I miss the early 2010s. I feel like everything was so positive. I know I’m probably blinded by nostalgia but even without nostalgia I feel like it was just a carefree time. Everyone was partying with electro pop, we were getting over the financial crisis, the first black president was in office, gay rights were becoming widely accepted, and it was just super progressive. YouTube, Instagram, and Twitter were popping off and still exciting. I feel like it was a super artsy time with hipsters and stuff, and even though they became annoying after a while I still liked the subculture. All we had to get upset over was Justin Bieber and Miley Cyrus twerking at the VMAs. Good times  :)

Yes, very happy indeed! I was in employment, having many a holiday at places I could only dream of.

I was thinking about how the entire 2008-2012 period was good, despite the recession.

It was ok. I think it was much better than today.

Not for me. Economic depression, layoffs, record high gas prices, was already financially crippled. Then got taken to court by my kid’s mom which proved to be too much for my then current wife to handle and we divorced 2012. 2009 was no picnic either as it was one of the most cold wet miserable summers on record.

The early 2010s are a very interesting time period precisely because of the juxtaposition between image and reality. Somehow, the early 2010s has gone down as a happy, optimistic time due to the image pop culture projected at the time. I myself often fall into this nostalgic tendency to view the period favorably as I was a college student and, as such, relatively isolated from the negative trends of the era.

That said, in many ways, the 2010s was not a happy time for a lot of people. Unemployment remained stubbornly high until Obama's second term, movements such as the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street were a harbinger of a more radical and divided political scene, and average income remained stubbornly below 2008 levels until just a few years ago.

The era was a good era for me personally, and it certainly projected a happy image, but that image might perhaps be related to it being an escape from the more negative tendencies of the era.

Better than 2020 though.

The early 2010s are a very interesting time period precisely because of the juxtaposition between image and reality. Somehow, the early 2010s has gone down as a happy, optimistic time due to the image pop culture projected at the time. I myself often fall into this nostalgic tendency to view the period favorably as I was a college student and, as such, relatively isolated from the negative trends of the era.

That said, in many ways, the 2010s was not a happy time for a lot of people. Unemployment remained stubbornly high until Obama's second term, movements such as the Tea Party and Occupy Wall Street were a harbinger of a more radical and divided political scene, and average income remained stubbornly below 2008 levels until just a few years ago.

The era was a good era for me personally, and it certainly projected a happy image, but that image might perhaps be related to it being an escape from the more negative tendencies of the era.

Better than 2020 though.


I suppose this is true. Jeez, has any time period that I’ve been alive been “a happy time”? Cause you could argue that the whole 00s decade was not a good time either, with 9/11 happening at the start, the war, terrorism and Katrina in the middle and the economic crash at the end. And then the early 2010s the economy was still bad, and the mid-late 2010s there was so much tension, division and a lot of disasters, too. The first year I remember is 2003. I guess compared to the other times I’ve been alive, the early 2010s seems slightly more optimistic.

I’m really wondering how much this year is clouding my judgement of the past. I don’t even know anymore. Life last year seems like a dream..

I really miss this era. I was a little kid back then, the pop culture atmosphere was so optimistic aside from the great recession, the music was super upbeat, the fashion was bright and colorful, its such a time to be alive then.

Nowadays, its completely 180. No explanation for this, today sucks and lacks cultural variety and creativity.

No it wasn't. The economy was in the toilet and the music was horrible. In my humble opinion at least.

I agree, both pop-culturally and personally. Sadly, the mid-2010s turned sour for me when my mom passed in 2014, but 2015 made it up for me due to the support I got from my friends and family.

But anyways, any year from the 2010s would be miles better than 2020, but the 2010-2012 period will always a special place in my heart as being fun for a kid like me. I feel sad for kids today who have to live with pandemic life like the rest of us.  :\'( :\'(

Really crappy time period, the economy was slowing crawling out of the hole that was the Great Recession, social tensions were alreay starting to rise with the Tea Party protests, then the Occupy movement.

But I'm looking at that time period through the lens of someone who was already an adult back then, most posters on here are very young so they were likely little kids, its going to make the perception different.

Things have gotten a lot worse though, so I would take the early 2010s over 2020.

The economy obviously sucked, and even at 16 I experienced that by spending months going from store to store applying for jobs, but there wasn’t the social or political tensions that exist now. No Trump or Brexit. No ISIS. Compared to post-2016 it was a pretty uneventful period. At least from a British perspective. The biggest scandal before 2016 was probably the opposition leader eating a bacon sandwich weirdly. The Occupy movement was a bit of a busted flush and didn’t last very long at all here.

We also had the Olympics which really gave us a big boost in national pride for probably the first time in years. In 2012 we looked like an outward-looking country, now it sometimes feels like the opposite. :-\\

The economy was terrible, the music was terrible, it wasn't much of a happy time to be honest.

