50 Struggles That 90’s Kids Remember Too Well
Every generation looks back at its youthful period with nostalgia; everything was better when we were kids and nobody can convince me otherwise! However, there's something about my generation, the early millennials, that does make us special. We grew up in a time of unprecedented technological change; for example, we were born with the cassette, the CD came and went (don't even get me started on the Minidisc), then it was Mp3, iTunes, and finally Spotify. All in the space of a few years!
The technology that kids now take for granted was refined over the years through our experiences. We eventually got the internet but we needed to wait for it to connect. We had phones, but they were connected to our houses until Nokia came along with SMS and snake. Oh, and we had something similar to Netflix too, but you had to go to rent a tape or DVD at the videostore. Looking back, these things might seem incredibly basic and inconvenient now, but we loved them! And I'll take my Nirvana/Soundgarden/Faith No More mixtape over your Jonas Brothers Spotify playlist any day of the week...
We here at Bored Panda have created a list of all those 'struggles' that we had with technology back in the day, and they are sure to bring back some good memories. Do you recognize a few of these? Scroll down to check them out for yourself, and share your own stories in the comments!
This post may include affiliate links.
I knew people who would text with this type of phones without looking at the phone
What has happened to some of these technologies? Have they become completely obsolete, or are some still in use? Let's have a brief look at some of the old 'essentials' that are no longer in everyday use.
Fax machines: According to Pocket Lint, the fax machine was essentially a modern version of the telegram. "It allowed people and businesses to transmit scanned documents from one phone number to another," they write. "The recipient would have the joy of a printed copy of the document bursting forth from their machine. This was all done by a transmission of audio frequency tones that were deciphered at the other end. These days, fax machines have largely been rendered obsolete by the invention of email, the internet and advancements in computing technologies."
Yeap, had one of those myself... Was always a hard choice, which one to pick
when someone would pick up the phone without asking if you were using AOL. lol
Analogue and dial-up modems: Before broadband and 4G networks came along we connected to the World Wide Web via analogue and dial-up modems.
"These marvels of technology required an open phone line and a lot of patience to get working. If anyone called while you were connected to the 'net then you'd immediately lose connection. Browsing the web was slow and painful, but it was a thing of beauty and showed promise for the future that we now live in," Pocket Lint explains.
Floppy disks: Floppy disks first appeared in the 1970s, as a means of storing data from the first 'personal' computers.The first was the 8-inch floppy disc, capable of storing just 80 kilobytes of data. "As the floppy disks got smaller, their storage capacity grew and by the mid-1980s the 3.5-inch floppy disk was able to store a respectable 1.44 MB. Floppy disks were unfortunately vulnerable to magnets and heat, and easily corrupted. By the 1990s software size meant many disks were required for most applications (Adobe Photoshop required over a dozen disks to run) so CD-ROMs began to take over. The floppy disk now only lives on as a save icon in most software applications."
Portable music players: There have been many types of portable music player over the last few years, from cassette players like the Sony Walkman, CD players like the Sony Discman, Minidisc players and MP3 players.
"We have both fond and frustrating memories of each of these players," Pocket Lint writes. "Whether it was fighting Walkmans to save a chewed up tape or desperately trying to fit a portable CD player into a coat pocket."
"Perhaps one of the least popular formats of optical-based digital storage was the MiniDisc. With a high storage capacity of as much as 1GB, these discs could hold up to 45 hours of audio in a compact format. The MiniDisc appeared at a time when CDs were still dominating and thus struggled to gain popularity in the marketplace. MiniDisc sales began to dwindle when MP3 players started to gain popularity and were finally killed off as a format in 2011 when Sony ceased production."
Vinyl records: This is one piece of technology that has been reborn, while other audio formats have come and gone. "Vinyl records are probably one of the oldest and most long-lasting formats for storing audio recordings. Available in varying formats since the late 1800s, the vinyl record is still in production today and is another format that's sworn to be the best by audiophiles and sound enthusiasts alike. The format has even had a sales resurgence of late."
Another piece of retro technology that seems to remain relevant for enthusiasts is the Film camera. "The traditional film camera has basically long since been pushed from the mass market by the modern age of the digital camera."
