30 Things Only ’90s Kids Will Understand
A nostalgic deep dive into the unforgettable trends, toys, and tech that made growing up in the ‘90s an experience like no other!
- Alyana Aguja
- 7 min read
Growing up during the ’90s was to have a combination of analog and digital living, from the infuriation of dial-up internet to the excitement of Blockbuster rentals of VHS tapes. It was the time of Tamagotchis, Pokémon battles, and mix CDs, when school days were filled with Lisa Frank notebooks and Oregon Trail-induced dysentery. This trip down memory lane visits the classic gadgets, games, and pop culture phenomena that only die-hard ’90s kids will ever be able to totally relate to.
1. Blowing on Game Cartridges
Image from Ebay.ph
Before digital downloads, we had clunky cartridges that would sometimes not function. The cure-all? Blow on them, although it likely did nothing but circulate more dust within.
2. Dial-Up Internet Horror Stories
Image from Wikipedia
Attempting to get online was a matter of listening to the screeching noises of dial-up internet. One person answering the phone and your connection was lost for good. Downloading one song on Napster or Limewire would also take hours.
3. Recording Songs from the Radio
Image from Wikipedia
Before Spotify, people in the ’90s recorded their favorite songs from the radio onto cassette tapes. If the DJ chatted over the intro, it was done. Getting it exactly right was an art form.
4. Tamagotchis Dying on You
Image from Ebay.ph
If you owned a Tamagotchi, you know the panic of forgetting to feed it. Missing a few hours meant coming back to a sad, pixelated grave. Teachers often banned them because kids were too busy caring for their digital pets.
5. Blockbuster Friday Nights
Image from Wikipedia
People went to Blockbuster on the weekends, where entire rows were packed with VHS tapes and DVDs. If the movie you loved was rented out, you simply had to wait for it. It was a real challenge to rewind tapes before you could take them back.
6. Flip Phones Were a Status Symbol
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Before the smartphone, it was cool to have a Motorola Razr or a flip Nokia. Hanging up with the delightful snap was total power. T9 texting was a real talent that involved remembering button sequences.
7. Recording CDs from Custom Mixes
Image from Wikipedia
Creating a mix CD for the crush or BFF was a big thing. People would sit for hours deciding on the most ideal songs and writing out the playlist on the disc using a Sharpie. If it were scratched, their work of art was ruined.
8. Goosebumps Books Were Everywhere
Image from Ebay.ph
R.L. Stine’s Goosebumps novels were in every school library. The cover art was creepy and thrilling, and The Haunted Mask still sends shivers down some of our spines. Deciding on Give Yourself Goosebumps endings was life-or-death stuff.
9. The Magic of Windows 95
Image from PCjs Machines
When you first heard the Windows 95 startup tune, it was like something from the future. Solitaire and Minesweeper were the height of computer games. Installing software meant dealing with lots of floppy disks.
10. School Overhead Projectors
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Teachers used to write on transparent plastic sheets laid over a huge lightbox before the days of digital screens. They never remembered to clear out previous notes, and their math lessons were a mess. When the bulb went out, the class was essentially over.
11. Pogs and Slammers
Image from Ebay PH
Pogs were the currency of the playground. Collecting the best designs and possessing a heavy slammer earned you bragging rights. Losing your favorites in a bad round was heartbreaking.
12. The Agony of Frogger and Oregon Trail
Image from Wikipedia
Oregon Trail in school meant dying of dysentery 90% of the time. Frogger was sneakily difficult—one hop too soon, and you were roadkill. These games taught you patience and frustration in equal proportions.
13. Lisa Frank Everything
Image from Ubuy Philippines
School supplies were a neon rainbow explosion of smiling dolphins and colors. Having a Lisa Frank trapper keeper was having style. Even today, those designs are incarnated in the ’90s nostalgia.
