The ’90s were crazy—there was no TikTok, no Wi-Fi, and definitely no smartphones. It was the time of questionable fashion, dial-up Internet, and all those other habits that kids today would never believe actually went down.
So, go ahead and get your slap bracelets and gel pens ready as we look at 19 totally insane things we did in the ’90s that would blow the minds of Gen Z.
Calling a Landline and Hoping Their Parents Didn’t Answer
Want to talk to your crush? Better pray their dad doesn’t pick up the house phone. There was no texting to save the day, just sweaty palms and “Uh, hi, is Jessica there?” moments. It was like some social anxiety boot camp. Kids today have DMs.
Rewinding VHS Tapes (And Getting Fined If You Didn’t)
Where there’s now streaming, one would previously make a visit to Blockbuster, a chunky VHS tape, and the eternal agony of rewinding. If you returned it un-rewound? Fines, my friend. Kids these days wouldn’t even know what a VHS tape was, let alone that soul-crushing sound when it rewinds.
Getting Anywhere with Real Maps
In the ’90s, GPS was something only dreamt of, and Google Maps wasn’t even up for debate. Want to get somewhere new? Whip out that huge paper map or print some MapQuest directions that made absolutely no sense. Getting lost was practically a right of passage—and no, you couldn’t just ask Siri for help.
Memorizing Telephone Numbers
Before smartphones became brain extensions, we actually memorized phone numbers. Your best friend’s, your crush’s, your grandma’s – you had them all in the head. Losing your little address book was basically a social identity crisis.
Getting Yelled at for Using Dial-Up Internet
The eeee-errr-shhh of dial-up Internet is seared into our brains forever, and God forbid someone picked up the phone while you were online – it was game over. Today’s generation cannot fathom the patience it used to take just to load a single page. We suffered for our memes.
Racing to the Bathroom During Commercials
Bathroom breaks in the ’90s were a high-stakes race against time. You couldn’t pause living TV, and with every commercial, you ran and then ran back, hoping to God you weren’t missing some pivotal plot in your show. The feeling of panic whenever you heard the show was back on mid-flush – just absolutely unmatched. Kids these days will never understand that adrenaline rush of perfectly timing those 90-second sprints.
Having to Watch TV Shows When They Aired
Missed the latest episode of your favorite show? That was too bad. No streaming services or on-demand replays. If you didn’t see it when it aired, you’d have to wait for the rerun—or just accept you’d never see it.
Making Plans Without Confirming 10 Times
If you made plans with someone, you just showed up. There was no texting, “On my way!” or “Running late.” Flaking never happened because if you weren’t there, people assumed you were abducted.
Doing Homework with Real Encyclopedias
Before Wikipedia and ChatGPT took over the world, whenever there were school projects, people generally used encyclopedias. They were heavy to carry, expensive, and always a little outdated, but we made do with them since that was all we knew. And no, you couldn’t use Ctrl+F in those days – you had to read the whole thing.
Spending Hours Playing Snake on a Nokia
The original mobile game: Snake on a Nokia brick phone. Forget Candy Crush or Fortnite; this was the game. No colors, no levels, just endless hours of squiggly greatness. It was simple, addictive, and all we needed.
Recording Songs Off the Radio
Making a mixtape was almost an art, rather than a hobby. You had to sit by your stereo, waiting for that song to strike on the radio, then press record at just the right second. If the DJ talks over the intro, that mixtape dream crumbled before your very eyes.
Sending Letters and Waiting for a Response
There was no texting, and email was rare. If you wanted to communicate long distance, you wrote an actual letter, mailed it, and then waited days—or weeks—for a reply. The anticipation was real, and checking the mailbox felt like opening a treasure chest.
Blowing on Game Cartridges to Make Them Work
Video games didn’t need updates; they just needed a good old-fashioned puff of air. Got a glitchy game? Blow on the cartridge and slam it back in the console. It’s not science, but it worked. Try explaining that to a kid with a PS5.
Carrying Around Disposable Cameras
If you wanted to capture memories, you carried a disposable camera and crossed your fingers. There was no preview, no filters, only an act of blind faith that the shot or shots with the red blur would turn out okay. Waiting a week to develop, pure torture.
The DIY Lyric Struggle
Back in the 90s, if you wanted song lyrics, you got to work for it. You’d play a cassette or CD, then pause, rewind, and replay a million times to figure out what the singer was mumbling. “Did they say love or dove?!” It was like solving a puzzle with no instructions. You’d scribble down every word, sometimes making wild guesses, and proudly share your masterpiece with friends who’d point out your mistakes. It was part frustration, fun, and 100% a group effort in the pre-Google era!
Walking Around Everywhere with a CD Walkman
Before the days of the iPod and Spotify, music lovers used to have large CD players in their backpacks. Every step jolted with the feeling of “don’t make it skip,” and to have variety, one was forced to carry several. It was both a workout and a vibe.
Burning Mix CDs for Your Crush
Nothing screamed “I like you” quite so much as a well-thought-out mix CD. You would take the time to choose the right songs and design just the right cover. It was the ultimate romantic gesture, and we all had that friend who made the same CD for everybody.
Collecting Pogs (And Never Actually Playing)
Pogs were life. Does anyone know how to play? Not really, but it was a sport to collect them in their own right. Slammers, shiny ones, theme ones: If you had the good ones, you were someone. Kids have NFTs nowadays. We had cardboard circles.
Taping Over Your Parents’ VHS with Cartoons
The ultimate crime: recording over your dad’s taped football game with an episode of Rugrats. You’d get in so much trouble, but it was worth it. Kids today have YouTube on demand. We were lowkey tape pirates.
Stuff GenXers and Millennials Found Cool in the 90s but They Aren’t Anymore
Back then, life was all about Tamagotchis, bleached hair, and the latest Britney Spears hit blasting from your Discman. We thought we had it all. But looking back now, it’s hard not to cringe at some of the trends that were once the height of cool. Those once-beloved trends faded away, leaving only memories of a bygone era.
Stuff GenXers and Millennials Found Cool in the 90s but They Aren’t Anymore
60s and 70s Fashion Trends Boomers Know Are Making a Comeback
Whether you love or hate them, it’s clear that fashion is cyclical, and what was once popular will eventually come back in style.
60s and 70s Fashion Trends Boomers Know Are Making a Comeback