It may be from watching too many shows like Melrose Place/Party of 5 (which I actually haven't seen for ages), or even movies like Cruel Intentions or Clueless, but It's always seemed teenagers in the 90s seemed more mature and 'adult-like' then teens today, which seem sort of immature and childlike. Maybe it's because I was so young in the 90s so teenagers seemed as good as adults, but it does also seem adolescents sort of 'came of age' earlier in the 90s. Whether you were a teen in the 90s or not, what do you think of this idea?

It may be from watching too many shows like Melrose Place/Party of 5 (which I actually haven't seen for ages), or even movies like Cruel Intentions or Clueless, but It's always seemed teenagers in the 90s seemed more mature and 'adult-like' then teens today, which seem sort of immature and childlike. Maybe it's because I was so young in the 90s so teenagers seemed as good as adults, but it does also seem adolescents sort of 'came of age' earlier in the 90s. Whether you were a teen in the 90s or not, what do you think of this idea?


Bit of a convoluted response but here goes...90's teens were more mature, but 2000's teens grow up faster.

Teens nowadays are wild, experimenting with sex, drugs, and alcohol, getting tattoos and piercings at frighteningly young ages (some as young as 13) but 2000's teens are far more materialistic and have there brains frozen at 13 until they're around 19-20. They're just dumber, many of them fit the Paris Hilton mold.

90's teens were smarter and definitely more restrained. When they "came of age" they literally grew up, people nowadays have the freedom to act like teenagers until there mid 20's.

Bit of a convoluted response but here goes...90's teens were more mature, but 2000's teens grow up faster.

Teens nowadays are wild, experimenting with sex, drugs, and alcohol, getting tattoos and piercings at frighteningly young ages (some as young as 13) but 2000's teens are far more materialistic and have there brains frozen at 13 until they're around 19-20. They're just dumber, many of them fit the Paris Hilton mold.

90's teens were smarter and definitely more restrained. When they "came of age" they literally grew up, people nowadays have the freedom to act like teenagers until there mid 20's.

Alright, I'm a 2000's teen. However, I'm mature. I don't do sex, drugs, alcohol, tattoos, piercings. I'm sort of a '90s teen. I have good judgement and I never get in trouble at home or school. I've noticed a lot of teens think they're grown up, but get the picture! Most people consider teens still children!

The '90s were a grow-up fast sort of decade.

In general, yes they do.

In general, yes they do.


Glad so many people agree with me. My sister keeps shoving in my face how 'mature' she is (and she's only 15), pretty much strutting around acting like a 19-year old, when I know many that age are still very irrational, impressionable.etc. If you consider drugs, alcohol etc 'growing up' then I grew up really late - but then I've always been a late bloomer in all respects.

I think I'd fit in much better being a teen in the 90s. I mean, while they did all the things teens did in the 90s, you're right there probably wasn't as much of a reckless abandon as today.

90's teens realized there was more to life than just sex, drugs, rock and roll, 2000's teens have regressed to the point that they think sex, drugs, and rock and roll are now a rite of passage.

90's teens realized there was more to life than just sex, drugs, rock and roll, 2000's teens have regressed to the point that they think sex, drugs, and rock and roll are now a rite of passage.


Yes, it does seem 90s teen were in general more politically involved/involved in the environment, social groups etc than 90s teens which seem to be indeed more materialistic. Of course the trinity of sex drugs and rock and roll have always been around, but I think you're right in that it's become a pre-occupation, and teens feel so much pressure to comply with the societal norms that even if you don't want to participate in these things they are eventually pressured into them.

I've noticed alot of todays teens just don't have much imagination,not creative at all.I guess that's tv's fault.

I've noticed alot of todays teens just don't have much imagination,not creative at all.I guess that's tv's fault.


You're right, their brains have been zombified by pop culture...

You're right, their brains have been zombified by pop culture...


But I'm sure people said that in the '80s about "mall loving, MTV watching" teenagers who "didn't do all that back in the '60s when we actually cared about stuff", and in the '60s about the "kids in the quiet '50s who didn't do wild things". It's all subjective to where we are now. ;)


Anyway, even though it also depends on the person, you might be right overall - at least with early '90s teens. Perhaps because the grunge scene was marketed more towards teens and not kids, so it was more appealing for a 15 year old in 1991 to grow up and become more "serious".

I can't really speak for myself (strictly biologically, I'm not quite a 100% '90s teen or a 100% '00s teen), since I never tried to be like everyone else or to follow the crowd, but it does seem when the boy band stuff really blew up in late 1998/early '99, that sort of made people seem "younger"/more appealing to be kidlike.

But I'm sure people said that in the '80s about "mall loving, MTV watching" teenagers who "didn't do all that back in the '60s when we actually cared about stuff", and in the '60s about the "kids in the quiet '50s who didn't do wild things". It's all subjective to where we are now. ;)


Anyway, even though it also depends on the person, you might be right overall - at least with early '90s teens. Perhaps because the grunge scene was marketed more towards teens and not kids, so it was more appealing for a 15 year old in 1991 to grow up and become more "serious".

I can't really speak for myself (strictly biologically, I'm not quite a 100% '90s teen or a 100% '00s teen), since I never tried to be like everyone else or to follow the crowd, but it does seem when the boy band stuff really blew up in late 1998/early '99, that sort of made people seem "younger"/more appealing to be kidlike.


As I too have observed the mainstream locus of pop culture has shifted from teens/early 20s in the late 60s, to the pre-teenage 'tweeny-boppers' as young as 10 or even 8. Boy Bands/pop were just appealing to that growing market. In the 90s, kids seemed to have more 'mature' tastes in music, and a cultivated taste in music was looked up upon ;-).

In my opinion, teens in both the 80s and 90s were definitely more mature than teenagers today. I'm sure there are exceptions, but looking at my immediate environment and teens in tv today, most teens are materialistic, irresponisble, boisterous, irrational. I think the dumbing down of teens can be attributed to these passive forms of entertainment they engage in. If they're not hanging out with their friends, they're either on the tv or the internet. Even in childhood, most used the internet, and never really participated in the "active" aspects of playing and interacting with others. The flashy/materialistic mentality in today's society, which was present in previous decades but not as prevalent also contributes to the spoiled nature of today's teens. I also agree with the reasons others have listed as to why this decade's teens are less mature than others.