14. Having to Actually Develop Photos
Image from Ubuy Philippines
There were disposable cameras before smartphones with just 24 or 36 shots. You had to wait days to know if your photos were done correctly. Thumb-over-lens shots by accident were irreversible letdowns.
15. Beanie Babies Were Going to Make You Rich
Image from Ebay PH
Everyone promised that Beanie Babies would be worth millions someday. Some even stored them in plastic cases so they would hold their value. It turns out that most of them are now nothing more than sentimental stuffed animals.
16. The First Pokémon Craze
Image from Ubuy Philippines
Pokémon cards, games, and the television show dominated our lives. Everyone remembered the agony of deciding between Charmander, Squirtle, or Bulbasaur. Trading cards at recess was a big deal.
17. VHS Tapes and Rewinding Agony
Image from Nostalgic Media
It took forever to rewind a movie. “Be kind, rewind” was a real slogan on rental labels. Taping over something important by mistake was a family tragedy.
18. MSN Messenger and AIM Away Messages
Image from Wikipedia
Your away message needed to capture your mood exactly, usually with emo song lyrics. Signing on and off constantly was a ploy to catch your crush’s eye. Away messages were the first “Do Not Disturb” mode.
19. The Agony of 3.5-Inch Floppy Disks
Image from Texas Public Radio
Saving documents required small plastic floppy disks with hardly any capacity. If it got corrupted, your whole school assignment was lost. Bringing more than one disk for one document was the standard.
20. The Macarena at Every School Function
Image from Wikipedia
No ’90s party didn’t feature The Macarena. Whether you enjoyed it or not, you had to perform the steps. It remains a party favorite that won’t die.
21. Furbies Were Sort of Scary
Image from Robots Guide
These small robot animals would wake up in the middle of the night and begin speaking. Parents wished they had not purchased them within minutes. Some individuals still claim theirs never actually shut off.
22. Yak Baks and Talkboys
Image from About Electronic Robot Toys Wiki - Fandom
These tape recorders allowed children to be amateur pranksters. The Talkboy, popularized by Home Alone 2, made everyone wish they could record their voice in slow motion. Yak Baks were smaller but equally annoying.
23. TV Antennas and Snowy Screens
Image from Ubuy Philippines
If your television reception was poor, you needed to fiddle with the antenna. Occasionally, handling it yourself improved the signal. When a channel wasn’t showing, you only got a static-filled nightmare.
24. Scented Markers Were a Big Deal
Image from Ebay.ph
Mr. Sketch scented markers made art class more fun. Everyone had a favorite smell and knew black licorice was the worst. The urge to taste them was real (and regrettable).
25. Nickelodeon’s Green Slime Obsession
Image from ThoughtCo
Being slimed on Nickelodeon was an honor and a nightmare. Figure It Out, Double Dare, and Slime Time Live made slime legendary. Even now, it’s one of Nickelodeon’s most iconic traditions.
26. Mavis Beacon and Learning to Type
Image from Softonic
Typing lessons were not enjoyable, but Mavis Beacon made them tolerable. You had to learn home-row keys first before advancing. Some of us still type quicker because of it.
27. The Agony of Scratched Discs
Image from Wikipedia
A scratch easily destroyed CDs and DVDs. People would attempt to wipe them with their shirts or do the “toothpaste trick.” More often than not, it didn’t work at all.
28. Viewing TV Programs on a Schedule
Image from Forbes
If you missed an episode, you had to wait until it came back on in reruns—no pausing, rewinding, or streaming. Racing to the bathroom during commercial breaks was a game of risk.
29. Jelly Shoes Were Cool but Were Painful
Image from Ebay.ph
These glittery, transparent plastic shoes were the must-have footwear. They were fantastic-looking but induced severe blisters. Everyone wore them despite the agony.
30. The Y2K Fears
Image from Aesthetics Wiki - Fandom
As the year 2000 was looming, individuals feared that computers would crash and the world would end. A few even stockpiled food and supplies in anticipation. When midnight struck, nothing occurred—but it was a big thing back then.