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‘Retrogeist’: 50 Posts About The ’80s And ’90s That Show How Much The World Has Changed Since
InterviewMaybe you’ve been feeling it lately, too—that aching longing for a simpler, (arguably) better time from your childhood. There is something deeply magical about remembering what things used to be like. And it’s enjoyable to think back to the good old days for a few moments, even if you know you’re viewing everything through rose-colored glasses.
The ‘Retrogeist’ Instagram page rides that retro wave in a very fun way. The curators of the project share nostalgic pics from the 1980s and 1990s, as well as memes about what it’s like to be an adult who’s missing those decades, and we’ve collected the best ones. Check out the most interesting pics and remember to upvote your fave ones as you keep scrolling. But be warned, the nostalgia gets pretty heavy and you might get the urge to buy a time machine!
Bored Panda reached out to the friendly founder and curator of Retrogeist, a self-proclaimed nostalgia buff, and they were kind enough to tell us all about the inspiration behind the project and its vast appeal to the internet crowd.
More info: Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Retrogeist.com
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"I was always a nostalgia buff, acting as a sort of human archive for my friends. I used to text them memes, music videos, and other fun content from the '80s/'90s, our childhood and teenage years," the founder of Retrogeist told Bored Panda about the roots of the project. "When Instagram started to gain popularity, I figured it could be a great platform to post all of this content, without driving my friends nuts with constant messaging. After a while, I had more followers than friends!"
We were curious to get the founder's thoughts on why nostalgia is such a big hit on the internet. "Kids who grew up in the '80s and '90s were the first generation to really enjoy the proliferation of entertainment mediums. Some of these channels were new experiences—the personal computer/home video game consoles; the GameBoy, a handheld gaming device; or a portable music player like the Walkman," they explained to us via email.
Need More Jpeg
Bttf Reunion!
"We also had huge, global summer blockbusters, such as Back to the Future and Ghostbusters. So you had all this cool, new stuff to grow up with! However, what you, as a kid or teenager, didn't have was the ability to capture your real-life experiences. Film was expensive. Polaroid—even more! Most people only have family photos from specific events—vacations, birthdays, etc. How many of us took a picture of a sleepover where we played Super Mario Bros. all night? Not to mention taking a selfie while waiting in line to see the Goonies premiere."
According to the founder of the page, "Retrogeist gives people a glimpse of their childhood/teen years, of events they most likely don't have any tangible, visual memory of. Given that, I often wonder if my 9-year-old son, who's growing up in an all-digital world, would have the same nostalgic feelings for this era when he's all grown up. Maybe the magic would be gone..."
The founder of Retrogeist said that nostalgia taps into a basic emotional need. "It can give people a sort of warm 'high,' mentally taking them back to a time they grasp as innocent and simple." However, some folks can get lost in that feeling. "People who are caught in today's ever-going rat race may get obsessed with that feeling. So just remember, kids—time is a one-way street!" they quipped.
Sounds Good!
I Miss 90s Mtv
An Alternate Timeline
"Since I started Retrogeist, I have connected with numerous interesting and talented people. There are so many creators who come up with new takes on '80s and '90s visuals and music! I really enjoy reading all the comments and ongoing discussions that are taking place on the page and I think we have an amazing community! So, if you're a Retrogeist follower and reading this—thanks!"
The ‘Retrogeist’ project has quite a following over on Instagram. A massive 243k internet users follow the account on the social media page to get their freshest dose of old-timey goodness. For many of you Pandas reading this, the ‘80s and ‘90s might seem like the recent past.
However, for the newest generations, those two decades may seem like a very far way off. And when you look at the tech, products, and fashion of those days, it does seem like a lifetime ago.
Which One Was Your Favorite?
After 12 years, still I do not know how to play that game!
Load More Replies...Thankfully it's been ported to basically everything now so one can play it on their phone
Load More Replies...Minesweeper is still awesome, but wow, I totally forgot about Space Cadet Pinball.
Now I'm remembering Mario Paint. I made some of the dumbest c**p on that but boy did I love it.
I remember days playing on Paint and discovering how to blend colors together with checkerboards.
I loved Minesweeper. All logic and yet, still confusing as heck!
