10 signs you were born in the 1990s

If you were born in the 1990s, there’s a chance you remember a pre-Internet-obsessed existence. No Google, no cell phones, no social media. That also means no texting — no immediate connection to anyone else. And no spontaneous photoshoots unless you lugged a big ole digital camera with you.

Still, the culture was rich and it shaped what you wore, the music you listened to, and how you spoke.

Here are 10 signs you were born in the 1990s. 

You remember what it was like to use dial-up internet.

One of the highlights of life back then was using this newfangled invention called the World Wide Web (entered the mainstream in 1993). You remember waiting for your parent or sibling to get off the phone so you could go online. In fact, when someone mentions dial-up internet, you distinctly recall the dialing sound/noise. Good times.

You had fun in the physical world and the digital world.

Despite your parents’ disapproval, you watched TV, played computer games, and chatted with strangers in virtual chatrooms. But unlike today’s generation, you also enjoyed playing outdoors with your friends. You knew your neighborhood like the back of your hand.

You remember Pokémon as a cartoon.

Like many of your peers, you spent hours watching Pokémon. Buying and trading collectible cards was one of your obsessions. Little wonder then that you don’t associate your favorite childhood cartoon with the newfangled game called Pokémon Go.

You were thrilled you could fit 12 whole songs on an MP3 player.

The iconic Walkman and Discman of the 1980s were replaced by a new gadget called an MP3 player. Even though it could only store a handful of songs and the sound quality was average, we all had or wanted one as a status symbol. For the sake of nostalgia, you can still find MP3 players on Amazon and eBay today. Tech-culture site Ars Technica took an old Rio MPM300 on a road test back in 2016.

“Whatever” was one of your favorite words

Slang changes from generation to generation, so ‘90s slang sounds outdated to kids today. Terms like “whatever”, “oh snap” and “as if” are no longer cool, but you probably still use them. More profoundly, you can’t relate to the slang words that are popular today — that is, if you know them at all.

Parting your hair to the side was fashionable.

The ‘90s were a time when side parts were in trend. If you parted your hair in the middle, you were definitely not one of the cool kids. Isn’t it funny how things are the exact opposite today?

Renting movies from the video store felt like an adventure.

Visiting the video store (whether small and local or Tower Records) was so much fun because it was a ritual that happened regularly — with endless possibilities. All the variety on Netflix can’t compare to the excitement of strolling down the aisles and picking something that looked interesting.

You passed notes in class instead of texting.

Passing handwritten notes in class was risky, and you were even caught at times, but it was fun. Plus, there was no other option because ‘90s kids didn’t have cell phones.

You couldn’t ignore Britney Spears.

Regardless of musical taste, everyone knew who Britney Spears was. Because she was the “it girl” back then. It was impossible to ignore the global pop star because she and her chart-topping hits and tabloid headlines were everywhere.

You (or your parents) might remember what you were doing when you heard the news that:

• Nelson Mandela was a free man after 27 whole years of imprisonment in 1990.
• Princess Diana passed away due to injuries from a horrible car crash in 1997.
• Bill Clinton’s name repeatedly came up in a sex scandal in 1998.  
• Terrorist planes flew into the World Trade Centre’s twin towers and took many innocent lives in 2001.
  Friends (the TV show) was canceled in 2004. And depending on what you thought of it, you you either celebrated or mourned.

See also:

Signs you were born in the 1980s

Signs you were born in the 1970s

Signs you were born in the 1960s