If people think that 90-92 are 90s kids, then that must mean 80-82 are 80s kids and 70-72 are 70s kids, and so on. It really doesn't make sense. My cousin was born in 1970 and he doesn't remember anything from the 70s.  Wasn't  it always thought to be  the decade AFTER your birth year is your childhood?

I was born in 93 and I wouldn't consider myself a true 90s kid. But saying that most people my age as kids remember a lot of things from the late 90's and early 00s. I think people born in the early 90s remember mostly the late 90s. For me, I have memories of pop culture probably at the earliest 1998. True, the pop culture was mostly the boy bands, Spice Girls, and Britney Spears that were all heavily marketed towards young people. I think most people born in the early 90s remember New Year's Eve 99 going into 2000 being a big deal, and I was in 3rd grade when 9/11 happened. When teachers ask if we remember 9/11 most of us do, but most of us were in school at the time so the teachers never showed us the footage till later. So it wasn't really traumtic to us unless we knew people who died that day. When the Iraq War started is when most of us started understanding the seriousness of what had happened. These are generalizations so it's not true for all people but for the majority, I don't think we remember a lot about the 90s.

If people think that 90-92 are 90s kids, then that must mean 80-82 are 80s kids and 70-72 are 70s kids, and so on. It really doesn't make sense. My cousin was born in 1970 and he doesn't remember anything from the 70s.  Wasn't  it always thought to be  the decade AFTER your birth year is your childhood?


PREACH!!!!  That's what I was saying all along.  You have to be born 3 to 5 years prior to the decade to have a childhood throughout that decade.  Childhood begins at 3.  I'm going to give you an example.  Say someone was born in 1950, does that make that person a true 50s child?  No.  To be a true 50s child, that person has to be born 3 to 5 years before 1950 meaning that individual had to be at least 3 years old in 1950 to have a childhood from beginning to end.  If a person was born in 1950, he or she would not remember anything in the early 50s.  Remember, most adults remember their earliest childhood at age 3 on average.  A person born in 1950 was only 1 year old in 1951, and 2 years old in 1952, and most 60 year olds do not remember anything before 3 years old. So that means that he's more of a mid to late 50s/early 60s child.  If that 1950-born person ended his childhood in the early 60s, then he or she is not a true 50s child.  A true PURE 50s child are most like going to be born in 1945 to 1947.

I have to disagree, for example, someone born in 1970 would have to have a pretty bad memory to not remember at least a portion of the first nine years of their lives. People born in the first two years of the decade are likely to remember the second half of it, and although it's the second half, it's often their first memories of holidays, birthdays, and life in general.If someone born in 1970 wasn't a 70s kid, I don't exactly see how they could be considered an 80s kid either since they would have to turn 10 in 1980 and would hit middle school within the first three years of the decade.  I'd say if they were born after the first 3 or 4 years, their memories of that decade are likely to be vague, but someone born in the first two years or so should have some memories of it.

I have to disagree, for example, someone born in 1970 would have to have a pretty bad memory to not remember at least a portion of the first nine years of their lives. People born in the first two years of the decade are likely to remember the second half of it, and although it's the second half, it's often their first memories of holidays, birthdays, and life in general.If someone born in 1970 wasn't a 70s kid, I don't exactly see how they could be considered an 80s kid either since they would have to turn 10 in 1980 and would hit middle school within the first three years of the decade.  I'd say if they were born after the first 3 or 4 years, their memories of that decade are likely to be vague, but someone born in the first two years or so should have some memories of it.


Maybe it is a cultural issue, but I think the late 70s culture wasn't far off from the 80s.  Her cousin probably doesn't remember the hippie culture from the early part of the decade.

I have to disagree, for example, someone born in 1970 would have to have a pretty bad memory to not remember at least a portion of the first nine years of their lives. People born in the first two years of the decade are likely to remember the second half of it, and although it's the second half, it's often their first memories of holidays, birthdays, and life in general.If someone born in 1970 wasn't a 70s kid, I don't exactly see how they could be considered an 80s kid either since they would have to turn 10 in 1980 and would hit middle school within the first three years of the decade.  I'd say if they were born after the first 3 or 4 years, their memories of that decade are likely to be vague, but someone born in the first two years or so should have some memories of it.


But someone who was born in 1970 was 3 years old in 1973, so that individual will remember the mid to late 70s.  That person is not a true 70s child.  He or she is a mid to late 70s/early 80s child.  In 1981 or 1982 (age 11 or 12), they will start going to middle school, and in 1984 (age 14), they will start their freshman year in high school.  I know because my sister was born in 1970, and I see the evidence.

Ok, here's my God honest opinion: No one born in the 90's is a true 90's kid. Why? Because no 90's baby truly remembers the 90's in its entirety. The earliest 90's baby (1990) doesn't remember what the early 90's was like since he/she was just a baby. I consider true 90's kids to be born in the mid 80's and some of the late 80's. HOWEVER, I personally believe early 90's babies (1990-1992) can be considered partial 90's kids since most tend to remember the second half of the 90's the best (1995-1999) compared to the first half (1990-1994). In addition to that, their childhood didn't come to an end til the early/mid 00's.

Ok, here's my God honest opinion: No one born in the 90's is a true 90's kid. Why? Because no 90's baby truly remembers the 90's in its entirety. The earliest 90's baby (1990) doesn't remember what the early 90's was like since he/she was just a baby. I consider true 90's kids to be born in the mid 80's and some of the late 80's. HOWEVER, I personally believe early 90's babies (1990-1992) can be considered partial 90's kids since most tend to remember the second half of the 90's the best (1995-1999) compared to the first half (1990-1994). In addition to that, their childhood didn't come to an end til the early/mid 00's.


PREACH! PREACH PREACH!  Tell it like it is!!!  I've been saying this all along.  Truth hurts, but it helps more.  I guess people born in the 90s calls themselves 90s kids to make themselves feel better because they don't want to be left out, but the truth of the matter is that if you were just born in the 90s, YOU ARE NOT A TRUE 90S KID, PERIOD!!!  It's like me saying that I'm a 70s kid just because I was born in 1977.  If you were just born in the 70s, you are not a true 70s kid.  You are a 70s baby, plain and simple.  It's amazing that people born in the 80s called themselves 80s kids, and I was like WTH?  How the hell can you be a true 80s kid when you were just BORN in the 80s?????  You and I have the same thinking pattern.  In order to be a true child of ANY decade, one must be born 3 to 5 years BEFORE the next decade.  For example, in order to be a 70s child, you have to be born 3 to 5 years before 1970 meaning that you have to be at least 3 years old in 1970 because that's when you start forming memories, starting pre-K, and maturing motor skills. You have to remember the 70s as a child in its entirety from 1970 to 1979.  You can't just remember just HALF of the 70s, and then call yourself a 70s kid.  It's not logical. 

