I was just thinking about this and I'll pose this question to everyone, but especially for the people on here who seem to especially nostalgize the '90s since they spent some of their childhood/pre-adolescence then. Is one reason you guys miss it the way you do because people were alot younger? It is for me, and I probably notice it even more recently, just because my kid years were only in the first half of the decade.

When you think about it, everything "makes up" a time, and that includes people in certain stages of life. We're now getting the point where that's becoming lost. Like, someone who's 40 years old now was still only 27 in 1994 (like Kurt Cobain's age if he had lived). It's so weird that just a little over ten years ago, someone who still could've been a carefree young adult are like full fledged parental figures or soccer mom types (to a teen). Or like even with me it's more noticeable since I was 8-9 in 1990, lol.

No one who was a teen in the '90s still is, and very few kids still are.

I wouldn't say I miss them for that reason, but it is weird to think that my "five year old cousin" is now a teenager or the teenage babysitter I had a crush on (hey, I was just a kid!) is now married and recently had her own child.

What is really shocking is that today's first graders weren't even born in the 20th century.  I don't think I'll ever get over that.

That may be part of the reason. Obviously, my parents and my brother and I were all much younger, and we did more as a family in the first half of the '90s. But, now that we're older, we're all separated by different cities, jobs, etc. I miss those days with my brother, just playing around and being there for one another. I miss my mom being more active now that she has Multiple Sclerosis, she can't be as active. Some of my friend's lost their mothers, too, and I often think about the fun times I had with them and their mothers when I was younger and the places they took us. Yeah, nostalgia can do this to you.

That may be part of the reason. Obviously, my parents and my brother and I were all much younger, and we did more as a family in the first half of the '90s. But, now that we're older, we're all separated by different cities, jobs, etc. I miss those days with my brother, just playing around and being there for one another. I miss my mom being more active now that she has Multiple Sclerosis, she can't be as active. Some of my friend's lost their mothers, too, and I often think about the fun times I had with them and their mothers when I was younger and the places they took us. Yeah, nostalgia can do this to you.

I think knowing anyone who died is a sad feeling that almost doesn't seem real. Like, if you interacted with them in the past, even if it wasn't for long, they feel like part of your life in a certain way. So you kinda always expect that you could potentially see them again. I'm so sorry and I actually didn't realize your mom had that either, I hope she pulls through it okay, though.

Yeah, I think even when adults of a certain time seem older, that's when it feels like another era. 1999 is no big deal now, but it's hard to pretend 1991 isn't getting pretty old school, sad to say.

In retrospect, I wished I have been older since I was more into Power Rangers  (which I can't stand now) than the music of 1993  ::) :P

Yeah I'd also say it's not totally the reason why I miss it--but seeing people get older does seem kind of surreal.  Or like when even adults talk about the '90s as being a long time ago can also be scary.  I recently heard my dad start a sentence with, "Back in the '90s....", and he's 59. ???  I think it's just the idea of grasping that time is actually moving forward and things are changing that scares us.

I think knowing anyone who died is a sad feeling that almost doesn't seem real. Like, if you interacted with them in the past, even if it wasn't for long, they feel like part of your life in a certain way. So you kinda always expect that you could potentially see them again. I'm so sorry and I actually didn't realize your mom had that either, I hope she pulls through it okay, though.

Yeah, I think even when adults of a certain time seem older, that's when it feels like another era. 1999 is no big deal now, but it's hard to pretend 1991 isn't getting pretty old school, sad to say.


Yes, sometimes the passing of someone often makes you feel more nostalgic of that time. My cousin died in 1991, and I often think back to the time when I knew her as being alive and young and having a whole life ahead of her and now none of that can come true. It's a bit disturbing, but it's often in fate's hands, not our own.  :(

Yeah, or even 1992, which still seems not that long ago to me. I mean it was almost 16 years ago. Even 1994, the year I started 7th grade was almost 14 years ago. I just don't get how quick time can fly sometimes!

^I get that feeling when I look through my old junior high school yearbooks. It's been 17 years since I started 7th grade, yet for some reason it doesn't seem like it was THAT long ago. Of course looking at the pictures in my yearbooks tell a different story.  :D

Yeah I feel the same way as many of you. I was in my teens and early 20s during the 90s. It's hard to believe that I was 20 in '96, which is more than a decade ago. I was also thinking about this math teacher I had in '91 who was then around his mid-30s, but today he'd be over 50 and close to retirement!  :o

Time sure does fly.