You're missing the stack of game disks you got from cereal boxes, didn't need internet for those just need a parent to buy you the right cheerios that week otherwise you'd get who wants to be a millionaire for the 10th time
Also, Windows 95 came preloaded with a copy of Weezer’s Buddy Holly video to showcase the Windows Media Player capabilities.
I didn't know there was a pinball game! Out of the other three I preferred solitaire. I sucked at minesweeper.
Solitare. I told my boss that I was practicing how to move the mouse around.
The pinball. Lordy Lordy, there was this mystery machine screen, different every round.
I spent way too much time on paint. I would do huge elaborate paintings by zooming in as close as possible and using different coloured dots. I would spend a week covering the entire screen with huge scenes then when I was done I'd just delete it. I loved solitaire too and played it a lot especially when my dad had his own computer store in my teens and I helped out a lot, I spent most of the time playing solitaire or reading and occasionally serving a customer. (This was the 90's and not many people where we lived had a computer so the shop was often very quiet)
Omg paint!! Loved solitaire too. I would use the fish as card backs
Try the I grew up without computers but had an Atari 2600, Vic 20, and Commodore 64 eventually.
Still play with paint at work some days. It isn't a "game" so they don't delete it.
My one manager at work still uses MS Paint. I tease him about it. 😂
I tried Space Cadet out again a few month ago (there are emulated versions on the net) and I do not know how I was that good at it 15yrs ago
There was a hidden, a few actually, written in Qbasic called Gorillas ,,, that was my game
Nothing like a real pinball machine but considering the computer age, Space Cadet wasn't too bad
I had internet and played these all the time. It's more like a "universal 90's/early 20's poor kid starter pack"
Then And Now
Well…
Like nearly everything on Planet Earth, nostalgia has both its upsides and downsides. Reliving positive memories and thinking about what things used to be like can energize you and give you the tenacity to push through tough times in the present. All of that optimism and motivation can be really helpful.
WebMD notes that nostalgia can even affect how we behave in the present. For example, people are more likely to exercise more if they’re optimistic about their physical health, based on their own experiences in the past. What’s more, nostalgia can push you to (re)connect with folks you cared about in the past and may even inspire you to embrace creativity.
Let’s All Take A Moment To Appreciate Blank Vhs Cassette Packaging Design Trends
Remember That Scene In E.t. The Extra-Terrestrial Where E.t. Wears A Ghost Costume And We Can See Through His Eyes?
Saw ET for my 14th birthday party. 10 teens with crushes on Eliott's older brother, played by C. Thomas Howell, giggling and then crying while holding ET stuffies and popcorn. Good times.
True Dat!
So in measured doses, missing the past can be just the boost that you need to get out of a slump. However, too much nostalgia might come back to bite you. If you’re constantly missing decades past, sincerely believing that the present doesn’t measure up at all, then you’re likely to reduce your quality of life. Not only that, you may become cynical and miss great opportunities because you’re longing for a different time.
True Story
Waterful Ring-Toss! My Hands Hurt Just Looking At It
David Bowie Performing Live At Milton Keynes. 1983
It’s actually possible to start missing things far too soon. According to Harley Therapy, there’s a phenomenon called anticipatory nostalgia where people start missing things before they’re even over. And that can lead to lots of (unnecessary) anxiety, sadness, and worry. Anticipatory nostalgia can eventually morph into anxiety about the future.
Every Time…
1994 vs. 2022
Am I right in thinking that they didn't have any scenes together in Pulp Fiction?
It's A Kind Of Magic…
Meanwhile, there’s a large difference between passive and active nostalgia. When people consciously make an effort to think about past events, this can help elevate their moods. However, the opposite is true for individuals that are reminded of the past randomly or unconsciously shift their focus to the good old days every single day.
Hello
Here’s Johnny!
Harley Therapy notes that some of the unhealthy thought patterns linked to nostalgia include rumination, when someone repetitively focuses on distressing thoughts, looking at all the possible little causes and consequences. Depressed individuals also tend to relive the past, judging themselves, feeling guilty, and hating themselves for what happened.
What Is This Witchcraft?!
Kirsten Dunst On The Set Of "Jumanji" (1995)
Gillian & David. 90s
On the whole, people are nostalgic for those times in their lives when they felt happy, free, powerful, healthy, and had fewer responsibilities to deal with. In short, you’re very likely to want to go back to a time when you were full of optimism rather than stress. Often, that’s why folks are nostalgic for their childhoods. However, if they had an awful time growing up, they might feel drawn to a different decade—perhaps when they were teenagers or even young adults.