PREACH!!!!  That's what I was saying all along.  You have to be born 3 to 5 years prior to the decade to have a childhood throughout that decade.  Childhood begins at 3.  I'm going to give you an example.  Say someone was born in 1950, does that make that person a true 50s child?  No.  To be a true 50s child, that person has to be born 3 to 5 years before 1950 meaning that individual had to be at least 3 years old in 1950 to have a childhood from beginning to end.  If a person was born in 1950, he or she would not remember anything in the early 50s.  Remember, most adults remember their earliest childhood at age 3 on average.  A person born in 1950 was only 1 year old in 1951, and 2 years old in 1952, and most 60 year olds do not remember anything before 3 years old. So that means that he's more of a mid to late 50s/early 60s child.  If that 1950-born person ended his childhood in the early 60s, then he or she is not a true 50s child.  A true PURE 50s child are most like going to be born in 1945 to 1947.

Well, according to you, someone born in the late 80s wouldn't be a 90s kid either. For instance, i was born 11/12/89, and graduated in 2008 with the other babies born in 1990. I disagree with that. People born in the early 90s spent most of their childhood in the 90s, as did i...Sure when new years 2000 hit, i was in 4th grade, and only 10 years old, but the 00s were more my teenage years. I consider someone born in 1980 or in the late 70s to be 80s kid...

Ok, here's my God honest opinion: No one born in the 90's is a true 90's kid. Why? Because no 90's baby truly remembers the 90's in its entirety. The earliest 90's baby (1990) doesn't remember what the early 90's was like since he/she was just a baby. I consider true 90's kids to be born in the mid 80's and some of the late 80's. HOWEVER, I personally believe early 90's babies (1990-1992) can be considered partial 90's kids since most tend to remember the second half of the 90's the best (1995-1999) compared to the first half (1990-1994). In addition to that, their childhood didn't come to an end til the early/mid 00's.

what about me? I was born mid november of 89, and was 1.5 months when 1990 began...I remember most of the 90s. Power Ranger, Pokemon, Brittney Spears, Jay Z, Spiderman, Captain Planet, Gargoyles, Fox Kids, TGIF,....remember all of that stuff. I have a late birthday, so i graduated from high school in 2008 with 1990 born babies. So, if you consider me a 90s kid, since i was born in the 80s, the people born in 90 close to my age, would have to also be 90s kids...

There's no hard rule, I was born in 1987 and I'd say I grew up in both the '90s and 2000s (while someone born in 92 grew up more exclusively in the '00s and '82 grew up more exclusively in the '90s) and was aware of and participated in the 2nd half of the '90s culture. Yes I knew what was going on in the world in the '90s  (i.e. I do remember more than just little kid stuff - in the mid to late '90s at least), I was quite aware as a kid. I think the fact that I did know what was going on in the world for basically half the '90s, allows me to say I was actually there in the '90s (though pretty young). Admittedly I'd say I'm on the younger end of people that have a pretty good '90s memory, though early '90s borns still remember something.

I wouldn't put too much weight on <insert decade> kid either.  I was born in 85, and I remember 1990-1991 being really old by 1997.  The 90s had 3 distinct eras, mostly due to the technology change since 1995 and Media heading into a more darker direction around 1997.  While someone born in 1992 might remember 1998, he would probably think something coming out in 1991, say like Ninja Turtles 3 movie, to be part of the 80s culture. 

That said, if you really want to place your era, you shouldn't look at decades as either 1990-1999 nor 1991-2000, but different time periods.  I really grew up in the 1997-2002 timeframe, instead of the 1989-1992 one.

I agree with the "No 90s baby is a full 90s kid" Rule. It makes sense because in order to be a full 90s kid, you would have to remember 1990-1999, so the last full 90s kid year would be 1987 assuming all memory starts at 3. The Hybrids are the '88 to '92 people since their childhoods didn't end until the 00s. High school graduation dates can be used as people who graduated in 2010 or before where '92ers and so on.

I was born in 1991, and I'll readily admit to not being a full-fledged '90s kid.

That being said, you can't be presumptuous enough to tell people what their memories are or when their memories began. I actually have one - albeit very vague - memory of being a baby. I think my earliest full recollections began around 1994, meaning that I have memories of both the mid and late '90s.

I don't mean to speak on behalf of all those who were born in the early '90s, but don't you think that if someone were born during that era, then they would have memories that go back as far as the mid '90s?

I agree with the "No 90s baby is a full 90s kid" Rule. It makes sense because in order to be a full 90s kid, you would have to remember 1990-1999, so the last full 90s kid year would be 1987 assuming all memory starts at 3. The Hybrids are the '88 to '92 people since their childhoods didn't end until the 00s. High school graduation dates can be used as people who graduated in 2010 or before where '92ers and so on.


THANK YOU!  That's exactly the same thing that I say because most 3 year olds know how to talk and that's when their memories starts to form, and that's when they start preschool.  The last FULL child of ANY decade would be born in the 7th year of the previous decade.  I was born in 1977, and I remember the early, mid, and late 80s. I remember being 3 years old living in Logan with my mother, watching Alice, Too Close For Comfort, and Mork and Mindy back in the day.  I remember when I first heard Upside Down by Diana Ross in the summer of 1980 when I was 3, and I remember my mother and I went to Wildwood in the summer of 1980.

A kid born in 1990 might be a kid of 1994/1995-2002 in terms of remembering things. I was born in late 1979 and I consider myself in terms of remembering things from 1983-1992. I remembering watching re-runs of Sanford & Sun when I was like 4 or 5 maybe. I remember "Reading Rainbow" , "Mr. Rogers" and Sesame Street. I can remember like Michael Jackson, Billy Ocean, Irene Cara, Madonna, and Lionel Richie being big when I was in pre-school.

Generation Y is by far more associated with the '00s than the '90s.  Thats why this generation is called millennials, because its the generation that came of age during the '00s.  In my opinion, to be a true '90s kid, you have to at least have been old enough to remember the election and inauguration of Bill Clinton, which was the true start of the '90s.  You have to remember grunge, eurodance, older (90s style) hip-hop/r&b, dial-up Internet, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (not the reruns), etc, etc.  If your earliest pop-culture experience is the boy bands of the late '90s, you are not a '90s kid.

