One of my favorite hobbies is watching 90's sitcoms.
As a twenty-three year old adult, I'd rather watch reruns of shows like Sister, Sister, Boy Meets World, Smart Guy, Hey Arnold, The Parent 'Hood, and more, than drown my mind and eyes in reality television.
How do I access these shows? I go on YouTube and type in a show's title and just binge watch however many episodes there are.
I'm sure I'm not the only person who does this. At least once a day when I'm among my friends and co-workers, we take the time to reminisce about waking up and looking forward to the 4 hour blocks of Saturday morning cartoons. We remember the "good old days" when as kids, we would get our bowl of cereal and camp out in front of the tv. The never ending channel surfing, starting from Nickelodeon to Disney Channel to Cartoon Network to ABC.
I was born right in the middle of the 1990's. 1994 to be exact. 1994 was an exciting and interesting year. Friends premiered on TV, TLC released CrazySexyCool, and The Lion King was released in theaters.
Granted I do not remember these events and only have come to know them through memorabilia, I consider myself a true 90's kid.
Now, twenty-three years later, I reflect back on what I remember of the 1990's. At my job, I'm one of the youngest associates so to my co-worker's dismay, I remind them how while some of them were graduating high school and even college, I was busy playing in play pens and watching Saturday morning cartoons.
Me and my fellow 90's kids have this friendly disclaimer where we say anyone born after 1996 can't consider themselves 90's kids. All I remember of the 1990's is from 1997 to 1999, which is more than I can say for someone born in those years.
By the time I could fully grasp the 90's, it was the early 2000's. This was at a time when Nickelodeon and Disney Channel actually had cartoons. A time when MTV actually showed music videos. A time when the Internet was brand new and no one had even heard of social media. At a time when it seemed like a century before I would get a job and pay bills.
As a millennial, I have the priviledge of coming of age during a transitional time. I remember floppy discs and USB's. I remember VHS and DVD's. I remember CD players and IPODs. These things are articfacts in the memory of poplular culture.
My binge sessions on YouTube will never compare to the goood old days of 4 hour Saturday morning cartoon blocks. But as a former and in-denial 90's kid, I have moments where I can dream.
