Disclaimer for Mods: I bet you're considering immediately locking this thread right after realizing it's going to be decadeology based but please hear me out. I made this thread with the intention of respectful and thoughtful discussion, however, I am also aware that threads like these are more susceptible to creating arguments and controversy. If this thread does become heated like that, I will lock it myself, but for now, I wanna keep it open for those who do want to have a positive discussion relating to this.

The '00s are a decade that seems to spark the most interest out of the majority of the inthe00s userbase than any other decade, and for good reason. It was a decade that the vast majority of us either finished high school in, spent most teen years in, spent most childhood in, or even at the very least started kindergarten in, plus everyone on this site was alive at some point in the decade.
So, along with our interest in the decade itself comes an interest in dividing the decade into eras that supposedly all share a unique vibe to it.

Now, if you ask me, I'd say two of the top three most transitional years of the '00s are 2004 and 2007, for reasons I've already discussed numerously on other threads.
The shift I find to be the most overrated and over exaggerated on this forum, and a few others, would definitely be the 2006 shift. Yes, there were some big breakthroughs in 2006, biggest one being the 7th Gaming Generation coming in full swing, but a lot of the other points brought up for this shift are nothing more than molehills that people try to make look like mountains, especially when it's something TV-related.
As for the MOST transformative year of the '00s, it's 2001, there's no questioning that at all. 9/11 and the start of the War on Terror and creation of the Department of Homeland Security alone puts it at the top, but 2001 is also when the 6th Gaming Generation came in full swing along with the release of huge groundbreaking titles such as Grand Theft Auto III, Halo: Combat Evolved, and Super Smash Bros. Melee, plus it was when Y2K teen pop started to die off, when the iPod came out, and when movie series such as Shrek, Harry Potter, Fast & the Furious, Lord of the Rings, and Oceans all started out.

Anyways, that's not the point of this thread. I have noticed some arguing, mostly positive-natured, but still arguing nonetheless, about which years of the '00s were more transitional, when a certain era of the '00s started and ended, etcetera etcetera.

Here's the truth.
EVERY year of the '00s had something of a major social, political, technological, or pop cultural transition or breakthrough, absolutely no year of the '00s is exceptional in this regard. You can debate all day about which years were more transformative than others, but at the end of the day, EVERY year of the '00s was transformative.
The '00s were absolutely the most transformative decade since the '60s. We started out that decade with less than half of the American public owning the internet, and we ended it with social media being a dominant platform. We started out that decade with cell phones that weren't able to do much besides call and play a snake game, and we ended it with cell phones with high-speed internet and recreational applications. We started out that decade when VHS was the standard for movies, and we ended it when Netflix streaming service was becoming popular. We started out that decade with Colorado, Nevada, and Virginia being deep red states that voted decisively for Bush in 2000, and by 2008 they voted decisively for a Democrat, who was also our first African American president. We started out that decade with HD being absolutely unheard of, and we ended it with HD TVs being standard in American homes.
This sort of transition doesn't just happen in a short period of time, a change like this doesn't just happen overnight or even within a short period of months. If only a select few years of the '00s were transitional, 2000 and 2009 wouldn't have been as different as they are. Every year of the '00s was transitional in one way or another.

Now, I can understand why some like to take part in debates like this. One plus side to these decadeology posts is creativity, it takes creative thinking to determine when a certain era ends and one begins. You could also use your own personal experiences, but using that can also bring about bias, as it may lead you to feel that years that were more transformative in your personal life were, therefore, more transformative overall.
I commend creative thinking, but hey, don't sweat it, let's just agree that the '00s as an entire decade were transformative.

Anyways, any thoughts or concerns relating to this thread? I'll be glad to answer.  :)

Interesting. I'd say changes in your personal life may subconsciously factor into where you feel the "big shifts" take place.

Interesting. I'd say changes in your personal life may subconsciously factor into where you feel the "big shifts" take place.
And also that someone can be a fan of a pop cultural trend whether it's music, movies, fashion, etc.

I don't want to sound rude, but I really don't get the point in this thread.

Obviously, the first year of the decade is going to be different from the last. 1990 felt different from 1999 and 2010 feels different from now. There really isn't any Facts" about cultural shifts or transitions because it's solely an opinion. If you think 2001 was the most transitional, that's fine. I would disagree with 2004 being more transitional than 2008, but again, that's just my opinion.

I don't want to sound rude, but I really don't get the point in this thread.

Obviously, the first year of the decade is going to be different from the last. 1990 felt different from 1999 and 2010 feels different from now. There really isn't any Facts" about cultural shifts or transitions because it's solely an opinion. If you think 2001 was the most transitional, that's fine. I would disagree with 2004 being more transitional than 2008, but again, that's just my opinion.