Ah, the 90s; Power rangers, Foxx kids, Goosebumps, beanie babies, ferbies, Grunge, Boy bands, Britney + Christina, Gangsta Rap, OJ Simpson, Spice girls, The rise of the internet circa. 1994, DVDs coming into prominence, the economy, me and my chubby baby pictures!  ;D

Can you ask for a better childhood?

As an '88er, I consider myself a 90s kid. I think anyone born 1989 and before can be consider a 90s kid. Just an opinion!

Generation Y is by far more associated with the '00s than the '90s.  Thats why this generation is called millennials, because its the generation that came of age during the '00s.  In my opinion, to be a true '90s kid, you have to at least have been old enough to remember the election and inauguration of Bill Clinton, which was the true start of the '90s.  You have to remember grunge, eurodance, older (90s style) hip-hop/r&b, dial-up Internet, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (not the reruns), etc, etc.  If your earliest pop-culture experience is the boy bands of the late '90s, you are not a '90s kid.

Yeah, Im on the late end of the 80s babies, since I was born late 89, but I remember Power Rangers.I was 3 for most of 1993, so I don't remember when Bill was elected, but I have some random memories playing, and of my birthday party late that year. I have no memory of grunge though...I didn't grt into music until 98ish, so my music orginated with late 90s/y2k type stuff...

Even though I was born in 1985, I've had a very peculiar life with regards to pop cultural selection. But overall to answer the question by the original poster, I'd consider them mid (born in 1990 and 1991) or late '90s and early '00s kids, hitting their preteens right around the time Ja Rule's In Da Club and the second Gulf War really went into stride in 2003. I call them the main "Pokemon/Spongebob" generation since I hated Spongebob when he first came out, being more of a Simpsons/Rugrats/Ren and Stimpy person. They were right on the bubble with regards to pogs though (a true measure of being a '90s kid), and tended to be more of the Furby era. They were, however probably the last sub-generation to appreciate a world before the Internet was saturated and unlimited (the average household didn't get unlimited Internet until around 1999 or so.) They are however very much a part of generation Y having vivid 9/11 memories either in late elementary or early middle school when it happened.

Even though I was born in 1985, I've had a very peculiar life with regards to pop cultural selection. But overall to answer the question by the original poster, I'd consider them mid (born in 1990 and 1991) or late '90s and early '00s kids, hitting their preteens right around the time Ja Rule's In Da Club and the second Gulf War really went into stride in 2003. I call them the main "Pokemon/Spongebob" generation since I hated Spongebob when he first came out, being more of a Simpsons/Rugrats/Ren and Stimpy person. They were right on the bubble with regards to pogs though (a true measure of being a '90s kid), and tended to be more of the Furby era. They were, however probably the last sub-generation to appreciate a world before the Internet was saturated and unlimited (the average household didn't get unlimited Internet until around 1999 or so.) They are however very much a part of generation Y having vivid 9/11 memories either in late elementary or early middle school when it happened.
No "In Da Club" was by 50 Cent not Ja Rule.

No "In Da Club" was by 50 Cent not Ja Rule.


tv, what generation are you?  ???

Generation Y is by far more associated with the '00s than the '90s.  Thats why this generation is called millennials, because its the generation that came of age during the '00s.  In my opinion, to be a true '90s kid, you have to at least have been old enough to remember the election and inauguration of Bill Clinton, which was the true start of the '90s.  You have to remember grunge, eurodance, older (90s style) hip-hop/r&b, dial-up Internet, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (not the reruns), etc, etc.  If your earliest pop-culture experience is the boy bands of the late '90s, you are not a '90s kid.


This Generational stuff is confusing, Am I late Y or Early Z? Some sources say i'm a Y and others say i'm a Z. I was born in 1996, as you can see by my username and although I do vaguely remember 9/11, I barely remember the bush election of 2000.

tv, what generation are you?  ???
X OR XY cusp because I was born in November of 1979.

This Generational stuff is confusing, Am I late Y or Early Z? Some sources say i'm a Y and others say i'm a Z. I was born in 1996, as you can see by my username and although I do vaguely remember 9/11, I barely remember the bush election of 2000.

You're Z. The last Gen Y people are born in 1994...however don't confuse being in generation Y with being the same as being a 90s kid...

This Generational stuff is confusing, Am I late Y or Early Z? Some sources say i'm a Y and others say i'm a Z. I was born in 1996, as you can see by my username and although I do vaguely remember 9/11, I barely remember the bush election of 2000.


The reason for the confusion is because there's no OFFICIAL years for a starting point of a generation and an OFFICIAL ending point for the same generation.

Most people would be confused by what generation you are, but I can assure you that you are a cusp!  ;)

But in my opinion you are a late Yer. I think generation Y is 1980 to about 1996.

X OR XY cusp because I was born in November of 1979.


I consider 1979 an Xer. You're a VERY late Xer in my view.

I consider 1979 an Xer. You're a VERY late Xer in my view.

Yeah, but since he was born so late in the year, he was almost born in 80. It's not like someone born 2 months later is going to be any different...

Yeah, but since he was born so late in the year, he was almost born in 80. It's not like someone born 2 months later is going to be any different...


You could also argue the other way and say that someone born in January 1980 almost born in 1979. There has to be a cutoff point somewhere, otherwise it never ends and people will always argue about how similar they are to the cutoff point. Pretty soon it gets out of hand. I see birth years like countries. Some parts of the United States are close to the Canadian border and other parts are almost Mexico but it's still the United States.

IMO, Gen Y is 1981-1998.  Someone born in 1980 might be a cusper, but where teenagers during the grunge era.

Here is how I'd break it down

Early Y 1981-1985  Grew up in the pre Gen Y culture
Core 1986-1992  Grew up in the 00s, ie was in HS when Myspace and Facebook were becoming popular
Late 1993-1998  Are teens of this era.

Cusp for Y/Z is prob 1995-2001.

Personally I'd divide Gen Y into late '90s-mid '00s teens (1981-1988) and mid '00s-early '10s teens (1989-1996). I think I'm part of the first wave of Gen Y, as I was in high school generally before the social networking era. Right now we're in the last days of Gen Y culture. Never liked being grouped with 1992ers, they were probably the biggest Soulja Boy fans (going by the few I know). I don't relate to them well.  ::)

Personally I'd divide Gen Y into late '90s-mid '00s teens (1981-1988) and mid '00s-early '10s teens (1989-1996). I think I'm part of the first wave of Gen Y, as I was in high school generally before the social networking era. Right now we're in the last days of Gen Y culture. Never liked being grouped with 1992ers, they were probably the biggest Soulja Boy fans (going by the few I know). I don't relate to them well.  ::)

Haha Well, people born in 90 aren't much better. I'm 21 and graduated in 2008, and most of my classmates were born in '90. I remember senior year everyone was trying to learn the Crank That Souja Boy dance, and looking up Crank That_______ videos on youtube. There were a lot of videos on youtube  different cartoons edited to the song. I'll admit, i liked the song then. Pretty much everyone i know did back in 2007/2008...

