Let me start by saying… I was born in 1987. So, when the 90s rolled around, I was only 3! But that also means I spent a good chunk of my childhood in that era.
I guess what has me thinking about this is the fact that Dub mentioned listening to a cassette on his Walkman when talking about the song on his playlist this week! Talk about a blast from the past. And yes, I had many cassette tapes… and many were Garth Brooks!
Looking around, it seems a lot of things start coming back around. And nostalgia seems to be a big thing right now. There were a lot of great things about the 90s… no matter what age you were during that time.
What Happened In The 90s?
According to History.com, the 90s are often thought of as a time of relative peace and prosperity. It was a time period that left a mark on pop culture. Yellowbrick.co highlights the 90s as a time when we saw a rise in grunge music and an explosion of hip-hop music. It was a time where many iconic TV shows and great movies came on the scene.
There were a lot of things happening in this time period. And it was a time when so much creativity and innovation was happening.
The Cold War ended early in the 90s, and the Internet began to develop more, leading to increased communication capabilities.
Fashion
After the big hair and puffy jackets in the 80s, the 90s brought a variety of trends and low maintenance looks. You had ripped jeans, slip dresses, turtlenecks, high-waisted jeans, and baggy, logoed t-shirts. And you can’t forget the crop tops, scrunchies, and choker necklaces.
TV Shows And Movies
A lot of well-loved TV sitcoms came on the scene during this time. A few of those: “Friends,” “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air”, and “Seinfeld.” Animated series saw a rise too with “The Simpsons” and Beavis and Butt-Head.”
During this time period, there were many blockbuster movies that are still talked about today. Movies like “Titanic,” “Pulp Fiction,” Jurassic Park,” and “Star Wars.” And you also had quite a few teen movies like “Clueless” and “She’s All That.” These movies were a big turning point in the film industry, while also representing the 90s.
And Now
As you can see when you look around today, there are many trends that are coming back around. And of course, many of the beloved shows and movies are still watched (or re-watched) and appreciated today.
While thinking about all of this, I stumbled upon a Reddit thread about things people miss from the 90s, so I decided I’d share some of my own things!
Simplicity
Things just seemed simpler back in the 90s. Of course, I was a child too, so I’m sure that played a big role in it. But you didn’t have the same amount of access to everything, and time definitely seemed to move slower. The days were filled with visit with family, playing outside, or simply playing with my Barbies!
No Social Media
Don’t get me wrong. I love social media. And I am definitely more addicted to it than I like to admit. But do you remember the days before we had it? I’m pretty sure there was a lot less drama. And we didn’t have to see pictures of everyone’s food. On top of that, we weren’t as inundated with bad news either!
Being Unavailable At Times
These days I am pretty much always available. Between a laptop, cellphone, and Apple Watch… there are many pings and dings. I do try to set “Do Not Disturb” hours on my phone at night so maybe I won’t be bothered when I’m trying to sleep… since I go to bed so early. But there are definitely days it would be nice to not be so easily accessible to everyone.
Saturday Morning Cartoons
I loved waking up on Saturday and watching cartoons. Growing up, we didn’t have cable… so our TV options were limited. But there were usually a few good cartoons on each Saturday. Who didn’t love grabbing some cereal and plopping down to catch some cartoons?
Playing Games
I was a little bit of a gamer at one point in my life. We had an original Nintendo. Then came the Super Nintendo. I loved playing those original Mario games. And you can’t forget about the computer games! Oregon Trail, anyone?
Going Out To Dinner
Obviously, I go out to dinner… more than I should these days. But when I was growing up, going out to dinner was a big deal. We didn’t go out often, so it was always a treat. At that point, we usually didn’t drink sodas unless we were out to dinner. Now days, we get dinner out for a variety of reasons, so it’s not as special to me any more.
Face-To-Face Conversations And Phone Calls
This is one I miss to a point. Some days I definitely prefer to send a text versus talking on the phone or face-to-face. But it is discouraging when you look around and no one talks to each other anymore. Our faces are buried in our phones. We try to make it a point that our cellphones aren’t looked at during dinner… That way we’re way more focused on each other.
Renting Movies
Growing up in a small town, it seems like it was quite a while before we had a movie rental place. We didn’t have a Blockbuster. But it was always fun to go on a Friday and pick out a couple of movies (on VHS) to watch over the weekend.
The Music
It’s hard to explain it… but there’s just something about 90s Country music that I can’t help but love. Don’t get me wrong, there are many great songs now… but that old school country was just different!
George Strait and Lonestar backstage at the Country Freedom Concert in Nashville, Tennesee