I was born in '90 and I cannot believe that In March of next year I'm going to be 18! It feels so strange. (But i bet it feels stranger for older people.) It's hard to believe as of next year people born in the 90's are gonna become adults!  :o

I was born in '90 and I cannot believe that In March of next year I'm going to be 18! It feels so strange. (But i bet it feels stranger for older people.) It's hard to believe as of next year people born in the 90's are gonna become adults!  :o


It does feel strange that people born in the 90's are getting closer to adulthood. Time goes by WAY too fast!  :-\\

I miss the 90's because I was younger back then. I was 10 when the 90's ended, but I already long for my younger days. I miss not having so many responsiblities, and the days when school was so easy. I'm 18, and don't have a job, car insurance to pay for, or anything, but high school really weighs me down. School used to be fun, and I actually had FRIENDS in grade school, even though I was made fun of for reading "girls" books, and for liking the Spice Girls.

I also miss having my brothers and sister home. They've all moved out.

I miss being younger, and yes I would go back to being 8 years old in 1995 if I could, or hell I'd go back to the early '90s preschool kid. I had such a good time as a little kid, well there are certainly benefits to being older the fact that all I had on my mind was my toys and stuff as a little kid just made it very easy and enjoyable. The fact that I had no concerns at all as a little one and had it so good makes me wanna go back lol. It's really becoming a long time ago now which is scary.

I miss the age people were in the 90's...I lived my extremely late teens (18 and 19 in 1990 and 1991 respectively) and my 20's in the 90's. I can honestly say Im not a big fan of 90's music, though there are many standout tracks and bands and performers from that decade.

My wife, who lived her teens in the 90's agrees that a lot of the music, especially the chart music, wasnt very good.


The movies were definately awsome in the 90's...


But, back to the age of people in the 90's...Yeah, I definately miss the age certain people were in the 90's, but then, I miss even more the age people were in the 80's and 70's too.







AN

I was already young to begin with in the 90's (I turned 8 in 1999).

I guess thats part of the reason I miss the 90's.  Well, come to think of it, thats a huge reason I miss the 90's.  Like, I had a whole different perspective on the world.  Everything seemed like alot of fun.  Going to the mall, hanging out with friends, going to amusement parks, listening to music that didn't suck, everything just seemed better.  Though at the time I didn't realize it.  At the time I thought life sucked, but heck, that was probably the best time ill ever have.  Looking back I really miss those days and regret thinking it sucked so bad.  It seemed like there was a lot to live for I guess, I cant really describe it.  This decade is just missing something.  Well, its missing a lot of things.

There seems to be a general sentimentality towards childhood but, in some ways, I think if we are nostalgic or think about the past we must have lost something along the way - whether that be relatives, great times or just a time when things so much simpler than they are now.

My dad told me that when we are nostalgic we are basically accepting our own mortality, understanding we are getting older and things change whether we like change or not. I'm inclined to agree.

^ Definitely. I think one reason (among others) that I became nostalgic so early was the loss of my grandparents. My parents also casually separated for awhile from late 1993 to early '97, which did it even more. In the mid nineties, I was already saying "Wow, I miss the way things were 5 or 10 years ago".

The pop culture had a hand too, but it's really secondary. After all, there's lots of '80s songs I didn't hear or even know about until the '90s...so those actually remind me of when I first heard them. Same with alot of movies.

^ Definitely. I think one reason (among others) that I became nostalgic so early was the loss of my grandparents. My parents also casually separated for awhile from late 1993 to early '97, which did it even more. In the mid nineties, I was already saying "Wow, I miss the way things were 5 or 10 years ago".

The pop culture had a hand too, but it's really secondary. After all, there's lots of '80s songs I didn't hear or even know about until the '90s...so those actually remind me of when I first heard them. Same with alot of movies.



Yeah, having nostalgia for a decade, year, etc. like say I have for the '90s, is just as much about your own personal experiences in the decade as it is the culture of the decade, if not even more important. You could think that 1984 is the best year ever musically or pop culturally, but if your life sucked that year, your probably not going to like it. The '90s were a great time in my life, so its almost impossible for me not to feel nostalgic when I think about the decade.