IMO, Gen Y is 1981-1998.  Someone born in 1980 might be a cusper, but where teenagers during the grunge era.

Here is how I'd break it down

Early Y 1981-1985  Grew up in the pre Gen Y culture
Core 1986-1992  Grew up in the 00s, ie was in HS when Myspace and Facebook were becoming popular
Late 1993-1998  Are teens of this era.

Cusp for Y/Z is prob 1995-2001.


I think it's difficult for people to generalize when it comes to generations or even subgenerations. I was born in 86 (core Y) and associate Myspace and Facebook with college, not high school. I grew up in the 00s but it wouldn't be the same as with people born in 1992, entering their teen years in 2005. I think 86 and 87 born people are are different from the others in that their childhoods and teenhoods are more cleanly separated by decade.  We (86 and 87 born) became teens in the height of millennial culture (1999 and 2000).

I think it's difficult for people to generalize when it comes to generations or even subgenerations. I was born in 86 (core Y) and associate Myspace and Facebook with college, not high school. I grew up in the 00s but it wouldn't be the same as with people born in 1992, entering their teen years in 2005. I think 86 and 87 born people are are different from the others in that their childhoods and teenhoods are more cleanly separated by decade.  We (86 and 87 born) became teens in the height of millennial culture (1999 and 2000).

Yeah, I started using Myspace sophomore year in high school. I wasn't on facebook till senior year, 2008ish...

I think it's difficult for people to generalize when it comes to generations or even subgenerations. I was born in 86 (core Y) and associate Myspace and Facebook with college, not high school. I grew up in the 00s but it wouldn't be the same as with people born in 1992, entering their teen years in 2005. I think 86 and 87 born people are are different from the others in that their childhoods and teenhoods are more cleanly separated by decade.  We (86 and 87 born) became teens in the height of millennial culture (1999 and 2000).


Anybody that was born in the 5th, 6th, and 7th year of the decade do have the best of both worlds.  For instance, someone that was born in 1955, 1956, and 1957 get to embrace the 60s culture and the 70s culture because they were children and preteens in most of the 60s, and they were teenagers and early-20s in the 70s, so you are right about that

A kid born in 1990 might be a kid of 1994/1995-2002 in terms of remembering things. I was born in late 1979 and I consider myself in terms of remembering things from 1983-1992. I remembering watching re-runs of Sanford & Sun when I was like 4 or 5 maybe. I remember "Reading Rainbow" , "Mr. Rogers" and Sesame Street. I can remember like Michael Jackson, Billy Ocean, Irene Cara, Madonna, and Lionel Richie being big when I was in pre-school.



According to research and observation, most adults remember their earliest childhood at 3 and 4. 

Generation Y is by far more associated with the '00s than the '90s.  Thats why this generation is called millennials, because its the generation that came of age during the '00s.  In my opinion, to be a true '90s kid, you have to at least have been old enough to remember the election and inauguration of Bill Clinton, which was the true start of the '90s.  You have to remember grunge, eurodance, older (90s style) hip-hop/r&b, dial-up Internet, the original Mighty Morphin Power Rangers (not the reruns), etc, etc.  If your earliest pop-culture experience is the boy bands of the late '90s, you are not a '90s kid.

I think that the 80s and 90s are Gen-X period.

I think that the 80s and 90s are Gen-X period.

Anyone BORN in the 80s, and up to the mid 90s (94 being the last year), is generation Y. However, if you were saying, the 80s, and 90s was generation X culture, then i half agree with you. Generation X is like 1965 - 1979, so in the 80s, generation x was still kids, and in the 90s, teenagers, for most of the decade. I say, the late 90s however, when boy bands/and pop started beginning popular was more generation y. If you ask most people born from 1965 - 1979 about NSYNC, they'll probably say, "meh". But if you ask a 20 year old, born in 1991, about NSYNC, they'll probably go on for hours about how they used to be so obsessed with them as kids, and blah, blah, blah...I'm 21, so im saying by experience...

Anyone BORN in the 80s, and up to the mid 90s (94 being the last year), is generation Y. However, if you were saying, the 80s, and 90s was generation X culture, then i half agree with you. Generation X is like 1965 - 1979, so in the 80s, generation x was still kids, and in the 90s, teenagers, for most of the decade. I say, the late 90s however, when boy bands/and pop started beginning popular was more generation y. If you ask most people born from 1965 - 1979 about NSYNC, they'll probably say, "meh". But if you ask a 20 year old, born in 1991, about NSYNC, they'll probably go on for hours about how they used to be so obsessed with them as kids, and blah, blah, blah...I'm 21, so im saying by experience...



That's what I meant.  The Gen-X CULTURE is the late 70s, 80s, and early to mid 90s.  The Gen-Y culture is late 90s and 2000s.  I was an adult in the mid to late 90s, turning 18 in 1995, graduating out of high school in 1995, so I
m WAY too old for teen pop.  By the time teen pop and Latin pop blew up in the late 90s, my teen years were OVER!

That's what I meant.  The Gen-X CULTURE is the late 70s, 80s, and early to mid 90s.  The Gen-Y culture is late 90s and 2000s.  I was an adult in the mid to late 90s, turning 18 in 1995, graduating out of high school in 1995, so I
m WAY too old for teen pop.  By the time teen pop and Latin pop blew up in the late 90s, my teen years were OVER!


I consider the late '70s to actually be a mix of Boomer (Disco/Arena Rock) and X (Punk Rock/earliest New Wave).

I consider the late '70s to actually be a mix of Boomer (Disco/Arena Rock) and X (Punk Rock/earliest New Wave).


The late 70s culture were for late baby boomers (1955-1964) and older Gen Xers (1965-1969).  The 80s/early to mid 90s is STRICTLY Gen-X culture.  I know because I was there.  Gen-Y culture is 1999-2010 I think.  I don't know because I can't indenitfy with the Gen-Y culture.

haha anyone can be considered 90s kids... the hybrids is part 90s kids :P

the true 90s kids would be who are born in 1987... but the hybrids... (1983s-1986s) (1988s-1994s) are part of the 90s kids

my first memories was back in 1997 ( i remember watching titanic for god sakes thats old!) and yes i was fed so much pop late 90s culture stuff too back then... 

haha anyone can be considered 90s kids... the hybrids is part 90s kids :P

the true 90s kids would be who are born in 1987... but the hybrids... (1983s-1986s) (1988s-1994s) are part of the 90s kids

my first memories was back in 1997 ( i remember watching titanic for god sakes thats old!) and yes i was fed so much pop late 90s culture stuff too back then... 