I think what he was trying to get at was that the rapid change of the 2000s made the years 2000 & 2009 seem much more different than other decades. Obviously a 9 year difference is going to be stark, but one could say that the difference between 2000 & 2009 was more than stark, and arguably a generational shift. Similar to the 1960s & 1990s in that regard, two other VERY transformative decades within the last half century.

There's always going to be some sort of "shift" each year given that no two years are identical.

I personally am going to disagree with most people here who are saying the '00s were the most transformative decade.  In some ways, such as technology, they were.  However, the '90s were in many ways as transformative if not moreso.  In fact I would say the '90s were as different from the '80s as the '60s were compared to the '50s.  When it comes to overall zeitgeist and broader cultural transformation, I think both the '90s and the '10s were more transformative than the '00s.  Of course I'm an '80s-born and most people posting here these days are '00s babies or at least '90s-borns.  However, having lived through three complete decades (and remembering them), I believe the '00s were the most consistent of the three decades.  The two years of the decade that really stand out as being different were 2000 and 2009.  2000 aligned more with the '90s and 2009 with the '10s.  I agree on 2001 setting the tone for the entire decade and it wasn't until late 2008 that the world really seemed radically different from that.

I personally am going to disagree with most people here who are saying the '00s were the most transformative decade.  In some ways, such as technology, they were.  However, the '90s were in many ways as transformative if not moreso.  In fact I would say the '90s were as different from the '80s as the '60s were compared to the '50s.  When it comes to overall zeitgeist and broader cultural transformation, I think both the '90s and the '10s were more transformative than the '00s.  Of course I'm an '80s-born and most people posting here these days are '00s babies or at least '90s-borns.  However, having lived through three complete decades (and remembering them), I believe the '00s were the most consistent of the three decades.  The two years of the decade that really stand out as being different were 2000 and 2009.  2000 aligned more with the '90s and 2009 with the '10s.  I agree on 2001 setting the tone for the entire decade and it wasn't until late 2008 that the world really seemed radically different from that.


I believe the 10's without a question has been the most transformative decade politically when it comes to the issues going on around our country, world and social media but when it comes to everything else like technology and our every day pop culture I don't believe it's been that transformative. There's been differences when it comes to technology and pop culture but not as big as the 90's and 00's IMO.

I believe the 10's without a question has been the most transformative decade politically when it comes to the issues going on around our country, world and social media but when it comes to everything else like technology and our every day pop culture I don't believe it's been that transformative. There's been differences when it comes to technology and pop culture but not as big as the 90's and 00's IMO.

What do you mean in terms of pop culture? If music is one of them, then I disagree. Music has changed a lot in this decade. This is coming from someone who listens to 2010's music and has been keeping up with it since 2012.

Do you pay attention to 2010's pop culture?

What do you mean in terms of pop culture? If music is one of them, then I disagree. Music has changed a lot in this decade. This is coming from someone who listens to 2010's music and has been keeping up with it since 2012.

Do you pay attention to 2010's pop culture?


No doubt. I've spent my whole high school and college years in this decade.

What do you mean in terms of pop culture? If music is one of them, then I disagree. Music has changed a lot in this decade. This is coming from someone who listens to 2010's music and has been keeping up with it since 2012.


I agree on music.  Music right now is very different compared to a few years ago.  I was honestly worried that I was aging out of being able to enjoy pop music in the mid '10s but then 2017 happened.

I would say the one thing that really was consistent in the '10s is the technology.  Most of the stuff that has defined this decade was already in place by 2009.  In 2009 we already had smartphones and HDTVs and in 2010, modern tablets arrived.  Everything since has been a slow evolution from that.  There were a few attempts this decade at revolutionary, truly world-changing devices eg Google Glass, but nothing really caught on.

When it comes to fashion, that has also been very changeful this decade.  It started with emo/scene still relevant (though on its way out).  Hipsterdom followed that and peaked around 2015.  Nowadays hipster culture seems to be on the decline, though I'm not sure what is replacing it.

I agree on music.  Music right now is very different compared to a few years ago.  I was honestly worried that I was aging out of being able to enjoy pop music in the mid '10s but then 2017 happened.

I would say the one thing that really was consistent in the '10s is the technology.  Most of the stuff that has defined this decade was already in place by 2009.  In 2009 we already had smartphones and HDTVs and in 2010, modern tablets arrived.  Everything since has been a slow evolution from that.  There were a few attempts this decade at revolutionary, truly world-changing devices eg Google Glass, but nothing really caught on.