In my opinion, teens in both the 80s and 90s were definitely more mature than teenagers today. I'm sure there are exceptions, but looking at my immediate environment and teens in tv today, most teens are materialistic, irresponisble, boisterous, irrational. I think the dumbing down of teens can be attributed to these passive forms of entertainment they engage in. If they're not hanging out with their friends, they're either on the tv or the internet. Even in childhood, most used the internet, and never really participated in the "active" aspects of playing and interacting with others. The flashy/materialistic mentality in today's society, which was present in previous decades but not as prevalent also contributes to the spoiled nature of today's teens. I also agree with the reasons others have listed as to why this decade's teens are less mature than others.


Hmm...I'm an '00s teenager, and we didn't use the internet that much in childhood, before 2001 anyway. But otherwise, I think our "dumbing down" isn't much more than since the '60s. The teens my parents went to high school with may have claimed to care about politics in the early '70s, but back then it was extremely hip. And people since the baby boomers have watched ungodly amounts of TV.

I think the reason alot of teens today, particularly the middle-class and up ones you see on TV and the ones I deal with (yuck), are boisterous and immature, is our boomer parents who still wish they were teenagers and are extraordinarily permissive and clueless at once, and encourage their kids to work hard/play hard and be little yuppies, at any cost. It's pretty damn harmful. Also, alot of '00s teens seem to have alot of crap thrown at them, material crap. We've sort of been made by society and our parents into believing we're adults, and we're not ready for it yet. But that's not an excuse. Though I really think the only reason teens in the '80s, the "decade of greed", were more responsible in some ways is that their parents were never around.

I don't know about teens, but one thing I've noticed about young adults nowadays, since probably the late 90's, is how young they look compared to years past. Most people I see in their early/mid 20's, could easily pass for 16-19.

I don't know about teens, but one thing I've noticed about young adults nowadays, since probably the last 90's, is how young they look compared to years past. Most people I see in their early/mid 20's, could easily pass for 16-19.


I think it's that people that age dress younger and 16-19 year olds dress older now, than say in the '70s or '80s.

In my opinion, teens in both the 80s and 90s were definitely more mature than teenagers today. I'm sure there are exceptions, but looking at my immediate environment and teens in tv today, most teens are materialistic, irresponisble, boisterous, irrational. I think the dumbing down of teens can be attributed to these passive forms of entertainment they engage in. If they're not hanging out with their friends, they're either on the tv or the internet. Even in childhood, most used the internet, and never really participated in the "active" aspects of playing and interacting with others. The flashy/materialistic mentality in today's society, which was present in previous decades but not as prevalent also contributes to the spoiled nature of today's teens. I also agree with the reasons others have listed as to why this decade's teens are less mature than others.


Yes, as James pointed out, Boomer parents are rearing their kids to be little yuppies. There's no 'moral education' at schools (the idea, of course, would be frowned upon), everything is just so fleeting and temporal these days. You want to watch a music video, you don't have to wait for it to come on MTV, just download it from the net. Instant satisfaction seems to be taking the satisfaction out of everything these days.

I don't know about teens, but one thing I've noticed about young adults nowadays, since probably the last 90's, is how young they look compared to years past. Most people I see in their early/mid 20's, could easily pass for 16-19.


I actually think this is more due to the way they dress than anything else (cos people don't just suddenly look younger in a generation! lol), and of course their behaviour. People who act immature.etc tend to convey an image of childishness, which extends to their appearance etc. Many people who play teens in actors are in their 20s (this has usually been in the case), the O.C. is a good example.

Yes, as James pointed out, Boomer parents are rearing their kids to be little yuppies. There's no 'moral education' at schools (the idea, of course, would be frowned upon), everything is just so fleeting and temporal these days. You want to watch a music video, you don't have to wait for it to come on MTV, just download it from the net. Instant satisfaction seems to be taking the satisfaction out of everything these days.


I think our generation is going to become the next Silent Generation, in that we're going to grow up to be unfulfilled, unhappy adults who feel like we missed our whole lives and won't pay very much attention to our children. We'll end up all having massive midlife crises and running away with our secretaries.

I think our generation is going to become the next Silent Generation, in that we're going to grow up to be unfulfilled, unhappy adults who feel like we missed our whole lives and won't pay very much attention to our children. We'll end up all having massive midlife crises and running away with our secretaries.


Yeah, maybe they will, but I plan to live the Bohemian existence of an artiste in the Post-Romantic world, just floating around like a leaf in the wind...

Yeah I know it's scary....I'm a 00s teen and sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't want to get drunk or high, and have sex all the time.  But I think a ton of people are like that today.  People today in their 20s (the 90s teens) are obsessed with alcohol, drugs and sex, just like the 00s teens are.  It's just that since we are all in this decade, it's coming at the 00s teens sooner, obviously.....also, the same stuff was going on for a very long time it's just that back then it was frowned upon, so no one really talked about it, and today it's glorified.  I mean my Grandma got pregnant when she was 14, and that was in the early 1930s, back then that was considered really bad, and became a forced marriage with my then 19-year-old Grandpa.  But now everyone thinks you're "weird" if you're like 18 and you're still a virgin, maybe we just have more will-power aye?  But I also agree with the whole "Yuppy" thing.

Yeah I know it's scary....I'm a 00s teen and sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't want to get drunk or high, and have sex all the time.  But I think a ton of people are like that today.  People today in their 20s (the 90s teens) are obsessed with alcohol, drugs and sex, just like the 00s teens are. 

I'm sort of both a '90s and (very early) '00s teen, and I've never been obsessed with any of that. I admit I've had the occasional beer (although if I never had one again, it's not like it'd be any major loss, lol), but I've never drugs or had sex, and -- ironically -- I'm fine with that.

BTW I think, in small circles, that kind of stuff (i.e. abstinence, NOT being shocking) is almost "cool" in its own way amongst some people. Just like being a "nerd" is actually more accepted today than it was in, say the '80s or most of the '90s.

Yeah I know it's scary....I'm a 00s teen and sometimes I feel like I'm the only one that doesn't want to get drunk or high, and have sex all the time.  But I think a ton of people are like that today.  People today in their 20s (the 90s teens) are obsessed with alcohol, drugs and sex, just like the 00s teens are. 