J O Y
Pick One!
I Think It Was Even Worse…
Which of these pics and memes did you enjoy the most, dear Pandas? Did you get a sudden rush of nostalgia after seeing them, like we did? Would you go back to the ‘80s and ‘90s if you could? What other time periods do you miss the most and why? We’d really love to hear your thoughts on this, so consider leaving a comment and joining in the discussion.
The Goonies, At The Liberty Theatre In Astoria, Oregon, For Its 1985 Premiere
Let’s Sit And Stare At This For Hours
Rowan Atkinson With His 1981 Aston Martin Vantage
Audition Photos Taken By Casting Director, Mali Finn, In The 90s
While Filming Rocky Iv, Sylvester Stallone Asked Dolph Lundgren To Hit Him For Real. Lundgren Agreed And Then Hit Him So Hard Stallone Had To Spend 9 Days Recovering In Intensive Care. In A Later Interview, Lundgren Showed No Sympathy Stating "All I Did Was Obey Orders."
Safety First!
Set Them Free!!!
George Lucas, 1984
Still Works!
🔥or 👎?
Pure 80s
A E S T H E T I C Taco Bell
I honestly miss this design 😕 I was lucky enough to share this design with my oldest.
People Stop To Watch The "Seinfeld" Finale In Times Square, 25 Years Ago
🐈 ☎️
These have been washing ashore in France for 30 years. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-have-garfield-phones-been-washing-ashore-france-30-years-180971835/
Radnix Hg-40p
Danny Devito Becoming The Penguin For Batman Returns, 1992
Add A Song To The Playlist
Macaulay Culkin In Reebok Pump Twilight Zones While Leaning On The Delorean
I had the Reebok Pumps with the tennis ball. They really did "pump", but just on part of the tongue. Oddly, a pair of shoes did *not* immediately make me cool or popular, or jumpstart puberty.
Lunch Time!
What are the three greatest things in life Conan ? “To crush your enemy…to see them driven before you..and to hear the lamentations of their women” Right ! Lol
The Legend…
Get Some Pavarotti Vibes!
V I B E S
It’s Starting…
Vincent Price And Drew Barrymore Make Cookies (1986)
Classic
Danny Trejo. Muscle Beach. Early 80s
Who Made This?
Nicolas Cage And His Father, August Coppola, Brother Of Francis Ford Coppola. 1988
There’s An Emoji For 📼, So Why Not For This?!
Kevin In New York. 1992
Rewatching the WTC scene, post-9/11, with him on the roof with the stationary binoculars, so tragic and bizarre
Sleepover Time!!!
Can You Guess What Robin Williams Is Playing? (1993)
Polaroids Of The Cast Of Clueless - 1995
Motorola Startac Rainbow, 1997. Anyone Here Had One Of These?
On A Scale Of 1-95, How Happy Were You When You Got Your Copy Of Windows 95?
🤕
Such A Great Game…
I absolutely loved RCT2. I'd get that really big park self-running, and leave it on while I was at work. When I got home, I had money to terraform the entire park.
Iconic
You think, I can see this chick shoplifting. You see her in Stranger Things and think there's no way she was busted shoplifting.
Nice!
Burger King Am Radio With Burger Headphones. These Were Produced Exclusively For Radio Shack In 1983
Trivia Time: According To Sean Astin, He Was Allowed To Keep The Treasure Map Used In The Film. Several Years Later His Mother Patty Duke Discovered It, Thought It Was Just A Crinkled Piece Of Paper, And Threw It In The Bin. Oops
Sony Mega Watchman Fd-500. High Tech!!!
Mika Jovovich Answering Fan Questions On An Aol Chat. 1995
Panasonic Sg-J500 Portable Stereo. 1984
Super Soaker 50
That Tower…
Do You Wear A Wrist Watch? If So, Is It Casio?
There’s Something About Cameron… 1994
New York City In 1989
🤔
Where’s Zed?
What About Your Hardware?!
PMSL. I have a similar photo same vintage, but a serious one (no high heels) with a woman at the keyboard.