The economy was terrible, the music was terrible, it wasn't much of a happy time to be honest.


I loved music circa 2013. Each to their own, though. Also, how old are you, Slim? Maybe cause I was a teen around that time and they say that the music you listen to when you’re 14 is the music that you like the most. I just love a lot of songs from that period.

I loved music circa 2013. Each to their own, though. Also, how old are you, Slim? Maybe cause I was a teen around that time and they say that the music you listen to when you’re 14 is the music that you like the most. I just love a lot of songs from that period.

I'm 25 now. I was an older teen then and I hated the era.

Really crappy time period, the economy was slowing crawling out of the hole that was the Great Recession, social tensions were alreay starting to rise with the Tea Party protests, then the Occupy movement.

But I'm looking at that time period through the lens of someone who was already an adult back then, most posters on here are very young so they were likely little kids, its going to make the perception different.

Things have gotten a lot worse though, so I would take the early 2010s over 2020.


Just wondering, what periods of recent history would you consider not to be crappy? I know the late 90s was considered good cause the economy was booming.

I agree, both pop-culturally and personally. Sadly, the mid-2010s turned sour for me when my mom passed in 2014, but 2015 made it up for me due to the support I got from my friends and family.

But anyways, any year from the 2010s would be miles better than 2020, but the 2010-2012 period will always a special place in my heart as being fun for a kid like me. I feel sad for kids today who have to live with pandemic life like the rest of us.  :\'( :\'(


I’m so sorry to here about your mom. I lost my two grandmas in 2016 so I can relate. And yea, I honestly can’t imagine what it’s like to be a kid right now. 2010-2013 will always have a place in my heart, too. I used to say I feel like I’m perpetually stuck in 2012. It’s true in a way.

Just wondering, what periods of recent history would you consider not to be crappy? I know the late 90s was considered good cause the economy was booming.

To me, things started getting gradually worse in 2005 little by little. In the 2005 - 2006 school year, that's when things noticeably started to suck and by the end of 2006 you knew everything was on a fast track to hell.

To me, things started getting gradually worse in 2005 little by little. In the 2005 - 2006 school year, that's when things noticeably started to suck and  by the end of 2006 you knew everything was on a fast track to hell.


The early 2000s did have 9/11 and the beginning of the war, though. I think it’s really hard for anyone to judge objectively because everyone is blinded by their own nostalgia.

The early 2000s did have 9/11 and the beginning of the war, though. I think it’s really hard for anyone to judge objectively because everyone is blinded by their own nostalgia.

Yes it did but at least pop culture wasn't completely in the toilet yet and at least not everyone was looking down on their phones all the time and they were able to function without social media.

Yes it did but at least pop culture wasn't completely in the toilet yet and at least not everyone was looking down on their phones all the time and they were able to function without social media.


Ok, the pop culture isn’t completely in the toilet! Cmon, it’s not that bad  ::) maybe you gotta try harder looking for stuff you like. There’s more music out there than ever before.

Ok, the pop culture isn’t completely in the toilet! Cmon, it’s not that bad  ::) maybe you gotta try harder looking for stuff you like. There’s more music out there than ever before.

Yes it is. Also if you compare today's pop culture with anything before 1997 even you'll notice a night and day difference. Pop culture has just gotten progressively worse. And in the late 2000s it turned into garbage on the whole.

It was definitely a great time to be a kid. It really did feel like things were starting to change for the better between late 2008 -  2012/2013. Obviously the economy was terrible, but at least we had a sensible president. Politics weren't as divided. Things were starting to become more progressive with things like diversity, inclusion, LGBT, but at the same time it was before wokeness, cancel culture and political correctness took over. Race relations weren't as bad during pre-Trayvon Marton. People were very excited for the first black president, and it was especially great for my family to witness because we're an interracial family and I'm also biracial like Obama. There wasn't as big as an obsession with identity politics like there is now. It really felt like the last time people were "normal" if that makes sense.

To me, things started getting gradually worse in 2005 little by little. In the 2005 - 2006 school year, that's when things noticeably started to suck and by the end of 2006 you knew everything was on a fast track to hell.

I doubt you were thinking that as an 11 year old. ;D The only thing that changed in 2005 from my perspective was certain cartoons disappeared. Otherwise it was essentially the same as 2004. There was nothing special about it, for better or worse.

OP, I’d ignore these misery guts. Don’t let other people’s opinions change how you feel about a particular era. I’m 25 as well and most people my age would consider it a good time.

I doubt you were thinking that as an 11 year old. ;D The only thing that changed in 2005 from my perspective was certain cartoons disappeared. Otherwise it was essentially the same as 2004. There was nothing special about it, for better or worse.

OP, I’d ignore these misery guts. Don’t let other people’s opinions change how you feel about a particular era.