That has also extended to the early '00s for me too. I was still in high school then, and overall my life was alot simpler than it is today, so I will occasionally find myself feeling a bit nostalgic for 2000 or even 2001.

Also, I do think everyone being younger does make you miss the past more. My grandparents are getting pretty old now, and there health is not quite as good as it once was, so I do miss back 10-15 years ago when they were still fairly young and able to get around more.

Yeah, having nostalgia for a decade, year, etc. like say I have for the '90s, is just as much about your own personal experiences in the decade as it is the culture of the decade, if not even more important. You could think that 1984 is the best year ever musically or pop culturally, but if your life sucked that year, your probably not going to like it. The '90s were a great time in my life, so its almost impossible for me not to feel nostalgic when I think about the decade.

That has also extended to the early '00s for me too. I was still in high school then, and overall my life was alot simpler than it is today, so I will occasionally find myself feeling a bit nostalgic for 2000 or even 2001.

Also, I do think everyone being younger does make you miss the past more. My grandparents are getting pretty old now, and there health is not quite as good as it once was, so I do miss back 10-15 years ago when they were still fairly young and able to get around more.


Hey man, long time no see.

Good points. I've even found that negative memories can sometimes ruin something you otherwise like. For instance, even though I liked a ton of current songs in the mid '90s (alongside the older Eighties stuff), since it was a kinda turbulent time in my life, I have mixed feelings on those songs, movies and TV shows. In a way, it was like one of the more positive, cool things that got me through it easier. Yet on the other hand, it does kinda remind me of the sometimes harder, lousy personal experiences as well.

Yeah, I never thought I'd miss the late '90s or even 2000 when I was in high school (at the time I swore I wouldn't until I was like 40 or 50, lol), but I really have started to now. I'm not sure if it's because it's "closer to the past" or just because my life was at least a little more simple, but probably both.

I think 10 years is no big deal overall, because anyone who isn't a kid probably is more or less the same, in terms of agewise. But 20 years can make a huge difference, in that they probably look quite a bit different. And if someone in their fifties is now 75, that can be sad. I have relatives who are aging too, so I know how you feel about your grandparents.

Hey man, long time no see.

Good points. I've even found that negative memories can sometimes ruin something you otherwise like. For instance, even though I liked a ton of current songs in the mid '90s (alongside the older Eighties stuff), since it was a kinda turbulent time in my life, I have mixed feelings on those songs, movies and TV shows. In a way, it was like one of the more positive, cool things that got me through it easier. Yet on the other hand, it does kinda remind me of the sometimes harder, lousy personal experiences as well.

Yeah, I never thought I'd miss the late '90s or even 2000 when I was in high school (at the time I swore I wouldn't until I was like 40 or 50, lol), but I really have started to now. I'm not sure if it's because it's "closer to the past" or just because my life was at least a little more simple, but probably both.

I think 10 years is no big deal overall, because anyone who isn't a kid probably is more or less the same, in terms of agewise. But 20 years can make a huge difference, in that they probably look quite a bit different. And if someone in their fifties is now 75, that can be sad. I have relatives who are aging too, so I know how you feel about your grandparents.



Thanks man, it has been awhile ;)

One thing about the late '90s and early '00s, is that suddenly they've started to get some serious age on them. It seems weird to think about, but now that time period is entering the '10 years ago' catagory. I've come to notice that it's kinda hard to notice things change as they actually happen, and it's only until years later that you notice how much really has. Even just a few years ago, I thought 1998 was still pretty much like today. But now that it was 10 years ago, you really start to notice how much has changed since then.

This can even hold true for today too. Right now, I don't feel like things have changed much since 2004, but if you really look at it, you'd be surprised how many artists and trends have come and gone since then.

Another thing I miss is people I used to know but haven't seen in years. When I was really young, I had a friend that lived next door to me, but he moved away way back in 1993 and I haven't seen him since. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's been 15 years since I saw him.

