As someone who was born in the late 90’s and gets told quite often I can’t claim to be a true 90’s kid because I was but a baby at the time, here is a big “oh no, screw you” to those naysayers. I'm here to tell you why the kids born in the late 90’s, that awkwardly timed and weird mash of generations known as Generation Z, love and aspire for the 90’s. People seem to forget that we experienced this culture. Maybe we didn't experience it as much as others, but we were there, and we can’t forget about it so easily. So here's to Generation Z, who really, truly misses the 90's.
For Generation Z, the 90's was an era we experienced in passing, which was bound to leave us wanting more. We grew up in a manner similar to that of the Millennials; just like them, we spent all of our time playing outside and with toys. We loved waking up early on Saturdays for the cartoons, even if we didn’t want to wake up early for school. We had most of the same cartoons as the early 90’s kids, or we at least grew up on them. Bill Nye taught us about science, and Pokemon is still huge for us. We love the Powerpuff Girls and are ready to riot if the new reboot ruins the show we love.
Next, we have music: the boy bands and pop stars who shaped what our music taste was to become. We grew up listening to a wide range of artists, from N'SYNC to Britney Spears to the life altering lyrics of Nirvana. Sure, we'll admit it loud and proud that the music we currently listen to is amazing, but there's a reason we play throwback music so much. We miss the songs that embodied the 90’s just as much as those of the Millennials. You can’t discount the fact that we get excited every time Weezer produces a new album so we can add it to our collection of music.
Even with all of that having been said, there's still an endless list of things that could be added. From 90’s fashion as we reinvent the grunge look today, to some of the most amazing Disney movies, which came out of the 90’s. Not to mention the fact that some of our most beloved celebrities today were born in the 90’s. Some of them can "rightfully" claim the title of "90’s kid," like Jennifer Lawrence or Emma Watson, while others, as a part of Generation Z, struggle and fight for that claim, like Abigail Breslin and Jaden Smith. So hopefully you Millennials now realize that we in Generation Z are just as deserving of the title "90’s kids" as you are. In some cases, you Millennials are older siblings. Where did we learn all of this from if not from you? So just keep that in mind the next time one of the fateful Generation Z decides to say they miss the 90’s or are a 90’s kid.
