They were the last of those who had to go outside and play with their friends and ride their bikes around town. They were the last to just spend time together without relying on phones or apps for entertainment. They had to use their imaginations far more often than kids today do. I’m sure you remember all of those classic video games from the 90s like Super Mario Bros., Sonic The Hedgehog, and even Street Fighter II. Kids today can certainly still play these games but they don’t have that same nostalgia and excitement that 90s kids felt while playing them. We also used to rely heavily on physical copies of movies either on VHS tapes or DVDs rather than digital streaming services like Netflix or Hulu. This meant that if you wanted to watch something specific, you had to go search it out in stores and hope that it was available for purchase instead of being able to instantly stream it online from any device as you can today. And now we’ve opened a can of words worms about the things 90s kids can do that today’s kids can’t. Without further ado, here is the list!
Seriously. It was horrifying. And while grunge will truly always exist as a genre, it has significantly changed from the original early 1990s sound. Like most other genres, it was corporatized and repackaged for a wider audience. But in the early 90s, it was an amazing thing to see. Today, My Little Pony has gotten a bad rap for being liked in an unintended, less-than-wholesome way. It’s not considered very innocent anymore, let’s say. You know what we mean. But back then, we could watch it and play with the ponies as, you know, innocent kids. For the most part, people in the ‘90s who thought Beanie Babies would make them rich, pay for their house, or put their kids through college were sadly mistaken. Due to image degradation on the tapes and the simpler, more convenient DVD, VHS lost favor with the public. And it was always a tragedy when your tapes got taped-over by someone else and you lost your favorite videos! But you needed someplace to keep all of those CDs, so we got used to Although these cases are a perfect way to keep those CDs and DVDs from getting scratched under normal use, But lots of people found all of their discs ruined because they always got left on the floor of the car, where sand would find its way into the case and scratch all the discs. We do not have as many original movies in today’s cinemas. In fact, remakes have become a growing problem for viewers in today’s film industry. Wouldn’t it be great to see some original content again! This generation-defining system was retired in 2004.But, up until that point, everyone had a Gameboy—or desperately wanted one. The toy got a remodel in 1998 to be taller and larger, ultimately causing it to be discontinued in 2002. While Polly Pocket got a revamp in 2010, it didn’t connect with kids and was no longer sold in the U.S. by 2012. It seems this is a toy that was meant to stay in the ‘90s. Legends of the Hidden Temple” was perhaps the most popular of these game shows on Nickelodeon during the decade, featuring a talking Mayan statue named Olmec. It allowed contestants to experience the life of a temple raider while running through a challenging obstacle course. But there were other shows that kids enjoyed on the classic channel, like “BrainSurge” and “Double Dare.” These treats kept us yearning for the sweet sugar rush we craved. Statistically, present-day children are much safer. Reports of missing children are down since the late 1990s—by almost forty percent, actually. Only 0.1% of missing persons cases are stranger abductions, or, in other words, most kidnappings are not done by strangers but rather someone the child knows. But in the 90s, it was normal for kids to be out with friends running around the neighborhood until 8, sometimes 9 at night. Those were fun days. A true ‘90s creation, the original Goosebumps books were the kind of scary that made kids love them. They were always fun with a cool final twist that caught their young, loyal fans off guard every time. BUT… Power Wheels went through a recall period in 1998 because of electrical components that overheated, occasionally causing fires. This was a pretty big deal, as it led to child injuries and house fires. It was also recalled due to problems with the wiring that prevented the vehicle from stopping. TGIF was a good time for anyone throughout the 1990s—not just kids, but adults, too! This was a must-see, prime-time, catchphrase-filled experience! These new phones were made from clear plastic casings. You could see the inner mechanics of the landline phone – and that made it a hit with ‘90s kids! The show was primarily used to promote celebrities of the time, particularly actors and musicians.If it was on TRL, it was a big deal in the ‘90s culture, particularlyteen ‘90s culture. Blockbuster looked like it would last forever but permanently closed due to the rise of instant rentals and subscription services like Netflix, Hulu, etc. There is, as of May 2022, one sole surviving Blockbuster in Bend, Oregon, still designed to feature the look of a classic The 1990s was a decade full of its own unique styles and ideas. Kids from the 1990s generally remember it fondly and reminisce about the things we had back then, which were much simpler than today.