"No longer do we need to rely on reels of film or trips to the local shop to get them processed. Digital cameras, SD cards and modern computing systems mean we can snap away happily and see the results of our photos instantly with far less hassle and expense."
Still, for artists, professional photographers and retro lovers, the process of creating a photograph the old fashioned way represents a challenge and a certain satisfaction that digital photography lacks.
As the youngest in my family, I was not only the remote, I was also the indoor antenna. I remember, especially in bad weather or when the wind was blowing in the wrong direction, standing next to the TV with the antenna (which sometimes had aluminum foil wrapped around the top lol) in my hand so everyone else could watch the program--- which I generally got to see sideways. Sometimes I think that was part of the reason my parents had me (JK!).
And if you wanted to record your favorite songs..you'd better break out the cassettes
The times when Kodak still was a multi billion revenue global company ;-)
Dropped the Ball once on my toenail as a kid and it went all black... Glad the "laser" mouse doesn't cut my toe if i drop it. 😕
That's more like early 2000's, but I still remember doing it. The quality was terrible though. Thank god for lossless audio.
this happened to one of my toy story disc and i cried for hours begging my mom to go back and buy me another one, and shes like" u already watched that movie, dont u think u watched it too many times" not the motivational quote that i was looking for mom.
I loved the old cardridges. Those were finished products, no DLC, no updates, no what so ever. Yes some games were buggy, but it had charm.
Hey..I used to work at Nintendo in the 90's. All these sheets of paper were common in our call center...lol
The costs of it was enough to have parents request a detailed bill. Discovered when those calls were made: internet after midnight, give away
Always running out of credit.
Still have this phone. It belonged to my grandfather and he accidentaly made some selfievids on them. So every time i feel like it, i can listen to his voice.
We still have this in the Netherlands because ppl went mental when it was supposedly to be discontinued.
Everyone has old Windows programs to show how old they are. I learned to use a computer when all we had was a Tandy 1000 and cassettes to download information. And there was no windows back then..only DOS. Boy..we really thought we were living in the New Age when 5 1/4 floppy disks and Commodore 64's hit the market....
I used to love playing on my Amstrad. Sometimes my dad would let me hook it up to the "big TV" so I could play Punch & Judy in colour instead of on the green screen.
My brother had a Commodore 64 and later a 128. Remember playing games on those. When playing the olympics your arms would get so tired from moving the joystick left and right all the time. But it was fun :-)
Yup!! Amstrad with a huge 10MB hard drive.
I loved Printshop on the C64!!! We always put the champagne bottle on our birthday cards.
We had an Atari....I just remember you could use Sega controllers on it. And you fixed the circuit board with a metal ink pen
I had a C64 with Datasette, 30 minutes for charging "Elite"..and then "Load error"!!!!
Vic-20 baby!!!
I started with a Commodore64 and later a DOS machine and was the only student at my college who brought their own computer. WordPerfect was the bomb! We also had one of the first "portable" computers. It was built like a suitcase you laid on its side. The keyboard popped off the end to reveal a tiny little monitor and a floppy disk drive. I wouldn't call it portable, though - daggum thing was heavy as all get out!
Yes! I had a TRS-80 that was configured the same way.
Here's one older generations probably don't get (as much, anyways): Remembering that one cartoon you used to watch as a toddler and having the vaguest memories of it and not the name. Then you spend hours online searching through you're vague memories to find this show because "Gods damn it I know I didn't dream this!!!!"
Yes, that happened to me recently (i'm Gen X). I Googled "Gordon, you drive me up the wall", and boom! Someone had put the clip of this cartoon from the old Electric Company on YouTube. It actually freaked me out to see it again after not having seen it for 45+ years.