Well actually yeah I did think that. That's why I wasn't listening to mainstream music and only stuck to underground music in 2006.

Well actually yeah I did think that. That's why I wasn't listening to mainstream music and only stuck to underground music in 2006.

So you were an 11 year old underground punk or something? ;D

So you were an 11 year old underground punk or something? ;D

I was listening to Indie music mostly from Canadian artists at that time.

I was listening to Indie music mostly from Canadian artists at that time.


Was one of them Skye Sweetnam? Though technically she was mainstream since some her songs from that album charted.

Was one of them Skye Sweetnam? Though technically she was mainstream since some her songs from that album charted.

No, I liked Rex Goudie and more unknown singers.

I was thinking recently how nostalgic I am getting for the first half of the 2010s and I'm in my early 40s!

2010-2014 looking back felt relatively normal and stable around most of the world. Sure there were occasional tragic news events (Sandy Hook, Boston Marathon) but they didn't occur at a frequency so regular like 2015 onwards, the year the world got bitterly divided.

Overall it was one of the most exciting times of my adult years and got to travel a lot and working in the dating and lifestyle coaching industry really boosted confidence for me socially least not with attractive women I fancied. This is probably the last time of normality for a lot of the world. SJW insanity and all sorts of ultra-PC identity politics woke nonsense did not register on anyone's radar back then. Even if there were signs looking back, they were very minor and discreet that nobody in the mainstream really paid attention.

At least it kept some of the 2000s aesthetic I love. Now it's gone forever.

At least it kept some of the 2000s aesthetic I love. Now it's gone forever.

It's true it was still around with Windows 7 and IOS 6 and Android Jelly Bean but the early 2010s were already heavily under modern aesthetics. Even as early as 2008 you started to notice it with logo changes and more flat UI designed for touch. And you can't forget about Windows 8 modern UI.

The early 2010s was not a happy time at all. Where do I begin? With the recession or the school shooting? Should I even mention the bad boring music and tacky and cheesy fashion? There are no movies or TV shows from this era that redeem it as well. Sure I'd rather live in a time without the global pandemic going on now. But I'm not gonna shy away from being honest and saying the era was really bad. It lacked any creativity or originality. Early 2010s nostalgia will be skipped for me personally, except 2013. 2013 and after was a lot better.

It's true it was still around with Windows 7 and IOS 6 and Android Jelly Bean but the early 2010s were already heavily under modern aesthetics. Even as early as 2008 you started to notice it with logo changes and more flat UI designed for touch. And you can't forget about Windows 8 modern UI.

I'm more concerned about the fashion and music. I liked skeumorphism too but I do find it's a bit elitist - you would need both a degree in art and computer science to design good UIs with such a design language, whereas these days the art side may matter less.

The early 2010s was not a happy time at all. Where do I begin? With the recession or the school shooting? Should I even mention the bad boring music and tacky and cheesy fashion? There are no movies or TV shows from this era that redeem it as well. Sure I'd rather live in a time without the global pandemic going on now. But I'm not gonna shy away from being honest and saying the era was really bad. It lacked any creativity or originality. Early 2010s nostalgia will be skipped for me personally, except 2013. 2013 and after was a lot better.


Yeah, the economy was bad but I liked the upbeat electropop music and the classy dressed up look. It's my favorite part of the decade. The way I ranked the periods: Early 10's > Late 10's > Mid 10's. The late 2013/early 2014 period (or 2013-14 school year for those who were in school at the time) was the absolute low point, almost as bad as 2020 if not worse.

I guess it depends on who you are really. For me, they were a relatively fine period in my life as I still lived with and relied on my parents, and didn't really need a job yet (studying). The music was mostly crap but, I'll take it over the crap music from the 2000s anyday. There were plently of good movies from 2010 and 2012 (2011 was kinda weak). The Television on the otherhand was fantastic, we had The Walking Dead (first season was good), Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones, Modern Family, Mad Men and much more obviously. For Animated Shows, the early 2010s was pretty good with, Adventure Time, Regular Show, The Amazing World of Gumball, Family Guy was still good, Futurama was still on the air and there are more I didn't include. Overall, it depends on the individual, my parents are very nostalgic over the 1970s but, my grandparents thought they were absolute crap. A lot of people my age get very nostalgic for the early 2000s but, I hated them when I was living through them. A period of time that I can confidently call good though is the mid/late 1990s.

I really miss this era too, second-most after the 2000s. Especially compared to how crappy and miserable the world currently is.

I really miss this era too, second-most after the 2000s. Especially compared to how crappy and miserable the world currently is.


Agreed, the early 2010s were much better compared to this current era.

Agreed, the early 2010s were much better compared to this current era.


Same

Agreed, the early 2010s were much better compared to this current era.

Same
Ditto!