I think those who are 90s kids are born in 1985, 1986, and 1987.

No because they "came of age" and became teenagers during the 2000's
As stated before the cutoff year is 1986-1987 imo.

No because they "came of age" and became teenagers during the 2000's
As stated before the cutoff year is 1986-1987 imo.


Thank you.  That's what I've been saying all along. The cutoff year is 1986/1987.  It's the same for 80s kids.  The cutoff years are 1976/1977.  I'm one of the last 80s kids.

Personally I'd divide Gen Y into late '90s-mid '00s teens (1981-1988) and mid '00s-early '10s teens (1989-1996). I think I'm part of the first wave of Gen Y, as I was in high school generally before the social networking era. Right now we're in the last days of Gen Y culture. Never liked being grouped with 1992ers, they were probably the biggest Soulja Boy fans (going by the few I know). I don't relate to them well.  ::)


generation Y culture will last until the middle of 2010s... still some time to go..... i guess the last of gen Y like justin bieber ughhh... is already making its impact... hahaha i never imagine myself of us being in the very early dawn of generation Z culture.... willow smith is already making her mark and she is only 10 in 2011 :p

yes people born in the early 90s can be considered 90s kids... not true 90s kids but yeah... me... i'm the latest cusps so i just made it to the list :P

I was born in 1989 and I remember Mighty Morphin Power Rangers being my favourite show when I was a kid, and having the power weapons and action figures (from the first series). I can remember some stuff that showed in the first half of the decade too (such as Animals of Farthing Wood), so I definately remember MOST of the 90s. I would say I have clear memories of 1993 onwards, so thats 7 out of 10 years of the 90s I remember. I can remember listening to spice girls when they first came out in my bedroom when I was 7, and I even remember Saturday Night from Whigfield when I was 5. I remember mostly late 90s stuff like Fatboy Slim, Eiffel 65, Britney Spears, B*Witched and so on, so I know I'm not a true 90s kid since I was still a kid in the early 00s, but Its unfair I am completely excluded from the 90s (I have heard I was too young for it), when actually I remember over half of the decade. If I talked about something from 1990, then go ahead and shoot me down, but laughing at me for saying I remember the mid/late 90s is ridiculous. If you say childhood memories start at 3, wouldn't I start remembering stuff from 1992 onwards. How is that not remembering most of the decade, and more importantly remembering it as a KID?

^^ To be a 90's kid you have to remember early 90s pop culture. Not only late (new school) 90s stuff you mentioned. Still being a kid in 2002 is not enough to be a 90's kid.

this a a very petty and insignificant argument. if you really feel an need to be part of a "90's kids club" (and you are already in your 20s) to feel accepted by your peers, you should consider surrounding yourself with different people. there is so much development and life experience to be had beyond childhood years. 

I think to be a child of the 90's you had to be a kid during the majority of the 90's. You also had to be involved in kid culture of the time. This means you had to be playing with toys, involved in fads, watching cartoons, and doing other activities that other kids of that decade would be doing.

Research has found childhood starts at 3 and adolescence begins at 13.

Therefore, if you spent the majority of your childhood years (3-12) in the 90's then you are a child of that decade. If you spent more teen years than child years in the 1990's, you're a teen of that decade, not a child.

Honestly, A 16 year old does not have the same interests as someone who is 10. Just because you are still a minor, it does not mean you are a "child" of that decade. Likewise, if you spent less than 1/2 of your childhood years in the decade, you are not a child of that decade. If you have spent an equal amount of years in each decade, you are a cusper.

With this logic, 1987 is the quintessential 90's child.

1987 (All childhood years in 1990-1999)

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

1988

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 | 12

1989

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 | 11 12

1990

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 | 10 11 12

1991
3 4 5 6 7 8 | 9 10 11 12

1992 (Cusp Year)

3 4 5 6 7 | 9 10 11 12 13

1993 (2000's kid)

3 4 5 6 | 9 10 11 12 13

In other words:

1983-1991 births are true 90's kids.

1982 and 1992 are cuspers.

1993 - 2001 are 00's children.

---

But, in the end, it really it doesn't matter. If you want to claim the 90's then no one should be able to tell you otherwise.

I just don't really get why no one seems to want to be a 00's kid. The 00's were not a horrible decade. I know, I spent all of my teenage years in them and so did my sister.

^Completely agree with all of that. There is a distinct difference between "kid" culture and "teen" culture of a decade, and I think sometimes people forget that. You're not typically sitting down everyday after school to watch Nickelodeon at age 16, and likewise, you're not typically going out to get the latest album at age 6. They are two completely different eras in your life. I also feel that spending at least a majority of your "true" childhood years in a decade is a pretty good litmus test for whether you are a kid of that decade or not.

Trying to pin this down to an exact year is when this debate can get a little problematic, though. To say, as some have, that the '7/'8 year in a decade is the solid cut-off point to be a kid of the next decade is what gets me. I was born in the summer of 1987 and to say that somebody just 18 months younger than me is a kid of the 00's is a bit absurd. That's like saying that somebody born in '79 (who started college in 1997) is a 90's kid. Hell, my cousin's mom (born in '69) had him when she was just 19 in 1988. Does that mean that she had a kid in the same decade she was one. ;D

Does that mean that she had a kid in the same decade she was one. ;D


Yes, of course that's possible! Somebody who was 12 in 2010 (still a kid) could certainly get a kid in 2016 and that newborn will be a kid in 2019 - the same decade  8)

No, they are considered as kids born during the Korean war. Pretty obvious.

Yes, of course that's possible! Somebody who was 12 in 2010 (still a kid) could certainly get a kid in 2016 and that newborn will be a kid in 2019 - the same decade  8)


Well, biologically a 12 year old could probably have a kid. I guess then mother and child could grow up watching some of the same cartoons together ;D

I just really think this debate is starting to get out of hand, though. I mean, when you've got '99ers claiming to be 90's kids, while others are simultaneously claiming that '89ers are actually 00's kids, it's pretty obvious the 90's kid "cred" thing has officially jumped the shark.

Well if you were born after 1990 then you're considered a 90's kid.

