
#64
Sears In Mountain View, California🌴🌴circa 1990
#65
Lisa Frank Clubhouse Store At The Tucson Mall 🦄💕 Tucson, Arizona 💗 Circa Late-90s
#66
You Definitely Had To Be There!
#67
We Are The Reason These No Longer Exist… 😅
Geoffrey Scott 1 day ago (edited)
Grabbing the Sunday edition of the Grand Rapids Press, getting enough coupons in the insert to cover the cost of the paper+some.Then going to Meijer and taking advantage of the 3x face value discount.
#68
Valentine's Day Party In Elementary School
#69
'windows On The World' Restaurant, On The 107th Floor Of The North Tower Of The Destroyed World Trade Center
Beak Hookage 1 day ago
There was a famous picture taken of a man falling to his demise that day, possibly having jumped (which was a big deal to the family who thought it might be their son because they were observant Catholics). It's thought to have been an employee of this restaurant.
#70
From The Movie Dinosaurs!
#71
Motorola Startac Rainbow Cellphone (1996)
#73
Island Home Magazine 🏝️ August, 1993
#74
Mcdonald’s Near Disney’s All-Star Resorts, Which Opened In 1998
#75
This Book Is A Glorious Example Of Global Village Coffeehouse Design
AtMostAFabulist 19 hours ago
Run, run, run, as fast as you can! You can't catch me, I'm the Stinky Cheese Man!
#76
Checkbook Bubble Gum
#77
A Burger King In Manhattan With Free Internet Access (1998)
#78
Early 90's McDonald's Cup Found In An Abandoned Building
#79
Nordstrom Cafe, Late 90s
#81
Inspirational 90s Iconography
Roman Arendt 1 day ago
Don't tell US Americans that this clearly was inspired by Socialist Realism.
#82
Stairs In An Indoor Plaza
#83
This Restaurant In The Westin Bonaventure Hotel In La
#84
Is There A Name For This "Black-Purple" Design That Was Common For TV Shows Or Concert Stages?
#85
Heavyweights
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What do you think ?
SM 1 day ago (edited)
You know you are getting old when they post a "nostalgia thread" that has things in school that were in the future when you were in school.
Glen Ellyn 1 day ago
Using paper maps to get around?? I still use them, although I don't travel as much as I used to.
SM 1 day ago (edited)
You know you are getting old when they post a "nostalgia thread" that has things in school that were in the future when you were in school.
Glen Ellyn 1 day ago
Using paper maps to get around?? I still use them, although I don't travel as much as I used to.
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