That's another thing I really miss about the '90s. I had plenty of friends back then that I haven't seen in years :-\\

^^ I totally agree. It's funny, because I'll start thinking about something that feels like it happened yesterday and then I'll remember that it was actually over ten years ago! I was thinking on my way to my mom's house that it's been 12 years since I started High School, lol. Then I began to think how 4 years of H.S. seemed like an eternity for me at the time, but now 4 years go by so fast, that I don't even have time to count.  ;D

I also had some childhood friends that I still think about to this day that I haven't seen in a long time. One friend I knew moved down south to L.A. I tried finding her on myspace or facebook, but nothing. I think the last time I saw her was in 1989-1990, which was 18-19 years ago... it's very strange to think it's been that long! I also lost a friend around that time, too, who also was moving down to L.A., but I remember her leaving around 1988 or so, because it was right before I started 1st grade. She was about 1 year older than me, I believe, and I remember her birthday being in March, so she'd be turning 27 this March - Yikes!

Anyway, it's very hard to believe that this decade is almost over. When we hit 2010, it's going to be a very strange feeling again. It will be the 4th decade I've lived in. Kinda weird!

^ I agree, and ^^. :)

Yeah, I think we think of people as being the age we were when we met them, so that's even weirder when you haven't seen someone in a certain time. It's like you ask yourself "Do they even exist anymore?", thinking about them in whatever time you first knew them.

I also lost touch with alot of friends and people I've known over the years, from moving around alot, so I know what you mean there too.

BTW, yeah I think 1999 felt like "almost today" until 2006/07, then it finally started seeming a bit older and more simple.



Another thing this all reminded me of in terms of time passing, it's something that's been in my mind for years, but I could never quite put it into words. I'm not sure if it makes total sense, but I'll try and explain.

I think in the grand scheme of things, you can say a time is "recent" if the elders of that period are still alive. You can probably argue the same logic for people being young. Like if your teachers, general older authority figures, parents and even grandparents are living. Generally if alot of people are still older than you, you're still basically young.

Like, I get very uncomfortable and even a little sad/ticked off, when I hear the '80s being put into the "oldies" category, or being talked about as "the parents' time"...because I know there's alot of people around still who remember long before then. So I know it's not anywhere near old, in the traditional sense. It's almost making those people and that time sound more aged.

To give you an example, my dad was born in 1938 (he was older than normal when I was born), and even though it was before my time, logically I know he's lived through alot of different times. So to someone his age, the Nineties weren't very long ago at all. He probably wouldn't even tell a difference between a current teenager and a teen of the grunge era.

To illustrate the opposite point - I was in a car with a couple friends recently, when "The Sign" by Ace of Base came on the radio. One girl (this young woman is about my age too!) was like "Man this song is so old!", not in a bad way, but the way she said it, you'd think she was talking about Sinatra or Elvis! Even though I'll admit it's definitely old-school to me and brings back memories, I know logically in the overall sense, it's not OLD literally.

^ I agree, and ^^. :)

Yeah, I think we think of people as being the age we were when we met them, so that's even weirder when you haven't seen someone in a certain time. It's like you ask yourself "Do they even exist anymore?", thinking about them in whatever time you first knew them.

I also lost touch with alot of friends and people I've known over the years, from moving around alot, so I know what you mean there too.

BTW, yeah I think 1999 felt like "almost today" until 2006/07, then it finally started seeming a bit older and more simple.



Another thing this all reminded me of in terms of time passing, it's something that's been in my mind for years, but I could never quite put it into words. I'm not sure if it makes total sense, but I'll try and explain.

I think in the grand scheme of things, you can say a time is "recent" if the elders of that period are still alive. You can probably argue the same logic for people being young. Like if your teachers, general older authority figures, parents and even grandparents are living. Generally if alot of people are still older than you, you're still basically young.

Like, I get very uncomfortable and even a little sad/ticked off, when I hear the '80s being put into the "oldies" category, or being talked about as "the parents' time"...because I know there's alot of people around still who remember long before then. So I know it's not anywhere near old, in the traditional sense. It's almost making those people and that time sound more aged.

To give you an example, my dad was born in 1938 (he was older than normal when I was born), and even though it was before my time, logically I know he's lived through alot of different times. So to someone his age, the Nineties weren't very long ago at all. He probably wouldn't even tell a difference between a current teenager and a teen of the grunge era.