I'm 23, and I feel lightyears away from the people my age in this decade.  I know exactly what you mean. I just wish this wasn't such a materialistic decade. I do agree with you about bad behaviour and decadence being glorfied. It's absolutely disgusting

I'm 23, and I feel lightyears away from the people my age in this decade.  I know exactly what you mean. I just wish this wasn't such a materialistic decade. I do agree with you about bad behaviour and decadence being glorfied. It's absolutely disgusting


Yeah, it's pretty stupid. Sex isn't such a big deal - it's just something (most) people do  ;), and drugs.etc are the usual story.

It's partly because many teens don't have anything really else to worry about - like many teens did in the 1930s barely working to stay alive, raising a young family.etc. Teens today (for the most part) are spoilt, ungrateful, and can't handle real stress. That's part of the reason I don't hold my Generation in a very high regard.

Yes, as James pointed out, Boomer parents are rearing their kids to be little yuppies. There's no 'moral education' at schools (the idea, of course, would be frowned upon), everything is just so fleeting and temporal these days. You want to watch a music video, you don't have to wait for it to come on MTV, just download it from the net. Instant satisfaction seems to be taking the satisfaction out of everything these days.


You hit the nail on the head. Instant gratification--that is what is killing today's society, but it's particulary damaging the intellect and morality of today's teens. I remember back a few decades ago when people actually had to work hard to get what they deserve, now it's 'gimme,gimme,gimme' and it's all there at these kids' fingertips,without the parents allowing them to earn it. I'm definitely not going to be raising my children with the type of mentality these parents are. I guess my children will be in the minority.

Yeah, it's pretty stupid. Sex isn't such a big deal - it's just something (most) people do  ;), and drugs.etc are the usual story.

It's partly because many teens don't have anything really else to worry about - like many teens did in the 1930s barely working to stay alive, raising a young family.etc. Teens today (for the most part) are spoilt, ungrateful, and can't handle real stress. That's part of the reason I don't hold my Generation in a very high regard.


Yeah I agree that's the problem, today's teens don't have anything to worry about and are very spoiled which causes them to be more immature.

You hit the nail on the head. Instant gratification--that is what is killing today's society, but it's particulary damaging the intellect and morality of today's teens. I remember back a few decades ago when people actually had to work hard to get what they deserve, now it's 'gimme,gimme,gimme' and it's all there at these kids' fingertips,without the parents allowing them to earn it. I'm definitely not going to be raising my children with the type of mentality these parents are. I guess my children will be in the minority.


Yeah, it's no big deal to draw up a huge mobile phone or credit card bill...the folks will play for it. Or if they do have a second hand job, they are still living with mummy and daddy so just use the money for cool stuff like clothes or electronics - or worse, blow it on alcohol, drugs.etc (like I know many people do).

Yeah I agree that's the problem, today's teens don't have anything to worry about and are very spoiled which causes them to be more immature.


Some solutions?

Making it harder for teens to drive (I'm not a teen anymore, of course  ;))
Stricter on under-age drinking (I'm talking binge drinking.etc), misbehaviour etc.
Kicking teens out of home and making them earn their living
Fewer hand-outs!

Some solutions?

Making it harder for teens to drive (I'm not a teen anymore, of course  ;))
Stricter on under-age drinking (I'm talking binge drinking.etc), misbehaviour etc.
Kicking teens out of home and making them earn their living
Fewer hand-outs!




I think the driving age should be raised to 18, or at least make it harder for 16 and 17 year olds to get licenses. The high US drinking age really hasn't helped that much to solve the problem, but I guess it has lowered the amount of accidents so I guess it's good.

I think the driving age should be raised to 18, or at least make it harder for 16 and 17 year olds to get licenses. The high US drinking age really hasn't helped that much to solve the problem, but I guess it has lowered the amount of accidents so I guess it's good.


Hmm, I don't know about raising the driving age. Many 18/19 year olds and even 20-year olds are pretty reckless - I think it depends more on the person. I was thinking more in the line of stricter testing, repeated testing.etc to reduce the number of reckless drivers and accidents.

Yeah, here the legal age is 18, but I'm not a big drinker. I've only really got drunk a couple of times, once just after I graduated High School and last year, and I don't find it a pleasant experience (maybe just a few). But yeah, too many reckless kids driving...

Hmm, I don't know about raising the driving age. Many 18/19 year olds and even 20-year olds are pretty reckless - I think it depends more on the person. I was thinking more in the line of stricter testing, repeated testing.etc to reduce the number of reckless drivers and accidents.

Yeah, here the legal age is 18, but I'm not a big drinker. I've only really got drunk a couple of times, once just after I graduated High School and last year, and I don't find it a pleasant experience (maybe just a few). But yeah, too many reckless kids driving...


Yeah it is probably too easy to get a license, the test I took was I would say very easy overall.

Yeah it is probably too easy to get a license, the test I took was I would say very easy overall.


Yeah I managed to pass first time, I was shaking like a leaf, lol.

I've been driving since early-2004, and got my license in July 2004. I do admit my parents paid for my car (as if I could afford it), but then again they were sort of oblinged too since they bought my sister a brand new car (while I got a second-har car about half the price, but I'm still very grateful for any car at all, unlike others I know). It's just so much better having a car though, in that it gives you so much freedom.etc.

Yeah I managed to pass first time, I was shaking like a leaf, lol.

I've been driving since early-2004, and got my license in July 2004. I do admit my parents paid for my car (as if I could afford it), but then again they were sort of oblinged too since they bought my sister a brand new car (while I got a second-har car about half the price, but I'm still very grateful for any car at all, unlike others I know). It's just so much better having a car though, in that it gives you so much freedom.etc.


Yeah they paid for mine too. I've been driving since June 2003 when I first got my temporary, but didn't get my actual license until March 2005. I know it's nice to have a car when you want to go somewhere, it's so much harder without the car.

Yeah they paid for mine too. I've been driving since June 2003 when I first got my temporary, but didn't get my actual license until March 2005. I know it's nice to have a car when you want to go somewhere, it's so much harder without the car.


