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I asked some friends the other day what they miss most about the 90s. These were some of the gem responses I received: cassette tapes, CDs, renting DVDs, pay phones, smoking in public, safety, roller skating with friends, no mobile phones and no social media. No social media? Imagine that.

It seems crazy to think, but if it weren’t for the 90s, so many things wouldn’t be doable today. Like browsing Bored Panda. Or finding cool stuff on Facebook. Talking of which... There’s actually a Facebook page called 90s Flashback that’s dedicated solely to whipping up nostalgic memories from that era. We’ve compiled a list of our favorites.

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    #2

    90s-Flashback

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    PFD
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol. I went to the local shop late last night and ran into my daughter and her mates all trooping around the streets just like this. I put on my best old man voice and accused them of being a gang of hoodlums and vandals.

    Floeckchen
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Teens nowadays still do that... or would do if your city isn't a car centric hellhole

    Steve Robert
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    We used to play with real friends who lived in the neighborhood. Now you're an avatar and the people you play with you'll probably never see.

    Hairy Platypus
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Lol you can still do this. The only problem is that parents are more responsible these days and don't let their preteens go anywhere after dark.

    Amelia Jade
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Where do people live that teens don't still do this? It is really hot here so I go out late at night to walk, or ride my bike. I see teens wandering around all the time. The other night, while riding my bike through the park, I came across a group of teens playing UNO. They're just sitting at one of the tables near a light, playing UNO. And, of course, the basketball court was hopping as usual. Like with most of these posts--just because you're not seeing it, or not a part of it, doesn't mean it isn't happening.

    Jessica Meyer
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I must agree, we had an amazing childhood. I'm so glad my kids get to experience this too now that we have moved to New Zealand. Our kids are safe and can live their lives without fear. For the most part anyway. Still cautious.

    TrippyBanana
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Can still do this it just seems like it's less supported. Kids can still bum around and have fun with their friends outside

    Karina
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Notjing like the feeling of walking in the middle of a street as a teen 🥰 you really own everyrhing when you do that 😄

    Sapna Sarfare
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yup.. any holidays means roaming around the whole town with friends till dark

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    One of my favorite things about growing up in the 90s was that things seemed simpler. But then again, nowadays I have Google at my fingertips. Which I guess, makes things much, much easier. Not sure if you know this but Google actually came about in 1998 and only went public in 2004.

    What a whirlwind it’s been since then. It’s now possible to ask the Big G pretty much anything… I decided to start with “what were the best inventions from the 90s?” and here’s what I discovered.

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    In 1989, a British guy called Tim Berners-Lee had one of his biggest brain waves ever. He came up with an idea to invent what we now know as the World Wide Web and put this proposal together. But we almost never got to browse the net, because Berner-Lee’s boss marked his proposal as “vague but exciting”. Lucky for all of us, the computer scientist didn’t give up. He used the next few months to refine his plan and by the following year he'd managed to impress his manager.

    According to the World Wide Web Foundation, “By October of 1990, Tim had written the three fundamental technologies that remain the foundation of today’s web (and which you may have seen appear on parts of your web browser).” Those are HTML, URI and HTTP. By the end of that year, the first web page was launched and in 1991, the web was opened to the public. Berners-Lee was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II in 2004 "for services to the global development of the Internet". And Bored Panda was launched in 2009. All we can say is, “thank you, Sir!”

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    #8

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    Ambry Petersen
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Yes. It was kinda cool. Those little cards where like travel logs to all the places that book has been.

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    #9

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    David Martin
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I'm gonna pop some tags Only got 20 dollars in my pocket I'm, I'm, I'm hunting, looking for some Goosebumps This is freakin' awesome

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    In 1992, another Brit changed our lives forever. In December that year, a 22-year-old software programmer called Neil Papworth sent the world’s first ever sms. He used his computer to send a simple “Merry Christmas” to his colleague’s mobile phone across town. Papworth sparked a global obsession with texting that now sees around 23 billion text messages sent every day. Which brings us to the next 90s invention we never saw coming.

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    The Announcer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Push it down the hallway and make sure you slow down at the crack in the sidewalk!

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    At the time of the first sms, there weren’t any phones that could both send and receive text messages. That's until Nokia came up with a gadget that would have us messaging our mom in the next room, just because we could. It took a little longer to type than today’s texts. The phones back then only had numbers and no keyboard. 

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    But it wasn’t long before IBM released “Simon”, the world’s first touch screen mobile device. And in 1997, Nokia unveiled the 9000i Communicator, its first full keyboard phone. If you were around in those days you might remember the massive, bulky bricks that could do a fair bit of damage if dropped on your toe.

    Since then, we've seen phones in all shapes, colors and sizes. See here for some of the strangest phones ever made. And a shoutout to Blackberry, who released their first phone in 1999 and went on to dominate the market for most of the 2000s before iPhones entered the game.

    #14

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    Owen
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Micro Machines! I'm old now (36), but I still have a mate (32) that has a collection.

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    #15

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    One of my favorite memories of childhood was going to the video store on a Friday night with my parents. We’d walk through the aisles, each getting a chance to pick from the hundreds of VHS video tapes available. We had to get there before someone else snatched the latest release. Otherwise we had to wait until the following weekend, or ask the assistant to book it for us. Once we had our videos in hand, we’d have a marathon movie night, and make sure to put the big tapes in the right boxes. We had to drive to the store the next day, to drop them off through a hole in the door. Or face a late return fine. Have a look at how this guy built a makeshift video store in his basement.