To illustrate the opposite point - I was in a car with a couple friends recently, when "The Sign" by Ace of Base came on the radio. One girl (this young woman is about my age too!) was like "Man this song is so old!", not in a bad way, but the way she said it, you'd think she was talking about Sinatra or Elvis! Even though I'll admit it's definitely old-school to me and brings back memories, I know logically in the overall sense, it's not OLD literally.



That's a really good point. My dad has said before that he doesn't like any music that has come out after 1991, when grunge took off. And no matter how hard I try and convince him, he doesn't see any difference between '90s rock, and the rock of the '00s. To me of course, there's a huge difference between the Stone Temple Pilots and Fall Out Boy, but I can understand why he doesn't see it since he pretty much grew up on '70s and '80s music.

Then with my grandparents, it's basically the same thing. Both of them were into mostly '50s music growing up, and they tend to lump all rock music that has come out since the British Invasion together. Heck, there's probably somebody born in the '20s out there that thinks anything that has come out since Elvis is "new crap".

I guess there is something cool about that though. There are certain things that make me feel old, like being able to remember things from nearly 20 years ago, but there's still alot of people that are alot older than me out there. So when you look at it that way, the '80s and '90s don't really seem that old.

^ That's true too. I've often wondered if there's any 90 year olds out there who STILL think Elvis is crap lol, from when they opposed their kids (at the time) from listening to him.

Yeah I can see how people would lump '90s and '00s music together (I even used to do this here and there). Maybe I'm forgetting now, but didn't you once say your grandparents like '80s music, but only a few scattered songs and not as passionately as their generation?

I think the heavy presence of hip hop, along with less ballads and adult contemporary music make it harder for older people to listen to current music...although there's always exceptions. I can remember (at least in spurts) people well into their 30s, even 40s who liked some music in the '80s.

^ That's true too. I've often wondered if there's any 90 year olds out there who STILL think Elvis is crap lol, from when they opposed their kids (at the time) from listening to him.

Yeah I can see how people would lump '90s and '00s music together (I even used to do this here and there). Maybe I'm forgetting now, but didn't you once say your grandparents like '80s music, but only a few scattered songs and not as passionately as their generation?

I think the heavy presence of hip hop, along with less ballads and adult contemporary music make it harder for older people to listen to current music...although there's always exceptions. I can remember (at least in spurts) people well into their 30s, even 40s who liked some music in the '80s.



Yeah, they did like some '70s and '80s music actually. It was mostly my grandma, but my grandpa did like a few country-pop songs of that time(along the lines of Michael Martin Murphy or Dan Seals). My grandma liked a few of the pop songs my mom listened to in that era as well. It was mostly rock that they both stopped liking in the '60s.

My mom, who will be 40 in a few months, does like some new songs though, but mostly only the poppier ones.

^ I agree, and ^^. :)

Yeah, I think we think of people as being the age we were when we met them, so that's even weirder when you haven't seen someone in a certain time. It's like you ask yourself "Do they even exist anymore?", thinking about them in whatever time you first knew them.

I also lost touch with alot of friends and people I've known over the years, from moving around alot, so I know what you mean there too.

BTW, yeah I think 1999 felt like "almost today" until 2006/07, then it finally started seeming a bit older and more simple.



Another thing this all reminded me of in terms of time passing, it's something that's been in my mind for years, but I could never quite put it into words. I'm not sure if it makes total sense, but I'll try and explain.

I think in the grand scheme of things, you can say a time is "recent" if the elders of that period are still alive. You can probably argue the same logic for people being young. Like if your teachers, general older authority figures, parents and even grandparents are living. Generally if alot of people are still older than you, you're still basically young.

Like, I get very uncomfortable and even a little sad/ticked off, when I hear the '80s being put into the "oldies" category, or being talked about as "the parents' time"...because I know there's alot of people around still who remember long before then. So I know it's not anywhere near old, in the traditional sense. It's almost making those people and that time sound more aged.

To give you an example, my dad was born in 1938 (he was older than normal when I was born), and even though it was before my time, logically I know he's lived through alot of different times. So to someone his age, the Nineties weren't very long ago at all. He probably wouldn't even tell a difference between a current teenager and a teen of the grunge era.

To illustrate the opposite point - I was in a car with a couple friends recently, when "The Sign" by Ace of Base came on the radio. One girl (this young woman is about my age too!) was like "Man this song is so old!", not in a bad way, but the way she said it, you'd think she was talking about Sinatra or Elvis! Even though I'll admit it's definitely old-school to me and brings back memories, I know logically in the overall sense, it's not OLD literally.