Batman In 1987
A Rare Collectors Item
Lover’s Lane. 1983
Let’s Play!
True Story
True Stoey my late fiancé Dave Young when he was in the Navy …he was a like an optometry tech ? Anyway, he touched Tom Cruise’s face to measure him for a fit for shades. Anyway, Dave wanted to say hey Mr Cruise love your films…but his handler was there and said…”Nobody talks to Mr. Cruise”. And Tom just sat there just like an arrogant douche ! Couldn’t believe it ! So this whole…stardom affected him late in life ? No ! After Risky Business…he became a total douche canoe !!! And That is what Dave said and we never watched any of his movies again. Lol
The Cast Of “Friends” Went On A Trip To Vegas Before The Show Aired In 1994
🤷🏼♂️
Bedroom Goals
Snack Time
During The 90s, Cambridgeshire Had Its Own Flying Saucer-Shaped Mcdonald’s!
Mcdonalds used to be so cool and fun and a tourist stop...now they have the nerve to air a commercial saying "it isn't a road trip without Mcdonalds" yes. Yes it I'd. I stop anywhere but especially on vacation
Spice Girls, 1997. And Now Let’s Have A Go At The Old Game Of Who Is Your Favorite Spice Girl?
Nic Cage Was Supposed To Be The Next Superman In Tim Burton’s 1997 “Superman Lives”. However, Although In This Timeline The Project Never Took Off, We Still Got This Test Photo To Look At
90s Music Was The Best With These Guys!
Sure look like Steve Busciemi, Adam Sandler, and Brendan Fraser to me.
Lan Party, Late 99
The Wonderful Casio Tm-100!
Gaming In The 90s. Can You Smell It?
Heather Thomas And Arnold Schwarzenegger…
What Could Go Wrong?
Which One Is You?
The Shirt Or The Painting?
I’ll Be There For You! (When You Install Windows 95…)
How Do You Backup Your Photos To Cloud With This?
Can You Feel The Heat Radiating From All These Crts?
Julio Living The Life. 1986
What Does It Taste Like?
Pamela
Nah that can’t be Pamela?? Doesn’t look like her at all. I’m so confused now!
Don’t You Hate When This Happens?
I liked all of these, but didnt see a singel C64 and Amiga 500 pic??? Or did i miss it? 😄
I guess old people are younger than we think these days :)
Load More Replies...Milly Vanilly, the brick cellphones, the troll dolls, those circular sunglasses that John Lennon wore, Mortal Kombat games (arcades in general : Street Fighter, The Punisher etc), Die Hard, Aliens, the good quality Kinder Surprise eggs, the crazy puffy hairdos, the sneakers with lights in the heel...its impossible to generalize what the 80s and 90s were, as they can be so many things to each person.
Thanks so much!! I loved every single memory -even the ones I forgot!
I knew a good portion of these, but mostly just because my parents raised my brother and I with a bunch of stuff from their childhoods. I'm still technically a minor, (not for much longer tho!), so it's weird to think that these were from so long ago (to me?
Celebrate Saavan festival with "Bhole Ki Support," a divine song by Masu Nangal Aala. Join us in spreading love and support. Let's seek blessings from Lord Shiva.https://youtu.be/k4dlH3uZ7Os
I liked all of these, but didnt see a singel C64 and Amiga 500 pic??? Or did i miss it? 😄
I guess old people are younger than we think these days :)
Load More Replies...Milly Vanilly, the brick cellphones, the troll dolls, those circular sunglasses that John Lennon wore, Mortal Kombat games (arcades in general : Street Fighter, The Punisher etc), Die Hard, Aliens, the good quality Kinder Surprise eggs, the crazy puffy hairdos, the sneakers with lights in the heel...its impossible to generalize what the 80s and 90s were, as they can be so many things to each person.
Thanks so much!! I loved every single memory -even the ones I forgot!
I knew a good portion of these, but mostly just because my parents raised my brother and I with a bunch of stuff from their childhoods. I'm still technically a minor, (not for much longer tho!), so it's weird to think that these were from so long ago (to me?
Celebrate Saavan festival with "Bhole Ki Support," a divine song by Masu Nangal Aala. Join us in spreading love and support. Let's seek blessings from Lord Shiva.https://youtu.be/k4dlH3uZ7Os