Unlike my sister, I actually knew how hard it was taking public transport around here (well, it's much improved since then), having to walk for miles in the hot sun, missing buses (I once nearly missed a very important school exam because I caught the wrong bus! lol). Something like a car should be earn't, I think, because they are a pretty big responsibility.

You hit the nail on the head. Instant gratification--that is what is killing today's society, but it's particulary damaging the intellect and morality of today's teens. I remember back a few decades ago when people actually had to work hard to get what they deserve, now it's 'gimme,gimme,gimme' and it's all there at these kids' fingertips,without the parents allowing them to earn it. I'm definitely not going to be raising my children with the type of mentality these parents are. I guess my children will be in the minority.


I think the Gen X parents will be different and Gen Z will be raised with less "instant gratification", since most Gen Xers had very little of this, even less than the boomers, many of whom were sort of spoiled in childhood.

I think the Gen X parents will be different and Gen Z will be raised with less "instant gratification", since most Gen Xers had very little of this, even less than the boomers, many of whom were sort of spoiled in childhood.


How do you make conclusions like that, just wondering? I'd always through there was a trend for more 'spoilt' kids from the early 20th century, increasing from the Boomers to Gen X, then to Gen Y etc.

How do you make conclusions like that, just wondering? I'd always through there was a trend for more 'spoilt' kids from the early 20th century, increasing from the Boomers to Gen X, then to Gen Y etc.


For example, I think boomers were the first generation not to have to work so much for their stuff, maybe even less than Gen X. They received alot of economic prosperity in their youths, and were given more toys and treats and things particularly for themselves than any previous generation. Part of this was the '50s suburbanization and part of it was a reaction against the Great Depression. It seems from '80s movies that more teens worked then and were financially neglected by their parents than in the '60s and '70s, where alot of WWII vet parents were proud to have their kids NOT work. Of course, Gen Y was created by baby boomers recreating their upbringings on an even larger scale, at least among the middle-class. Also, Gen Xers seemed to receive less of the wealth of the '80s in some ways, since alot of the economic boom was created by boomers older than them and younger than their parents, the yuppies of the '80s.

I agree with Marty Mcfly in his first post. It's really subjective because every generation may look down on the one below them and think that they just are more reckless than their own, but I knew A LOT of teens in the '90s who were quite reckless. It just was in a different way. The thing is, a teenager is a teenager. You're going to see things a lot more differently as someone in your 20's than you are as a teenager (that's if you ever decide to mature enough, which there are those rare birds who are stuck acting like a teenager all the time - lol )

Yeah-alot of '90s teens did seem more reckless. "Older", but more reckless. Like doing really hard drugs like heroin was more fashionable then, I think.

Yeah-alot of '90s teens did seem more reckless. "Older", but more reckless. Like doing really hard drugs like heroin was more fashionable then, I think.


Do you think stuff like "squatting" was more popular and appealing then, too? I remember always hearing on the news or Dateline, etc. about that stuff, or about teens on drugs and living on the streets (when I was 12, it was focusing on, like 15-17 year olds, so roughly 1977/78ers would probably be at the height of the Grunge era lifestyle like that).

Do you think stuff like "squatting" was more popular and appealing then, too? I remember always hearing on the news or Dateline, etc. about that stuff, or about teens on drugs and living on the streets (when I was 12, it was focusing on, like 15-17 year olds, so roughly 1977/78ers would probably be at the height of the Grunge era lifestyle like that).


That seems like something very '90s, like from My Own Private Idaho...it's something the late '70s-born grungers seemed to have found pretty appealing. It was definitely more popular and appealing then. Like I always heard stories about these kids going to squat in Seattle or San Francisco and prostitute themselves and be on drugs. Now, very few kids would actually do that.

I agree with Marty Mcfly in his first post. It's really subjective because every generation may look down on the one below them and think that they just are more reckless than their own, but I knew A LOT of teens in the '90s who were quite reckless. It just was in a different way. The thing is, a teenager is a teenager. You're going to see things a lot more differently as someone in your 20's than you are as a teenager (that's if you ever decide to mature enough, which there are those rare birds who are stuck acting like a teenager all the time - lol )


Yeah. Do you agree that the "wilder/cooler" people of any given era are also, oddly, the ones who seem to "date" the most once that time is over? Like if you're 15 and always getting in trouble, then once you're 20, there's even more pressure on you to grow up and act responsibly.

These people also seem to denounce subsequent generations the most of all (i.e. "oh, these kids today are so out of control"), maybe because they had to shift so hard, and more seriously, because they suddenly saw how destructive their own lifestyles were/could have been?


I can only speak for those I've seen, and for myself, but I don't really feel THAT different than I did ten years ago, maybe because I was never very rebellious or wild to begin with (therefore I never had to give it up). Sure I'm more enlightened/experienced now than I was then, but my overall method of thinking or viewing the world and other people isn't really changed much.

As for people in my high school being restless...

One of the brightest kids in my class and an "athletic star" almost died on an elementary school field not too far from my house. He was high on pot and so drunk on shots and beer that he had passed out and almost choked on his own vomit. Of course, his parents found a loophole around it, and he's still expected to be a little yuppie. He got sent to rehab in Newark, not too great an area, for a session every weekend.

I think there are alot of people in my school who are extremely reckless with drinking. That, and there's definitely a certain crowd of people who do lots of drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, even heroin and morphine, and tons of pills like Vicodin and Oxycontin.

From what I see and have heard, there were alot of teens in the '90s who had more semi-street lifestyles, engaging in robbery and hard crime, and living on the streets and dropping out of HS, though.

As for people in my high school being restless...

One of the brightest kids in my class and an "athletic star" almost died on an elementary school field not too far from my house. He was high on pot and so drunk on shots and beer that he had passed out and almost choked on his own vomit. Of course, his parents found a loophole around it, and he's still expected to be a little yuppie. He got sent to rehab in Newark, not too great an area, for a session every weekend.

I think there are alot of people in my school who are extremely reckless with drinking. That, and there's definitely a certain crowd of people who do lots of drugs like ecstasy, cocaine, even heroin and morphine, and tons of pills like Vicodin and Oxycontin.

From what I see and have heard, there were alot of teens in the '90s who had more semi-street lifestyles, engaging in robbery and hard crime, and living on the streets and dropping out of HS, though.