When it comes to fashion, that has also been very changeful this decade.  It started with emo/scene still relevant (though on its way out).  Hipsterdom followed that and peaked around 2015.  Nowadays hipster culture seems to be on the decline, though I'm not sure what is replacing it.


Music has definitely changed, but I don't agree that it was a bigger change than what occurred throughout the 90's and 00's. Compare 1990 to 1998 and 2000 to 2008 and you'll find that they're worlds apart, especially the former. 2010 is definitely outdated now, but it doesn't feel like ages ago. In fact, this decade felt like 50 shades of electro (pop, indie, rock, rap, etc). Trap is probably the only real major change.

Change of fashion/hairstyles were probably a little bit slower in the 00's compared to now, but again that's even debatable. 2000 still had a lot of lingering late 90's bowl cuts, bangs, baggy clothes, and cargo pants. By '08, those were definitely outdated. For the 10's, there was a lingering emo/scene look in 2010 that really died off shortly after. The V-neck/gelled hair look (aka Jersey Shore) predated the 10's by a few years and lasted until roughly circa 2012/13. The "yupster" look really defines mid/late 10's fashion. Either way, I can see arguments for both decades regarding fashion. Neither decade was as transformative as the 90's though. No one could get away with 1990 fashion/hairstyles in 1998.

Technology will have to go to the 00's though for the biggest change.

Music has definitely changed, but I don't agree that it was a bigger change than what occurred throughout the 90's and 00's. Compare 1990 to 1998 and 2000 to 2008 and you'll find that they're worlds apart, especially the former. 2010 is definitely outdated now, but it doesn't feel like ages ago. In fact, this decade felt like 50 shades of electro (pop, indie, rock, rap, etc). Trap is probably the only real major change.

Change of fashion/hairstyles were probably a little bit slower in the 00's compared to now, but again that's even debatable. 2000 still had a lot of lingering late 90's bowl cuts, bangs, baggy clothes, and cargo pants. By '08, those were definitely outdated. For the 10's, there was a lingering emo/scene look in 2010 that really died off shortly after. The V-neck/gelled hair look (aka Jersey Shore) predated the 10's by a few years and lasted until roughly circa 2012/13. The "yupster" look really defines mid/late 10's fashion. Either way, I can see arguments for both decades regarding fashion. Neither decade was as transformative as the 90's though. No one could get away with 1990 fashion/hairstyles in 1998.

Technology will have to go to the 00's though for the biggest change.


HANDS DOWN!!!! This is my WHOLE point. I'm not saying there weren't any changes throughout the 2010's in pop culture of fashion, music and technology because the changes are noticeable. My biggest problem is anyone saying that 2010's pop culture has been more drastic and faster in changes than the 90's and 00's because that's just not true. If you compare early 90's photos to late 90's photos and early 00's photos to late 00's photos that will explain in a nutshell how more changing the 90's and 00's are than the 10's have been. When it comes to POLITICS that's the only factor of the 2010's that's been very transformative or more changing than the 90's and 00's. The Obama era feels like light years apart from the Trump era. Including the rise of ISIS, terrorist attacks, police brutality, movements and protests, extreme rightest and leftist groups, our politically correct world, etc. stuff that weren't around or as big back in the early 2010's compared to now.

HANDS DOWN!!!! This is my WHOLE point. I'm not saying there weren't any changes throughout the 2010's in pop culture of fashion, music and technology because the changes are noticeable. My biggest problem is anyone saying that 2010's pop culture has been more drastic and faster in changes than the 90's and 00's because that's just not true. If you compare early 90's photos to late 90's photos and early 00's photos to late 00's photos that will explain in a nutshell how more changing the 90's and 00's are than the 10's have been. When it comes to POLITICS that's the only factor of the 2010's that's been very transformative or more changing than the 90's and 00's. The Obama era feels like light years apart from the Trump era. Including the rise of ISIS, terrorist attacks, police brutality, movements and protests, extreme rightest and leftist groups, our politically correct world, etc. stuff that weren't around or as big back in the early 2010's compared to now.


True. The political climate and culture is what changed a lot during the 10's. Even Obama's 2nd term during the mid 10's felt different (darker, pessimistic) compared to his first term during the early 10's (happier, lighter, even despite the Recession). Technology for the most part is the same, even though we went from the iPhone 4 to 8 and newer versions of Samsung Galaxy and less HTC, smartphones overall are all pretty much the same. Music hasn't really changed much either, mainly generic and mediocre sounding pop and terrible sounding rap. Movies have mostly been dominated by the Avengers.