That's so familiar! I was like that with Magination. It was my second favourite show after The Worst Witch(thinking about it years later, it looked a lot like a strange parody of Harry Potter. I love both stories). However, it had such a banal name("Wizards" in Bulgarian), I had forgotten it altogether. Last summer I spent some time looking for it and yes, there it was, along with some other weird shows, such as Howdy Gaudi! My heart skipped a beat like it rarely does. I also think everything is just slower to develop in my country. I've always thought most of the things on the list were considered something normal until recently. I'm 2002 and 90% of these are stuff that I've not only thought of as common, but also had in the household to struggle with. Inflatable chairs? Sure. Simple games? Sure. Brick Nokias? Sure. MP3s, broken disks, telephone books, stationary phones. All: sure. I like the 90s and always wanted to be born in that decade. Now it turns out it was basically like I was. I remember all these. If not personal experiences, then stories by older children. Am I really that old?
Nah. Your country was just a little bit slow -ish. :)
Gen Z here and the struggle is real XD
I did this with La Linea- took me years to find someone who knew what I was taking about.
The cat came back, the very next day. The cat came back. They thought he was a goner. But the cat came back. He just wouldn't stay awaaaaaaayyyyy.
Remember when the street lights came on.. streetligh...799e2b.jpg
They still do today...
I remember when they used to turn them off in the middle of the night around 3am!!
Everyone has old Windows programs to show how old they are. I learned to use a computer when all we had was a Tandy 1000 and cassettes to download information. And there was no windows back then..only DOS. Boy..we really thought we were living in the New Age when 5 1/4 floppy disks and Commodore 64's hit the market....
I used to love playing on my Amstrad. Sometimes my dad would let me hook it up to the "big TV" so I could play Punch & Judy in colour instead of on the green screen.
My brother had a Commodore 64 and later a 128. Remember playing games on those. When playing the olympics your arms would get so tired from moving the joystick left and right all the time. But it was fun :-)
Yup!! Amstrad with a huge 10MB hard drive.
I loved Printshop on the C64!!! We always put the champagne bottle on our birthday cards.
We had an Atari....I just remember you could use Sega controllers on it. And you fixed the circuit board with a metal ink pen
I had a C64 with Datasette, 30 minutes for charging "Elite"..and then "Load error"!!!!
Vic-20 baby!!!
I started with a Commodore64 and later a DOS machine and was the only student at my college who brought their own computer. WordPerfect was the bomb! We also had one of the first "portable" computers. It was built like a suitcase you laid on its side. The keyboard popped off the end to reveal a tiny little monitor and a floppy disk drive. I wouldn't call it portable, though - daggum thing was heavy as all get out!
Yes! I had a TRS-80 that was configured the same way.
Here's one older generations probably don't get (as much, anyways): Remembering that one cartoon you used to watch as a toddler and having the vaguest memories of it and not the name. Then you spend hours online searching through you're vague memories to find this show because "Gods damn it I know I didn't dream this!!!!"
Yes, that happened to me recently (i'm Gen X). I Googled "Gordon, you drive me up the wall", and boom! Someone had put the clip of this cartoon from the old Electric Company on YouTube. It actually freaked me out to see it again after not having seen it for 45+ years.
That's so familiar! I was like that with Magination. It was my second favourite show after The Worst Witch(thinking about it years later, it looked a lot like a strange parody of Harry Potter. I love both stories). However, it had such a banal name("Wizards" in Bulgarian), I had forgotten it altogether. Last summer I spent some time looking for it and yes, there it was, along with some other weird shows, such as Howdy Gaudi! My heart skipped a beat like it rarely does. I also think everything is just slower to develop in my country. I've always thought most of the things on the list were considered something normal until recently. I'm 2002 and 90% of these are stuff that I've not only thought of as common, but also had in the household to struggle with. Inflatable chairs? Sure. Simple games? Sure. Brick Nokias? Sure. MP3s, broken disks, telephone books, stationary phones. All: sure. I like the 90s and always wanted to be born in that decade. Now it turns out it was basically like I was. I remember all these. If not personal experiences, then stories by older children. Am I really that old?
Nah. Your country was just a little bit slow -ish. :)
Gen Z here and the struggle is real XD
I did this with La Linea- took me years to find someone who knew what I was taking about.
The cat came back, the very next day. The cat came back. They thought he was a goner. But the cat came back. He just wouldn't stay awaaaaaaayyyyy.
Remember when the street lights came on.. streetligh...799e2b.jpg
They still do today...
I remember when they used to turn them off in the middle of the night around 3am!!