I've really thought about that whole phenomena much before. Yes, it does seem there were more street-kids in the 90s, and many kids were also using heroin, cocaine, ecstasy.etc - more so that know. I think it was before they got really tough on drugs. Being a 90s teen seemed somehow 'grittier' than a teen today. I don't know if it would be easier or harder being a teen in the 90s (well I was one for about 11 months), but I'm still not sure if I'd rather have been a 90s teen.

Yeah. Do you agree that the "wilder/cooler" people of any given era are also, oddly, the ones who seem to "date" the most once that time is over? Like if you're 15 and always getting in trouble, then once you're 20, there's even more pressure on you to grow up and act responsibly.

These people also seem to denounce subsequent generations the most of all (i.e. "oh, these kids today are so out of control"), maybe because they had to shift so hard, and more seriously, because they suddenly saw how destructive their own lifestyles were/could have been?


I can only speak for those I've seen, and for myself, but I don't really feel THAT different than I did ten years ago, maybe because I was never very rebellious or wild to begin with (therefore I never had to give it up). Sure I'm more enlightened/experienced now than I was then, but my overall method of thinking or viewing the world and other people isn't really changed much.


My cousin who was 15 about 11 years ago got in trouble one night when she didn't come home. Supposedly, her mother found her with a man who was much older than her. I don't know what happened that night with my cousin and that man, but my Aunt was really upset and crying to my mother about it. Then a year or two later, my cousin was caught using drugs and went into rehab. She really got into the wrong crowd. It was really hard to see her change like that because she was a beautiful girl and these things were making her older before her time. She finally shaped up around the time she turned 19 or 20, and she was the person I remembered.  To look back at that now, I think "Wow, she seemed so much older than she really was." But, now I am thinking, she just has the kind of personality - that take charge personality and she's like a natural leader.

I, myself, don't feel all that different either because I was not a big time partier like she was and most of my peers. I mean, I enjoyed a good night out with friends - but we never drank and dabbled into the hard stuff. I think a lot of that "growing up" has a lot to do with your upbringing. And it seems maybe you and I were brought up differently and also were not rebellious enough to act out and vie for attention.

My cousin who was 15 about 11 years ago got in trouble one night when she didn't come home. Supposedly, her mother found her with a man who was much older than her. I don't know what happened that night with my cousin and that man, but my Aunt was really upset and crying to my mother about it. Then a year or two later, my cousin was caught using drugs and went into rehab. She really got into the wrong crowd. It was really hard to see her change like that because she was a beautiful girl and these things were making her older before her time. She finally shaped up around the time she turned 19 or 20, and she was the person I remembered.  To look back at that now, I think "Wow, she seemed so much older than she really was." But, now I am thinking, she just has the kind of personality - that take charge personality and she's like a natural leader.

I, myself, don't feel all that different either because I was not a big time partier like she was and most of my peers. I mean, I enjoyed a good night out with friends - but we never drank and dabbled into the hard stuff. I think a lot of that "growing up" has a lot to do with your upbringing. And it seems maybe you and I were brought up differently and also were not rebellious enough to act out and vie for attention.


Yeah, to equate 'growing up' with your experience taking drugs, having sex etc is just such a load of bullsheesh. It's the media who puts these ideas into kids' mind... ::)

Yeah, to equate 'growing up' with your experience taking drugs, having sex etc is just such a load of balony. It's the media who puts these ideas into kids' mind... ::)


Growing up is losing your imagination.

Growing up is losing your imagination.


Yeah, and your sense of wonder at the world...Kind of sad really

Yeah, and your sense of wonder at the world...Kind of sad really


It is. For instance, I used to love nature, now I don't give a crap  :\'(

It is. For instance, I used to love nature, now I don't give a crap  :\'(


Or Easter or Christmas...I remember when I was a kid I'd get really excited every Eastertime, looking forward to all the Easter Eggs I'd get, and just breathing in the whole holiday atmosphere. I used to love going to shopping centres and just staring at the decorations.etc lol. Seems like a lifetime ago.

It is. For instance, I used to love nature, now I don't give a crap  :\'(


Me too me and my Dad used to always go birdwatch and hiking when I was a young kid. Those were the days.

Or Easter or Christmas...I remember when I was a kid I'd get really excited every Eastertime, looking forward to all the Easter Eggs I'd get, and just breathing in the whole holiday atmosphere. I used to love going to shopping centres and just staring at the decorations.etc lol. Seems like a lifetime ago.


Strangely enough, to me the only "magical" holiday is New Year's.

Or Easter or Christmas...I remember when I was a kid I'd get really excited every Eastertime, looking forward to all the Easter Eggs I'd get, and just breathing in the whole holiday atmosphere. I used to love going to shopping centres and just staring at the decorations.etc lol. Seems like a lifetime ago.


Yeah I know, now I don't really care anymore.

Strangely enough, to me the only "magical" holiday is New Year's.


But you didn't get lots of Chocolate or Presents at NYE!

Yeah, to equate 'growing up' with your experience taking drugs, having sex etc is just such a load of balony. It's the media who puts these ideas into kids' mind... ::)


I agree, but kids fall into that trap. I think, as I said, it has a lot to do with your upbringing. If you're not told any better and no one corrects you, what else are you going to do accept follow every new scent? It's ignorant thinking, but kids need to be guided even up to the day they die. They need boundaries, so in that case, they do "grow up" faster because the lack there of.

Yeah I know, now I don't really care anymore.


The only part I care about is getting stuff  ;D

The only part I care about is getting stuff  ;D


Yeah me too, I just want the cash so I can go waste it. I don't even read the cards really.  ;D

Or Easter or Christmas...I remember when I was a kid I'd get really excited every Eastertime, looking forward to all the Easter Eggs I'd get, and just breathing in the whole holiday atmosphere. I used to love going to shopping centres and just staring at the decorations.etc lol. Seems like a lifetime ago.


I had a strong sense of holidays probably up untl about 5-6 years ago. Work and school have taken a lot of fun out of those occasions due to having minimal time to take off and enjoy the holidays. Yet, I still try to soak all the magical feelings out of every holiday. I try to immerse myself in it because a part of me wants to retain that spirit of wonder I had as a child.

