Nowadays, my social media platforms seem to always be clouded with memes and references to how great it is to be from the 90s. I, as a 90s baby, of course, agree, but not for the reasons you may think. There is more to being from the 90s than just the nostalgia associated with these memes. At least I’d like to think it’s more than just a sentimental longing for fond memories and that we’re capable of moving on.
Being born in the 90s is simultaneously a really cool and really weird experience. We’re the first generation to be truly introduced to the wonders of technology while still having had a vibrant childhood centered on the outdoors. We bridged the gap between two majorly different generations, yet we are still mistakenly grouped into the same circle as those born in the new century. We are viewed as younger than we are perhaps because of a few bad apples representing an entire league of now young adults.
When I think back to my childhood, I recall riding my bicycle and running rampant. I remember all the kids in the neighborhood gathering to play silly made up games and operating our imaginations. We’d jump and run, spin and slide, but most importantly we’d locate the biggest, greenest hill and roll down it ensuring that our bright colored clothes would become infected with grass stains. As we got older we rode go-karts and ATVs; swam in just about any water we could find; and continued to play with the timeless invention known as sidewalk chalk. Even though this might not be the same exact story for everyone one of us, we all have memories of great times spent outdoors.
When I think back to my childhood, I recall a second side to this single story. I remember my first genuine introduction to technology—a hammy down N64 that I cherished dearly. So dearly that I was never able to part from it. Somewhere in there, I remember playing with Tamagotchi’s and the classic 20 questions game. At some point, I began playing on a dinosaur model DELL (then revolutionary) where I learned to love solitaire and minesweeper and I learned the mysteries of a fax machine. I held the privilege to be a part of the last generation to experience dial-up and coiled phone cords in which gave you a limited range of motion and I watched my classmates struggle with the new-fangled requirement to type 35 words per minute.
Being from the 90s is great because I got to experience the transition between two generations but what’s most wonderful is that regardless of what year you were born, being from the 90s means that you are a part of a larger community who understands the same things you experienced. Regardless of which definition you believe is the true meaning of being from the 90’s, you get to share these amazing inside jokes and mutual familiarities with people close and far. We can look back and talk about our previous realities. We can use our personal accounts to put our current struggles into perspectives. We can do more than just reminisce about the past and suppress present technologies. The 90s were great, but let’s at least get through 2020 before we completely disown the technological possibilities that are the backbone of the twenty-first century.
