In my mind, the 90s were super recent. But it pains me to admit that this time was actually 25+ years ago, and the world has changed an incredible amount since then. What we call cell phones today would be unrecognizable to people in the 90s, and the internet has had a larger impact on our world than anyone could have ever predicted. Fashion from that time looks retro today, and even the lingo that teens use now wouldn’t make any sense to young people 30 years ago.
But no matter how much time has passed since the 90s, we still remember it like it was yesterday because that period is full of nostalgic memories. That’s why pages like 90sKidz90s on Instagram are such hits. This account, which has amassed an impressive 278k followers since its creation in 2015, can immediately flood visitors with memories from childhood. “From Johnny Tsunami to Britney and Justin’s joutfit, this page is for everyone who still dreams about being on Legends of the Hidden Temple,” the description states.
To learn more about the wild world of the 1990s, we reached out to Chelsea Woodward and Jillian Diaz Cringle, hosts of the Worked For 90s Kids! podcast. First, we wanted to know what comes to mind for Chelsea and Jillian when they think of this iconic decade.
“When we think of the 90s, we think of the beauty of being bored in an analog world. We were the last generation to not have the world at our fingertips, so we had to create our own,” Chelsea and Jillian shared. “A simple question such as, ‘Who was the main actor in that movie?’ could inspire a long debate amongst friends and maybe even a trip to Blockbuster, an adventure.”
“Now, instead of tuning into an episode of Pop-Up Video on VH1 to learn random facts about our favorite music and artists, we just pop out our phones and Google, the whole experience surrendered in 60 seconds or less,” Chelsea and Jillian continued.
“We associate so much joy with the 90s. Pop culture had a major boom, the grunge music was amazing, playground equipment was still deadly, the fashion was ridiculous but somehow iconic, and forbidden food items lined the grocery store shelves and our stomachs,” the hosts added.
We also got in touch with 90s expert and host of the History of the 90s podcast, Kathy Kenzora, to hear what she associates the decade with. “The 1990s was a time when peace seemed possible,” Kathy shared. “The decade began with the reunification of Germany following the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Thirteen months later, the USSR collapsed, and the Cold War was over.”
“In February 1990, Nelson Mandela was released from prison as apartheid ended in South Africa, and four years later, he was elected the country's first Black president,” the host continued. “The Good Friday Agreement ended an era known as The Troubles in Northern Ireland. And peace even seemed possible in the Middle East when Israel and the PLO signed a historic agreement that recognized each other's right to exist and established the Palestinian Authority.”
“The 90s were a decade of incredible change,” Kathy added. “When I started working in a newsroom in 1989, we were still using typewriters, teletype machines to get news copy and reel to reel machines to record audio. By 1999, we had computers, the internet and email, and all audio was now digital. In 10 short years, everything completely changed. It was amazing to experience such a massive shift in technology.”
We were also curious if the podcast hosts enjoyed living in the 90s. “Even though we had very different experiences growing up, one thing we have in common is we absolutely loved growing up in the 90s,” Chelsea and Jillian told Bored Panda. “Whether the world was safer or our parents were delusional, we as kids had so much freedom back then.”
“After school, Chelsea and her friends would hop on their bikes and explore the woods, or ride to get ice cream, creating silly games born of their imagination along the way,” they shared. “Jill was a classic ‘90s latchkey kid, with afternoons spent watching cartoons and MTV with her sisters, or playing in their backyard. Our parents were never completely sure where we were, we just had to be back before dinner.”
Kathy also added that she misses the “appointment TV” of the 90s. “There was nothing like going to work or wherever and talking with everyone about an episode of your favorite show (i.e. Seinfeld) that aired the night before,” she shared. “We experienced more things collectively in the 90s. Today, our viewing habits are so fragmented that it's rare to have those kinds of experiences.”
However, Kathy noted that she does not miss all of the TV shows from the 90s. “I was not a fan of shows like Jerry Springer and Jenny Jones which were all the rage in the 90s,” she shared. “It felt icky to watch people who were often at their lowest point in life. Especially now that we know a lot of times those people were plied with alcohol before coming on the show, so that they would open up more.”