I agree, but kids fall into that trap. I think, as I said, it has a lot to do with your upbringing. If you're not told any better and no one corrects you, what else are you going to do accept follow every new scent? It's ignorant thinking, but kids need to be guided even up to the day they die. They need boundaries, so in that case, they do "grow up" faster because the lack there of.


Yeah they can grow up real fast when they OD on some hard drugs in some sleazy toilet or end their own and others lives in an alcohol-related car accident...

Yes, it seems pointless to actually tell a 15 year old what a 'wise' course of action is. They'll just smile in your face, and go off and do the exact opposite of what you tell them. Teenagers are the best liars, believe me, lol.

Yeah me too, I just want the cash so I can go waste it. I don't even read the cards really.  ;D


I don't care about them either. Hell my uncles, aunts, and cousins never even visit us anyway, since they're out of state. I love them, but let's face it: sentimental value is BS  ;D

Yeah they can grow up real fast when they OD on some hard drugs in some sleazy toilet or end their own and others lives in an alcohol-related car accident...

Yes, it seems pointless to actually tell a 15 year old what a 'wise' course of action is. They'll just smile in your face, and go off and do the exact opposite of what you tell them. Teenagers are the best liars, believe me, lol.


I have become an awesome liar, I must say.

I don't care about them either. Hell my uncles, aunts, and cousins never even visit us anyway, since they're out of state. I love them, but let's face it: sentimental value is BS  ;D


Are you your Aunt's 'Darling Nephew?'  ;D ;)

Yeah they can grow up real fast when they OD on some hard drugs in some sleazy toilet or end their own and others lives in an alcohol-related car accident...

Yes, it seems pointless to actually tell a 15 year old what a 'wise' course of action is. They'll just smile in your face, and go off and do the exact opposite of what you tell them. Teenagers are the best liars, believe me, lol.


I mean, yeah, they don't grow up in the sense that they're responsible, making a buck for a living humans - but they just take a harder, more treacherous route due to just negligence or pure stubbornness to not follow rules and guidance from their elders.

Are you your Aunt's 'Darling Nephew?'  ;D ;)


No.  ;D

Those Hallmark cards are damn cheesy, aren't they.  ;D

I don't care about them either. Hell my uncles, aunts, and cousins never even visit us anyway, since they're out of state. I love them, but let's face it: sentimental value is BS  ;D


;D I see most of my aunt, uncles, cousins, etc. too much, they live maybe 20 minutes from here. Some live out of state though.

I mean, yeah, they don't grow up in the sense that they're responsible, making a buck for a living humans - but they just take a harder, more treacherous route due to just negligence or pure stubbornness to not follow rules and guidance from their elders.


And when they reach their early 20s they realise how foolish they were...binge drinking.etc (well most of them anyway)

It's the same age old story...sigh it's getting so tiring, I hated being a teenager with all those stupid pressures

;D I see most of my aunt, uncles, cousins, etc. too much, they live maybe 20 minutes from here. Some live out of state though.


Back in the '90s, when we lived in the Bay Area I'd see my extended family all the time. I haven't seen any of them, except for my grandma and a couple cousins since 2002.

And when they reach their early 20s they realise how foolish they were...binge drinking.etc (well most of them anyway)

It's the same age old story...sigh it's getting so tiring, I hated being a teenager with all those stupid pressures


Exactly - I am SO glad I'm not a teenager because people catagorize you, as well. Saying I'm 24 feels so wonderful. I love the fact that I'm aging and getting older.. I'm embracing it because things can only get better. It's like a reawakening.

Exactly - I am SO glad I'm not a teenager because people catagorize you, as well. Saying I'm 24 feels so wonderful. I love the fact that I'm aging and getting older.. I'm embracing it because things can only get better. It's like a reawakening.


Yeah, it is kind of frightening that I'm already twenty, and in a mere ten years I'll be 30 (ahh, my life's over!). I'm just afraid I'll waste my 20s bumming around, hanging at home and not really making the most of life. Sometimes I wish I could say I don't care, but meh, that's life. I'll just live it as it comes..

Exactly - I am SO glad I'm not a teenager because people catagorize you, as well. Saying I'm 24 feels so wonderful. I love the fact that I'm aging and getting older.. I'm embracing it because things can only get better. It's like a reawakening.


Getting old is awesome.

Getting old is awesome.


No it's not  :(

Yeah, it is kind of frightening that I'm already twenty, and in a mere ten years I'll be 30 (ahh, my life's over!). I'm just afraid I'll waste my 20s bumming around, hanging at home and not really making the most of life. Sometimes I wish I could say I don't care, but meh, that's life. I'll just live it as it comes..


30 is a good time for men. It's like they're at their peak. I think women appreciate men more in their 30's rather than in their 20's, because they've graduated college or have a somewhat stable career. To me, aging is like a fine wine.

No it's not  :(


It's weird that someday I will die.

No it's not  :(

Getting old is awesome.


Let's just say it has its ups and downs  ;D

30 is a good time for men. It's like they're at their peak. I think women appreciate men more in their 30's rather than in their 20's, because they've graduated college or have a somewhat stable career. To me, aging is like a fine wine.


Yeah, many men in their 20s are pretty much like overgrown teenagers - at least when alcohol's involved, lol. I'm a pretty restrained/reserved person for the most part, but I do have a side that few people see in normal circumstances.  :D

Yeah, many men in their 20s are pretty much like overgrown teenagers - at least when alcohol's involved, lol. I'm a pretty restrained/reserved person for the most part, but I do have a side that few people see in normal circumstances.  :D


So do I.  :D

So do I.  :D


When no ones home, Donnie Darko lieks to pump out Devo at maximum volume, and dance around like an octopus!!

When no ones home, Donnie Darko lieks to pump out Devo at maximum volume, and dance around like an octopus!!


Close. I do the robot to "Cars" by Gary Numan with my headphones on.  :D

Close. I do the robot to "Cars" by Gary Numan with my headphones on.  :D


Has anyone ever caught you doing it?  ;D

Yeah, many men in their 20s are pretty much like overgrown teenagers - at least when alcohol's involved, lol. I'm a pretty restrained/reserved person for the most part, but I do have a side that few people see in normal circumstances.  :D


Yeah, it's just a phase where you learn a lot from your so-called grown up mistakes. These things are usually carried into your '30s with more tact and wisdom.