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    The world's first DVD player released in 1996. And the video stores had to quickly also start stocking movies on discs. By 2003, some retailers had stopped selling VHS tapes altogether. Needless to say, the kids of today will never know the struggles we had before streaming became a thing.

    #16

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    David Martin
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I honestly tried to explain Blockbuster to one of my nephews once; He couldn't get his mind around a world where you had to physically leave the house and GET a movie to watch...I resisted adding that if your movie wasn't there, then you were just out of luck today, it would've been too much all at one time

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    The Announcer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Out of all the seeds I mistakenly ate, I only grew zero watermelons in my stomach.

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    The 1990s also birthed some of the biggest blockbusters. Titanic, Jurassic Park, Star Wars, The Lion King, Forrest Gump and Armageddon all had us glued to our screens. That’s when we weren’t listening to the likes of Nirvana, Snoop Dogg, Britney Spears, Backstreet Boys, Cranberries or Oasis on repeat, on our CD Walkmans. Those, by the way were also launched in the late 90s.

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    Here's a fun 90s movie quiz to take you on a trip down memory lane.

    You might not have heard of Ken Kutaragi but you probably have heard of the Sony PlayStation. If you love gaming, press pause and thank Kutaragi. He started developing the beloved Playstation in 1990, and it was unveiled the following year. It became the first video game console to sell over 100 million units.

    And as ThoughtCo. reported, “The original PlayStation was designed as a multi-media and multi-purpose entertainment unit. Besides being able to play Super Nintendo games, the PlayStation could play audio CDs and could read CDs with computer and video information.” Fast forward to today and Sony says it has 97 million monthly active Playstation users.

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    #22

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    David Martin
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Sadly, I'm old enough to remember that Trix started as balls, then changed to shapes, and then they started to market the balls as "the new look of Trix!"...and I just shook my head, today's kids will never know

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    PeepPeep the duck
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    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    I did this in the shower recently, a new bottle of body wash I’dnever think of buying (lime and coconut) and then it smelt like my rich aunties apartment when we’d go over to use the pool and have to be rung in by security and weird people cos they were so rich etc. Boyfriend walks in the next night after a ciggi and I’m like that’s the smell 😂 add ciggis and it’s legit

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    The 90s really shaped the digital era, didn’t it? And it’s hard to imagine where we’d be today if we removed that chunk of history. Even so, we forgive you if you miss the day before social media, mobile phones and google.

    Or if you’d rather trip back in time, into your local video store after calling them using an old fashioned dialing telephone. What were your favorite memories of the 1990s and what don’t you miss? Let us know in the comments.

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    #27

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    G A
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My balls are dusty, I need to take them out and give them a quick rub....90s computer humour.

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    #31

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    Breeezy78
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Schwan's driver here... Deliver to Mid -Michigan... Name changed to Yelloh and we hate that! 😂

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    #33

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    Carl Roberts
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Taco Bell, Burger King, McDonald's all once had unique, lively, iconic designs. Now they all look like, bland, generic beige boxes.

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    #37

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    The Announcer
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Flavor for 10 seconds and bubbles that would cover your entire face when your friend popped it.

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    SkyBlueandBlack
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    And then mom buys shoes two sizes too big, but she's back a month later because the shoes are completely trashed and she expects them replaced AND a full refund. Sorry, lady. Sure, call corporate on me. It's two hours later in Kansas and they're gone for the day.

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    #41

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    Traveling Lady Railfan
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Back row l-r: Professor, grimace, mayor mc cheese, Capt crook Middle row l-r: birdie the early bird, cheeseburgular, Front row: fry kids. Most of these characters were introduced in the 1970s, birdie was introduced after breakfast came to McDonald's in the 80s

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    #46

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    Traveling Lady Railfan
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This screenshot is from the episode (as described) which was KOTH from season Three, episode two (" and they call it Bobby Love")

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    Carl Roberts
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Neither of those is from the 90's. RAZR, introduced 2004. iPod Nano 3rd gen, introduced 2007.

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    Justin Tyme
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of my cousins had this. I remember he got mad because I outscored him the first time I played.

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    #52

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    Taru K
    Community Member
    3 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Well, that is the cast of Scream and I wouldn't call them kids or even teens as all of them were adults when they filmed the movie.

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    G A
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Great film but the ending sucked Couldn't carry through the courage of their convictions and made him a bad guy and punished him. Would have been much better if the last 10 minutes was ditched and he just drove off.

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    G A
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Seriously, is that a grown up little person? Why would a little kid have such an old person's haircut and massive head, and pearls and earrings?

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    G A
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The art director on the photoshoot was an am-dram theatre director too....

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    Joen Chau
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    Still have them today except you don't break your neck playing

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    Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
    Community Member
    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    The one machine I beat at the arcade. Me my brother and two other kids tackled that thing and finished that game.

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    Moë
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    My grandfather ate that for breakfast for probably like 40 years

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    A Jones
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    3 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    This reminds me of the brain freeze straws 7-11 had. I wish I kept mine. But my folks threw out my stuff without consent. Trust issues. Jokes on them though, antiques can sell for hundreds.

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