Top 10 Things '90s Kids Miss

We were still two years away from the iPod at the end of the 90s. The iPhone wouldnt come around until 2007. But the iMac G3 announced Apples coming dominance in the tech industry. Given that it came out in 1998, there was a chance it was the first personal computer a household owned. Reviews for the machine werent incredible at first. That didnt stop it from becoming a huge bestseller. Whether it was the thrill of the new technology or just how cool and trendy candy-colored translucent electronics were, the original iMac desktop made an impact. If you didnt have one, you wanted one.

AOL Instant Messenger launched in 1997, soon becoming a go-to communication method for anyone who was in middle or high school in the late 90s and 2000s. This precursor to texting lived on the desktop. If you wanted to talk to your friends, you both had to be at the desktop computer. AIM and its quirky sound effects feel like a distant memory in an era where everyone has constant access to you. Its easy to miss how a conversation used to be a special event instead of just a proxy for real-life interaction.

Initially, these programs were a safety measure. Pre-LCD computer monitors that sat idle risked having images burned into them. Moving screensaver programs were the solution. From that fix came an entire aesthetic of early home computing. If a computer were on and not being used, this is what you would see on it. Windows series of 3D and maze animations are especially nostalgic for 90s kids. These blocky, colorful, and surprisingly intricate animated screensavers were mesmerizing. Watching these morphing, seemingly endless images could have you sitting there for a while, trying to catch where the clips loop and start over. Sometimes, its the simple things.

Sure, theres a utility in having all your music on your phone. Having an AI DJ decide what the vibe is might be worthwhile to some people. For the rest of us, having to pick the CD you wanted to listen to in the brand new Discman you got for Christmas required us to curate the mood ourselves. You could only carry so many CDs with you. But walking into school with your portable CD player made you feel so rich and so cool. Whether you call it the Discman or the Walkman, this was the height of portable tech in the 1990s and 2000s.

Looking back, its kind of crazy this place even existed. The wonder, awe, and panic Toys R Us elicited is almost unmatched. For kids of the 90s, this was Fort Knox. Instead of gold, you had Hot Wheels sets, Barbie Dreamhouses, and enough Legos for the whole family to step on for years to come. You couldnt have everything in the store, but there was something about seeing all the best toys in one place that was magical. Even the commercials are iconic. You dont want to grow up? Same, bestie. The nostalgia pangs only got worse when the store announced closures in 2017. So, what if most of us hadnt set foot in one in years? Thats not the point.

Five Nights at Freddys may have ruined it for everyone, but the high of having birthday parties here cant be beat. This place was Vegas and Disneyland all in one. Youre telling me we can traverse cavernous plastic tunnels, gorge on pizza and breadsticks, and experience the thrill of gambling all in one place? Can we go right now? The thing about Chuck E. Cheese is that it was the peak of 90s arcade and restaurant aesthetics. In the same way that liminal space content can be nostalgia, peak Chuck E. Cheese is like a dreamspace half-remembered, only existing in memory and in grainy home videos.

Where past generations had to wait until Saturday to see their cartoons, 90s kids and beyond were among the first to enjoy cartoons on demand. With specialized channels like Nickelodeon, Cartoon Network, and Disney Channel, 90s kids were included in networks full-time programming schedules. On the same day, you could see Rugrats, The Powerpuff Girls, and Gargoyles on three different channels. There was no algorithm to direct you toward something you liked. You had to either stumble upon it, consult the slow-crawling TV Guide channel, or collect what you could on VHS collections.

While the Nintendo Switch 2 is going for nearly $500, in 1996, the companys brand spanking new console, the N64, wasnt that much cheaper. Notable for its 3D graphics and distinctive design, the 64 made bad days better and turned every sleepover into an absolute bloodbath. This machine was an investment, from its colorful, translucent controllers to its impeccable catalog of games. Sure, video games look more realistic now. But they just dont compare to the simple pleasures of Mario, Pokémon, Zelda, and GoldenEye. And lets settle this right now. The games did work better if you blew into them first.

Throughout the 90s and early 2000s, millennials enjoyed a feast of sketch comedy and sitcoms made exclusively for us. All That and The Amanda Show introduced us to comedy greats who went on to have great careers. Looking back on this appointment television made us remember our childhoods fondly. Over the past few years, though, weve learned a lot about what was going on behind the scenes that makes it hard to keep the rose-colored glasses on. Documentaries like Quiet on Set: The Dark Side of Kids TV tore back the curtain on the humiliating, toxic, and often dangerous work conditions these young performers endured.

Between Netflix, Prime, and every TV networks own unique streaming service, were spoiled for choice as to what to watch. And we get it all from the comfort of our own couch. Video stores may have had a more limited selection, but it was an event. You got to browse and read the backs of VHS or DVD covers, earmarking titles for the next visit. In the absence of an algorithm, the employees would have staff picks. Whether it was a Blockbuster or a mom-and-pop store, the place just smelled like movies. You took a chance on a movie. If it wasnt great, you could always go back next week and discover something new.

Did this list give you pangs of nostalgia? Let us know in the comments.






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