I would consider a 90s kid somebody born from 1993 and bellow. Definitely not after that. They would be considered more late 90s kids. But they would still be considered 90s kids. The thing I hate is when little kids think think they are 90s kids just becaus ethey were born in the 90s. Like you're not a 90s kid if you are born in 1999!!!!!  >:( I was born in 1995 and even I know that I'm a 2000s kid and I accept that andI'm proud of that. I wish kids these days were more proud of the decade they grew up with. People need to know you are not a 90s kids if you are born in the mid to late 90s..... Overall I think you are a kid of the next decade once you pass 3 years from when the decade started. So next year, we will soon have some 20's kids being born.  ;D

I would consider a 90s kid somebody born from 1993 and bellow. Definitely not after that. They would be considered more late 90s kids. But they would still be considered 90s kids. The thing I hate is when little kids think think they are 90s kids just becaus ethey were born in the 90s. Like you're not a 90s kid if you are born in 1999!!!!!  >:( I was born in 1995 and even I know that I'm a 2000s kid and I accept that andI'm proud of that. I wish kids these days were more proud of the decade they grew up with. People need to know you are not a 90s kids if you are born in the mid to late 90s..... Overall I think you are a kid of the next decade once you pass 3 years from when the decade started. So next year, we will soon have some 20's kids being born.  ;D

Wow, when you were born I was 15! And, I agree with you there people should be happy with whichever decade they had grown up in.

wow, seems like you have to be born pretty early to be a 90's kid. Guess I don't count since i'm a '94-er.
Whatever Generation we are doesn't really fit into the 00's or 90's though, since we got the tail end of the 90's (I remember a good few things, a darned sight more than from the early 00's) and we were at a slightly awkward age of being pre-teens up until the '10s. we never really got a full scoop of either decade (infant-early childhood in the 90's, childhood- early teens in 00's and now later teens/early adulthood for the 10's).
gosh, this makes me feel old and I'm not legally an adult :S

I'd say pretty much anyone in their 20s right now is a 90s kid.

I'd say pretty much anyone in their 20s right now is a 90s kid.


20 and 21 is barely a 90's kid. I'd say you have to be at least 22, best would be mid to late 20s.

Real 90s kids: Those who are between 25-30 today = those who are aware of all pop cultural periods of the 90s.

20 and 21 is barely a 90's kid. I'd say you have to be at least 22, best would be mid to late 20s.

And they're also barely in their 20s, so I think it works.

Yes, being 22, I realize I'm less of a 90s kid than someone 3-4 years older than me, but I'm also too old to be a 00s kid since those were mostly my teenage years, not childhood.

I'd say pretty much anyone in their 20s right now is a 90s kid.


more like "young adult".

Real 90s kids: Those who are between 25-30 today = those who are aware of all pop cultural periods of the 90s.


I've always thought that people born in 1987 and 1988 were, in many ways, the "ultimate" 90's kids. When you think about it, we were just the right age to get into the "big 3" 90's kid fads. Just old enough to be able to dig TMNT (I know I was obsessed), the perfect age to get totally immersed in the Power Ranger phenomenon, but also young enough to potentially get caught up in the Pokemon fad that dominated the late 90's. Also we where of age to be able to get into pretty much all of the next tier fads like Pogs, Goosebumps, etc.

I think so. I think that your decade is one, out of the ones that you were a kid in, and that your childhood was based on the most.

I was born in 1994, so I would often be considered a '90s kid, but often not. I identify as one (usually) because I played '90s games and listened to '90s music well into the '00s, not caring that they weren't quite "current," and because I have copious memories, the oldest of which are from the mid-to-late-'90s. Yeah, I don't remember Bill Clinton getting elected, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" coming out, or OJ's trial, but who cares? I remember watching Pokemon back in its first season, and it doesn't get much more '90s than that.

Besides, it's not like there's anything wrong with being a '00s kid. I don't think people should be so arrogant that their era was the best one and try to fight to claim others'. At the end of the day, time isn't rigidly defined into eras anyway; '90s culture was dominant into the early '00s. That's why I think it's a waste of time to argue at such length on who is a '90s kid and who isn't.

I think so. I think that your decade is one, out of the ones that you were a kid in, and that your childhood was based on the most.

I was born in 1994, so I would often be considered a '90s kid, but often not. I identify as one (usually) because I played '90s games and listened to '90s music well into the '00s, not caring that they weren't quite "current," and because I have copious memories, the oldest of which are from the mid-to-late-'90s. Yeah, I don't remember Bill Clinton getting elected, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" coming out, or OJ's trial, but who cares? I remember watching Pokemon back in its first season, and it doesn't get much more '90s than that.

Besides, it's not like there's anything wrong with being a '00s kid. I don't think people should be so arrogant that their era was the best one and try to fight to claim others'. At the end of the day, time isn't rigidly defined into eras anyway; '90s culture was dominant into the early '00s. That's why I think it's a waste of time to argue at such length on who is a '90s kid and who isn't.

I listen to a lot of 80s music and I'm a huge fan of that decade in general, but I don't call myself an 80s kid.

If you were born in 94, then you were less than 6 years old when the 90s ended, meaning that most of your childhood (which spans from age 3-12) occurred in the 00s, so you are mostly a 00s kid. Also, I doubt that you would remember anything from the mid 90s, since you didn't turn 3 until 1997. I have no doubt that you remember 1998-99, and maybe parts of 97, but that's not enough to be a 90s kid.

And you're right, there is nothing wrong with being a 00s kid, and there's no reason for 90s kids to think they are better just cause they're older. Be proud of who you are, a 00s kid with some late 90s memories.

I was born in 1994, so I would often be considered a '90s kid, but often not. I identify as one (usually) because I played '90s games and listened to '90s music well into the '00s


I wouldn't consider you a 90's kid either. I also can't really understand how people of your birthyear even feel such a big connection to the 90's. I know people born in 1984 and nobody talks about his or her '80's childhood'. Why is it always the case with mid-90's born people?

I was born in '86 and feel a very very slight connection to the late 80's and early 90's culture since my earliest memories are from around that time. But that's it. That was early childhood and my 'real' childhood when I did stuff, listened to music, when I was really aware of pop culture... was actually from around 1992-around 1997.

I listen to a lot of 80s music and I'm a huge fan of that decade in general, but I don't call myself an 80s kid.

If you were born in 94, then you were less than 6 years old when the 90s ended, meaning that most of your childhood (which spans from age 3-12) occurred in the 00s, so you are mostly a 00s kid. Also, I doubt that you would remember anything from the mid 90s, since you didn't turn 3 until 1997. I have no doubt that you remember 1998-99, and maybe parts of 97, but that's not enough to be a 90s kid.

And you're right, there is nothing wrong with being a 00s kid, and there's no reason for 90s kids to think they are better just cause they're older. Be proud of who you are, a 00s kid with some late 90s memories.


