Growing up in the early 2000's (aka 2000-2009) was a blessing in disguise that I never thought I'd appreciate until it came to me how different it was going through elementary school than it is now. Most consider the young children of today so blessed and lucky to be growing up in an age of technology and such drastic global change, but there are some things that as a college student today you might look back on and wish kids today could still experience them.
Here are 10 things that made growing up in the 2000s the bomb-dot-com (cheesy 2000s joke, sorry):
1. Television was at its best.
There was nothing better than hopping on the couch every Saturday morning with a bowl of cereal and the TV remote. Saturday morning cartoons in the early 2000s consisted of "Tom & Jerry," "The Fairly Oddparents," "Dragon Tales," and so many more. Not to mention that we were absolutely blessed with sitcoms like "Drake and Josh," "Zoey 101," and "That's So Raven." No offense to kids now, but our childhood favorites so top shows like "Paw Patrol" and "Bunk'd."
2. The trends were super savvy.
Move over giant hair bows and unicorn tee-shirts, the 2000s are here to remind you that not all of our trends were that horrific. If you can look past the pencil-line thin eyebrows and chunky highlights, you'd remember the trends that swept through every grade like wildfire, including Juicy Couture sweatsuits (oh so comfortable), Ugg boots, and Silly Bandz!
3. Internet games were all the rage.
"Fortnite" who?! There was nothing more exciting than coming home from a long day of school and running over to your computer room (because who didn't have one of those in the early 2000s) to log on to Webkinz or Club Penguin and play until you received a warning from the game for playing too long. "Oregon Trail" ruled the computer lab in school and recess consisted of comparing who had what Webkinz plushies. It was a time where games were simpler, yet way more entertaining and way less violent.
4. Not every child had a cell phone.
It was extremely rare to hear of anyone having a cell phone before 5th grade. And if they did, it was nothing more than a Motorola Razr. Our lives weren't consumed by Snapchat streaks and taking selfies, which made it so much more enjoyable to live in the moment. Nowadays, most kids are getting cell phones well before they turn 10. It's scary to think that we spent most of our time playing with dolls and Legos, and now most kids are spending most of their time on their cell phones.
5. Boy bands stole the hearts of every girl around.
The Jonas Brothers swept the world by storm and gathered a couple million hearts while they were at it as well. The heartthrob boy band was on every teen magazine cover and their hit songs played on repeat everywhere. Not to mention that their breakup was one of the hardest things to process as a loyal fan.
6. Every girl dreamed of owning an American Girl Doll.
Owning at least one American Girl Doll was almost a rite of passage in the 2000s. There was nothing more special than receiving that red rectangular box with the doll's name on it and pulling the doll out for the first time. And of course, what was owning an American Girl Doll without reading the historical books that came along with them so you knew exactly what their life was like in the time period they were your age.
7. The delicious sugary snacks that unfortunately no longer exist.
Dunkaroos, Danimals, Wonderballs...the sugar-filled snacks that our parents tried to limit our intake of, but we could never resist! Unfortunately, you bring up these kinds of snacks to children today and they have no idea what you're talking about, but there was nothing better than dunking those cinnamon-y cookies into that incredible vanilla frosting.
8. Massive CD collections.
Before iPods and iTouches changed how the world listened to music, CD stores would be flooded by kids looking for the latest albums by their favorite artists to add to their collection. Who doesn't remember searching through the many pages of their CD book to find which album they wanted to listen to and then carry their portable CD player around with them while they jammed out to their favorite songs?
9. Trips to Blockbuster were almost as exciting as going to Disney World.
There was nothing more exciting than having your parents load you into the car on a Friday night to rent a new VHS or DVD from Blockbuster! Blockbuster was the prehistoric Netflix of our time and carried almost every movie you could ever dream of. But if you ever forgot to be kind and rewind, you wound up paying the price!
10. The creation of Youtube.
2005 marked the beginning of a franchise that would change the way the world shared information and connected with one another. Youtube allowed any individual to share their own videos, create content, and even make a living for themselves. The immense success of Youtube today can partly be attributed to the hilarious and creative works of some of the original Youtubers, such as Nigahiga, Fred, Smosh, and Shane Dawson!