Yeah, it's just a phase where you learn a lot from your so-called grown up mistakes. These things are usually carried into your '30s with more tact and wisdom.


It's weird I'm more than halfway to my 30s.

It's weird I'm more than halfway to my 30s.


But you've only had 10 years of really being 'aware' of your life.

But you've only had 10 years of really being 'aware' of your life.


I would say I became aware of my life around the time I was 3 or 4. It's more like 12 or 13 years.

I've had about 20 years of being aware of who I was...  :o

I've had about 20 years of being aware of who I was...  :o


I've been using a computer almost as long as the youngest teenagers have been alive!  :o

I would say I became aware of my life around the time I was 3 or 4. It's more like 12 or 13 years.


It's true what they say about time seeming to speed up the older you get. Back when I was 7 a year seemed like a lifetime, so much could happen within a year. You'd be a few notches taller on the wall, you'd be able to do 'big kids' stuff like go to the park without grownups, lol. Now a year should goes by like that...seems like I started high school just yesterday. Now we're nearly 1/2 through 2006...

I've been using a computer almost as long as the youngest teenagers have been alive!  :o


That's true.  ;D

That's true.  ;D


I've been using a computer since I was probably about 7 or 8...got my first one when I was 12 (formerely the family's pc), and have only been regularly surfing the net from about 1998 (I began about '95).

It's true what they say about time seeming to speed up the older you get. Back when I was 7 a year seemed like a lifetime, so much could happen within a year. You'd be a few notches taller on the wall, you'd be able to do 'big kids' stuff like go to the park without grownups, lol. Now a year should goes by like that...seems like I started high school just yesterday. Now we're nearly 1/2 through 2006...


I think adult time begins at 14.


That's true.  ;D


Isn't that weird? I can remember around the time my best friend (born in 1993) was born.

I've been using a computer since I was probably about 7 or 8...got my first one when I was 12 (formerely the family's pc), and have only been regularly surfing the net from about 1998 (I began about '95).


I've been using Windows Paint since 1994 probably.

I've been using a computer since I was probably about 7 or 8...got my first one when I was 12 (formerely the family's pc), and have only been regularly surfing the net from about 1998 (I began about '95).


I remember using a computer at school. Because they were so expensive back then, they had a computer "club" where certain kids who signed up in time, could take a half hour to go on the computer. I never got a chance to sign up, but they did allow us in the room once or twice to see what they were like. I think they were Macs (the ones with the tiny screens). They wanted us to be really careful with them. I think this was 1987 or 1988.  That was my first impression of a computer.

I've been using Windows Paint since 1994 probably.


4 is such a young age to start using the internet, lmao

ok, it isn't that funny...I guess that's what sets you apart from most 'core' members of Gen Y, who didn't really use computers much until in their early teens...

I remember using a computer at school. Because they were so expensive back then, they had a computer "club" where certain kids who signed up in time, could take a half hour to go on the computer. I never got a chance to sign up, but they did allow us in the room once or twice to see what they were like. I think they were Macs (the ones with the tiny screens). They wanted us to be really careful with them. I think this was 1987 or 1988.  That was my first impression of a computer.


Even in the '90s computers costed as much as cheap cars.

4 is such a young age to start using the internet, lmao

ok, it isn't that funny...I guess that's what sets you apart from most 'core' members of Gen Y, who didn't really use computers much until in their early teens...


I didn't use the Net until 1999, although my parents had it back to about 1995.

I consider 1990 the last core Gen Y year, late Y is more 1991-1995. I'm still old enough, for instance, to be as comfortable with a VHS player as I am with a DVD player.

Even in the '90s computers costed as much as cheap cars.


I don't think up until at least 1999 did the prices FINALLY start to become more reasonable.

I remember using a computer at school. Because they were so expensive back then, they had a computer "club" where certain kids who signed up in time, could take a half hour to go on the computer. I never got a chance to sign up, but they did allow us in the room once or twice to see what they were like. I think they were Macs (the ones with the tiny screens). They wanted us to be really careful with them. I think this was 1987 or 1988.  That was my first impression of a computer.


Watch old episodes of Seinfield...lol

I don't think up until at least 1999 did the prices FINALLY start to become more reasonable.


Tons of people didn't have computers in the '90s. Of course tons of people did have them too.

Even in the '90s computers costed as much as cheap cars.


Not a cheap new car probably, but a used car yes.

Even in the '90s computers costed as much as cheap cars.


Yeah, I like looking through old microfiche film of old newspapers...I remember in 1991 they had these ultra-chunky laptops (they were bricks) with like P-486's costing in excess of $3,500! Computers were such a novelty back then...It wasn't until processors developed really fast that prices started to drop.

Yeah, I like looking through old microfiche film of old newspapers...I remember in 1991 they had these ultra-chunky laptops (they were bricks) with like P-486's costing in excess of $3,500! Computers were such a novelty back then...It wasn't until processors developed really fast that prices started to drop.


I don't think laptops were really mainstream until the early '00s.

Tons of people didn't have computers in the '90s. Of course tons of people did have them too.


I didn't get one until 1999. And this was an old Packard Bell my Aunt gave us when she got a new one. We thought "Wow, now we can go on the internet" and then when we got it, it was a bit disappointing because the computer was just WAY too slow to handle the net. I don't know how it survived to be honest. But, hey, it planted a whole new seed..  for who I am now - a post whore  ;D

I don't think laptops were really mainstream until the early '00s.


Laptops were mainstream by the late '90s. I wanted one forever until I finally got my first one in 1999.

I didn't get one until 1999. And this was an old Packard Bell my Aunt gave us when she got a new one. We thought "Wow, now we can go on the internet" and then when we got it, it was a bit disappointing because the computer was just WAY too slow to handle the net. I don't know how it survived to be honest. But, hey, it planted a whole new seed..  for who I am now - a post whore  ;D


And thank God for that  ;D

I don't think laptops were really mainstream until the early '00s.


In the 90s they were mainly for Yuppies, Business-people, or really rich students. It was only from 2000 that you saw lots of uni/even high school students carrying them around.