I remember stuff from earlier than '97. But I guess it just depends on how much of the decade is integral to be remembered, and that's pretty subjective. It should be noted, though, that you aren't really a child when you're 12. From 10 to 12, you're considered a "tween" (yes, I knew that at the time. By the time I was in fifth grade, I did not consider myself a child).

I feel years too old to be a true '00s kid, though. I don't have anything against them - I really don't - but I think of them as people who had cell phones in elementary school, can't remember original (first few of seasons) Pokemon episodes on TV, think of boy bands as old people music, etc.

At best, my childhood is divided roughly evenly between the two decades. It's a little frustrating.

I wouldn't consider you a 90's kid either. I also can't really understand how people of your birthyear even feel such a big connection to the 90's. I know people born in 1984 and nobody talks about his or her '80's childhood'. Why is it always the case with mid-90's born people?

I was born in '86 and feel a very very slight connection to the late 80's and early 90's culture since my earliest memories are from around that time. But that's it. That was early childhood and my 'real' childhood when I did stuff, listened to music, when I was really aware of pop culture... was actually from around 1992-around 1997.


I think the reason that mid-'90s-born people tend to have the highest '90s kid insistence to '90s experience ratio is that the '00s are seen as a quite undesirable decade. This occurs mainly because earlier-born '90s kids are often so disparaging of the '00s. It needn't be this way.

I have memories that stretch back comfortably into '96 and one from very late '95 (yes, I know they aren't "constructed memories"; I'd really rather not get into another one of those arguments). Due to the nostalgia factor of the '90s for me (my pets were still alive; I lived on a block that actually had other kids; the world seemed new and exciting), that decade is more valuable to me than the '00s are. Plus, for a little more than half of the '00s I was either a tween or a teenager; I knew those terms at the time and did not think of myself as a child. Contrast this to my very early childhood; though I was obviously very immature, I never thought of myself as a baby or toddler, only as a kid. This gives me, admittedly in kind of a stilted way, more childhood time in the '90s than in the '00s. That's not the most relevant thing, though. Due to the way these experiences have balanced out, I generally have for a long time thought of myself as more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid (though it's generally a toss-up for people born in the early- to mid-'90s).

We're just different people. You happen to value your later childhood proportionally more highly than I mine.

I remember stuff from earlier than '97. But I guess it just depends on how much of the decade is integral to be remembered, and that's pretty subjective. It should be noted, though, that you aren't really a child when you're 12. From 10 to 12, you're considered a "tween" (yes, I knew that at the time. By the time I was in fifth grade, I did not consider myself a child).

I feel years too old to be a true '00s kid, though. I don't have anything against them - I really don't - but I think of them as people who had cell phones in elementary school, can't remember original (first few of seasons) Pokemon episodes on TV, think of boy bands as old people music, etc.

At best, my childhood is divided roughly evenly between the two decades. It's a little frustrating.


I never thought of myself as a "tween" growing up.  In fact I never even heard of the term until a few years ago.  To say that 10-12 year olds aren't kids honestly just makes you look desperate... like you're trying to hard.  It could be because you're still 17/18, but when you reach your mid 20s (or even early 20s) you'll realize that they are kids.  I won't say you don't remember anything from the 90s, but you missed a lot.  Pokemon and boy bands don't represent the 90s as a whole.

I don't know, between 1990-1995 people today are about the ages of 17-22 so I don't think they're considered 90's kids just yet unless they were old enough to experience it.

I never thought of myself as a "tween" growing up.  In fact I never even heard of the term until a few years ago.  To say that 10-12 year olds aren't kids honestly just makes you look desperate... like you're trying to hard.  It could be because you're still 17/18, but when you reach your mid 20s (or even early 20s) you'll realize that they are kids.  I won't say you don't remember anything from the 90s, but you missed a lot.  Pokemon and boy bands don't represent the 90s as a whole.


I know that many people never do hear of the term growing up; that's why I mentioned it. Anyway, I don't mean to look desperate; I'm merely stating that I did not think of myself as a kid during most of my tweenhood. I know that for many it is different.

Also, I know I missed a lot. However, there was also a lot of the '00s that I was not able to experience as a kid would. The issue is not which decade I remember more of - for almost anyone in the world, it'd be the '00s, if nothing else because they're more recent - the issue is how much '90s experience is necessary to be a '90s kid. I do remember, for example, hearing a lot of post-grunge and alt. rock on the radio (yes, during the '90s, not in retrospect), but I, of course, don't remember grunge at all, as it had fizzled out by '96 and I was not paying attention to music around that time.

I hope you don't think I'm desperate. I'm really just trying to be civil and talk about an issue that, yes, does concern many people around my age, especially on threads like these. From what I've seen, most people do not consider '94ers '90s kids, but most '94ers consider themselves '90s kids. The "official" definition I've seen most often goes 1985-1994, but most people don't pay attention to that. They shouldn't, of course, if they don't agree with it; it's all pretty subjective.

I don't know, between 1990-1995 people today are about the ages of 17-22 so I don't think they're considered 90's kids just yet unless they were old enough to experience it.


You got it! 90's kids are those who associate any memory of their childhood with the 90's (at latest, maybe late 80's included for early 80's born people). Raisins, you were 6-15 in the 00's and 0-5 in the 90's. You weren't even a legal adult in the 00's. That's not what the generality understands of a 90's kid.

Even I (being 8 (!) years older than you) was still a kid by law in Germany as late as 2000.

You got it! 90's kids are those who associate any memory of their childhood with the 90's (at latest, maybe late 80's included for early 80's born people). Raisins, you were 6-15 in the 00's and 0-5 in the 90's. You weren't even a legal adult in the 00's. That's not what the generality understands of a 90's kid.

Even I (being 8 (!) years older than you) was still a kid by law in Germany as late as 2000.


I was able to experience the 90's cause I was about in my early 20's at the time.

I was able to experience the 90's cause I was about in my early 20's at the time.


Early 20's? You're not a '90s kid, then. You're a '70s or '80s kid.

I was able to experience the 90's cause I was about in my early 20's at the time.


Sure you could. I am/will be in my 20's and early 30's in the 2010s and are also able to experience the current decade, however not as a kid - and that's what we're talking about here.

Early 20's? You're not a '90s kid, then. You're a '70s or '80s kid.


yes I am just turned 38 in March.

I remember stuff from earlier than '97. But I guess it just depends on how much of the decade is integral to be remembered, and that's pretty subjective. It should be noted, though, that you aren't really a child when you're 12. From 10 to 12, you're considered a "tween" (yes, I knew that at the time. By the time I was in fifth grade, I did not consider myself a child).