I really see your point. I mean, I think right now we know we're getting older as the "kids born in the '80s," as some of us are heading into our 30s now (such as kids born in 1980), but even then, 30 is not such an old number now. And, even though a lot of us are starting to recall things from over 20 years ago, we still can't say that was a LONG time ago. In our minds it does feel like a long time ago, but for people older than us, it's a joke - lol.

I think certain generations (and of course individual personalities) will either stick with a certain style of music or be open to even te newer stuff, even if there choices are more narrow than us younger folk. I know my mom still has a weakness for all her '60s and '70s music, but she does like A LOT of '80s and '90s love songs/soft rock hits, and even today's love songs. Heck, she was even lovin' Bon Jovi's "It's My Life" a few years back. As for my Dad, he even surprises me with some stuff that he likes. He was telling me a few years ago that he liked Dave Matthews Band. He also seemed to like Hootie and the Blowfish when they were hot (about 12-13 years ago). Being that my Dad is going to be 60 next year and hearing that he likes newer stuff is kinda cool and actually makes me feel even younger, since there isn't a big generational gap between us - pop culturally speaking.

^ Definitely. I think one reason (among others) that I became nostalgic so early was the loss of my grandparents. My parents also casually separated for awhile from late 1993 to early '97, which did it even more. In the mid nineties, I was already saying "Wow, I miss the way things were 5 or 10 years ago".

The pop culture had a hand too, but it's really secondary. After all, there's lots of '80s songs I didn't hear or even know about until the '90s...so those actually remind me of when I first heard them. Same with alot of movies.


Same reason I became nostalgic, Marty. I had a great year in 1991 liiving in my extended family when my dad and mum got divorced and when my nan died in that November it really had an effect on me. My dad, my brother and I moved out at the end of December 1991 and I remember thinking to myself a few weeks later as I lay in bed at the age of 12; 'Nothing is going to be the same again' . . . and I was right.

I totally get you. :)

That's a really good point. My dad has said before that he doesn't like any music that has come out after 1991, when grunge took off.
I never even understood why people stopped following music after grunge took off in late 1991. I mean after grunge took off who was topping the charts? Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, SWV, R. Kelly, UB40, Janet Jackson, Ace of Base and Tevin Campbell. Grunge never littered the Billboard Hot 100 like R&B and A/C did 1992-1998 or teen-pop or latin-pop did 1999-2000 or glam rap did 2003-early 2006 and 2007.

This can even hold true for today too. Right now, I don't feel like things have changed much since 2004, but if you really look at it, you'd be surprised how many artists and trends have come and gone since then.

:-\\
Yeah thats true in 2004 there was stuff like Switchfoot, Ryan Cabrera, and Ashlee Simpson that were on the charts but their not on the charts anymore. Even 50 Cent its hard believe how much he has faded and even Kelly Clarkson I mean both of those artists latest albums didn;t do well.

I never even understood why people stopped following music after grunge took off in late 1991. I mean after grunge took off who was topping the charts? Mariah Carey, Toni Braxton, SWV, R. Kelly, UB40, Janet Jackson, Ace of Base and Tevin Campbell. Grunge never littered the Billboard Hot 100 like R&B and A/C did 1992-1998 or teen-pop or latin-pop did 1999-2000 or glam rap did 2003-early 2006 and 2007.



I agree with you there. I've always been a huge fan of '90s music, and even though I like most grunge music, it was hardly all that was around then. My dad was almost 30 then, so he wasn't really into much new music anyway, and what he did like was mostly rock, so when grunge came out he just kinda lumped everything together as 'crap'.



Yeah thats true in 2004 there was stuff like Switchfoot, Ryan Cabrera, and Ashlee Simpson that were on the charts but their not on the charts anymore. Even 50 Cent its hard believe how much he has faded and even Kelly Clarkson I mean both of those artists latest albums didn;t do well.



Yeah, i've noticed all that too. 50 Cent's popularity seems to have really taken a big hit lately, and I guess you could say rap in general is alot less popular than it was back in '04.

Well I was a teenager back then but there were a lot a major forks in the road back then that I wish I could change.