Yeah, I like looking through old microfiche film of old newspapers...I remember in 1991 they had these ultra-chunky laptops (they were bricks) with like P-486's costing in excess of $3,500! Computers were such a novelty back then...It wasn't until processors developed really fast that prices started to drop.


Those are the prices I remember. To a 9 year old kid in 1991, $3500 was like a million bucks. There was just NO way I could convince my parents to buy this unless we struck gold.

In the 90s they were mainly for Yuppies, Business-people, or really rich students. It was only from 2000 that you saw lots of uni/even high school students carrying them around.


The same is true for cell phones. In the '90s, most people were aware of the existence of cell phones, but they were a status symbol, not a necessity, even in 1999.

Those are the prices I remember. To a 9 year old kid in 1991, $3500 was like a million bucks. There was just NO way I could convince my parents to buy this unless we struck gold.


In 2006 money, $3500 1991 dollars is about $5000.

A mid range computer in the mid '90s cost about $2500-$3000.

Those are the prices I remember. To a 9 year old kid in 1991, $3500 was like a million bucks. There was just NO way I could convince my parents to buy this unless we struck gold.


Yeah i wanted a laptop for ages when I was about 12-13...it seemed like the dream gadget to have back then.

In 2006 money, $3500 1991 dollars is about $5000.


Yeah, like in shows like Jerry Maguire, or Clueless

Yeah i wanted a laptop for ages when I was about 12-13...it seemed like the dream gadget to have back then.


I remember my laptop I got in 1999. It was a pretty nice one (400 MHz, 64 MB Ram, 6 GB HD) and had a DVD player which was really cool back then. Now it seems very dated.

The same is true for cell phones. In the '90s, most people were aware of the existence of cell phones, but they were a status symbol, not a necessity, even in 1999.


My father had a clunker for a cell phone. He had it between I'd say 1989-1990. The thing would charge for about 4 days, and you could use it maybe about 15 minutes and it would die. It probably cost a couple hundred, but again, it was a status thing and I think my Dad was kinda into that, even though we couldn't afford it  ;D

Another thing I notice is that 90s teens seemed to have more of a rebellious streak - born perhaps also out of geniune frustration - than 00s teens which whine about everything and expect their parents to help them out whenever in need. At least most teens in the 90s got their own lives on track using their own resources.

Here's my experience as to computers/cell phones, being born in 1990...

I honestly never went on the internet until 2000ish, unless it was for a school project. It was frustratingly, ridiculously slow for an eight or nine year old's attention span. I used to use CD-ROM programs alot, and they had various educational programs on our school computers, and these ancient MACs with old computer games. In early 1997, we got a Windows '95 Compaq PC, which we mostly used for e-mail and some CD-Rom programs and clip art programs that I used to hang around on sometimes. Whenever I used to go to my dad's office, he had this ancient pre-PC computer that now seems ridiculously old. So I can imagine life without the internet. I actually used to play around on a typewriter.
We first got cell phones in 2002, I think, by which time they were quite mainstream. I think they became essential around then.

I think laptops became very mainstream around 2002. Like some wealthier/more hard-working high school students had 'em. And now, I think they're becoming even more mainstream and accessible.

I do consider myself core Gen Y. Like I think people born in the first half of 1990, or maybe even up to the middle of 1991, are the last people who remember alot of the trappings of pre-computer life, remember being a kid before cell phones, are very comfortable with VHS and cassettes, etc.

Here's my experience as to computers/cell phones, being born in 1990...

I honestly never went on the internet until 2000ish, unless it was for a school project. It was frustratingly, ridiculously slow for an eight or nine year old's attention span. I used to use CD-ROM programs alot, and they had various educational programs on our school computers, and these ancient MACs with old computer games. In early 1997, we got a Windows '95 Compaq PC, which we mostly used for e-mail and some CD-Rom programs and clip art programs that I used to hang around on sometimes. Whenever I used to go to my dad's office, he had this ancient pre-PC computer that now seems ridiculously old. So I can imagine life without the internet. I actually used to play around on a typewriter.
We first got cell phones in 2002, I think, by which time they were quite mainstream. I think they became essential around then.

I think laptops became very mainstream around 2002. Like some wealthier/more hard-working high school students had 'em. And now, I think they're becoming even more mainstream and accessible.

I do consider myself core Gen Y. Like I think people born in the first half of 1990, or maybe even up to the middle of 1991, are the last people who remember alot of the trappings of pre-computer life, remember being a kid before cell phones, are very comfortable with VHS and cassettes, etc.



There are probably kids today who don't know what a Video casette is or what it does! lol

Here's my experience as to computers/cell phones, being born in 1990...

I honestly never went on the internet until 2000ish, unless it was for a school project. It was frustratingly, ridiculously slow for an eight or nine year old's attention span. I used to use CD-ROM programs alot, and they had various educational programs on our school computers, and these ancient MACs with old computer games. In early 1997, we got a Windows '95 Compaq PC, which we mostly used for e-mail and some CD-Rom programs and clip art programs that I used to hang around on sometimes. Whenever I used to go to my dad's office, he had this ancient pre-PC computer that now seems ridiculously old. So I can imagine life without the internet. I actually used to play around on a typewriter.
We first got cell phones in 2002, I think, by which time they were quite mainstream. I think they became essential around then.


LOL, yeah we got a typewriter in like '94 and I used to just take children's books and re-type the stories....sounds weird but it was total fun for me.

Then we got a Mac in '96 that didn't even have an option to have the internet if you wanted it.  It was around $2500 I believe.  My favorite game on it was "Lode Runner", was soooo fun at the time.  We got a colored Mac in '99 (for about $1600) and finally got the internet in '01, now we have an intel Mac (was $1400) that we just got in February....so we went 7 years without updating computers.

Anyone in my immediate family (including me) actually still has yet to buy a cell phone or a laptop....or even a dishwasher, lol.

Can anyone else remember those big brown and beige BBC computers they used to have in schools in the mid-late 80's? I remember when I was about 7 that they had ONE computer between all the students at my school, back in the days when you had to book a computer session!!!!! I think the monitors could only show about 6 colours and it was all so pixellated but in the 80's we thought it was BRILLIANT.

Oh, i'm 25 (olllllllld) and from England btw so this may not make sense to many people!

;D