I feel years too old to be a true '00s kid, though. I don't have anything against them - I really don't - but I think of them as people who had cell phones in elementary school, can't remember original (first few of seasons) Pokemon episodes on TV, think of boy bands as old people music, etc.

At best, my childhood is divided roughly evenly between the two decades. It's a little frustrating.

Tweens (or preteens) are considered children. Sure, they are big kids compared to 6-7 year olds, but they are still kids who haven't quite reached adolescence. Childhood ends when you hit puberty, which can happen anywhere from ages 9-15, but to make it fair to everyone, 13 is my cutoff, and it's reasonable because that's when one can be called a teenager.

And I understand where you're coming from, my sister is your age and she has a hard time accepting that she isn't a 90s kid. A "true 00s kid" would probably be 3-4 years younger than you, and I'm sure they're a bit different than you since they have no memories of the 90s or of 9/11, but you're still a 00s kid, even if you're one of the older ones, just like someone born in 1984 is a 90s kid.

However, you may just be old enough to fit into generation Y.

Tweens (or preteens) are considered children. Sure, they are big kids compared to 6-7 year olds, but they are still kids who haven't quite reached adolescence. Childhood ends when you hit puberty, which can happen anywhere from ages 9-15, but to make it fair to everyone, 13 is my cutoff, and it's reasonable because that's when one can be called a teenager.

And I understand where you're coming from, my sister is your age and she has a hard time accepting that she isn't a 90s kid. A "true 00s kid" would probably be 3-4 years younger than you, and I'm sure they're a bit different than you since they have no memories of the 90s or of 9/11, but you're still a 00s kid, even if you're one of the older ones, just like someone born in 1984 is a 90s kid.

However, you may just be old enough to fit into generation Y.


I always found it really dumb that people want to be 90s kids so badly. What's so good about the 90s? Maybe 80s but I don't know. The 00s are alright for me. I think kids should appreciate the decade which they grew up in more.

I think the reason that mid-'90s-born people tend to have the highest '90s kid insistence to '90s experience ratio is that the '00s are seen as a quite undesirable decade. This occurs mainly because earlier-born '90s kids are often so disparaging of the '00s. It needn't be this way.

I have memories that stretch back comfortably into '96 and one from very late '95 (yes, I know they aren't "constructed memories"; I'd really rather not get into another one of those arguments). Due to the nostalgia factor of the '90s for me (my pets were still alive; I lived on a block that actually had other kids; the world seemed new and exciting), that decade is more valuable to me than the '00s are. Plus, for a little more than half of the '00s I was either a tween or a teenager; I knew those terms at the time and did not think of myself as a child. Contrast this to my very early childhood; though I was obviously very immature, I never thought of myself as a baby or toddler, only as a kid. This gives me, admittedly in kind of a stilted way, more childhood time in the '90s than in the '00s. That's not the most relevant thing, though. Due to the way these experiences have balanced out, I generally have for a long time thought of myself as more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid (though it's generally a toss-up for people born in the early- to mid-'90s).

We're just different people. You happen to value your later childhood proportionally more highly than I mine.

Yikes, you must have a really good memory. I, too, have some very valuable memories from when I was 3-4, cause I lived in NYC at the time and in a way I think of it as my original home (especially the apartment I lived in). When I was 4, my family moved south and life was never the same, and to this day I still miss New York. I don't think I remember being 1-2, but I won't deny what you say you remember. I hate when people tell me that I "don't remember sh*t" from anything before age 5, so I won't say the same to you.

And I understand where you're coming from, my sister is your age and she has a hard time accepting that she isn't a 90s kid. A "true 00s kid" would probably be 3-4 years younger than you, and I'm sure they're a bit different than you since they have no memories of the 90s


I don't think that having memories from the 'new school late 90's' will make 94'ers that different from 97'ers or 98'ers, who only remember from the early 2000's on.

Yikes, you must have a really good memory.

I remember stuff from when I was two.....

I remember stuff from when I was two.....

Not me. Any memories I have from prior to age 3 1/2 are kinda fuzzy.

Not me. Any memories I have from prior to age 3 1/2 are kinda fuzzy.

Yeah mine are pretty fuzzy as well. I just remember a few moments. That's all.

Yeah mine are pretty fuzzy as well. I just remember a few moments. That's all.

My family has a lot of pictures of me at that age; yet looking at them doesn't make me remember them. However do I remember some of the toys I played with in those photos.

I hate when people tell me that I "don't remember sh*t" from anything before age 5, so I won't say the same to you.


Me too, since this is probably not true.

I have a lot of memories from at least age 3-4. It's just that those memories from 2.5 to (not including) 5 (which I have) are too distant and more or less 'decadeless' since I did not do stuff which was typical for the late 80's and the very early 90's. It was basically stuff which even kids born in 2007 or 1977 or 1967 do/did. That's the reason why I wouldn't call my childhood after the decade in which the first 5 years of my life have taken place.

I know that many people never do hear of the term growing up; that's why I mentioned it. Anyway, I don't mean to look desperate; I'm merely stating that I did not think of myself as a kid during most of my tweenhood. I know that for many it is different.

Also, I know I missed a lot. However, there was also a lot of the '00s that I was not able to experience as a kid would. The issue is not which decade I remember more of - for almost anyone in the world, it'd be the '00s, if nothing else because they're more recent - the issue is how much '90s experience is necessary to be a '90s kid. I do remember, for example, hearing a lot of post-grunge and alt. rock on the radio (yes, during the '90s, not in retrospect), but I, of course, don't remember grunge at all, as it had fizzled out by '96 and I was not paying attention to music around that time.

I hope you don't think I'm desperate. I'm really just trying to be civil and talk about an issue that, yes, does concern many people around my age, especially on threads like these. From what I've seen, most people do not consider '94ers '90s kids, but most '94ers consider themselves '90s kids. The "official" definition I've seen most often goes 1985-1994, but most people don't pay attention to that. They shouldn't, of course, if they don't agree with it; it's all pretty subjective.


It's no problem, if you value your early childhood there's nothing wrong with that.  I have memories from my early childhood, and although they're pretty vague 20 years later, they still mean something to me.  It was just the "10-12 year olds aren't kids" part that had me scratching my head.

It's no problem, if you value your early childhood there's nothing wrong with that.  I have memories from my early childhood, and although they're pretty vague 20 years later, they still mean something to me.  It was just the "10-12 year olds aren't kids" part that had me scratching my head.


I honestly didn't feel like too much of a kid then. I think it's a bit pointless to try to explain, though. I'm just accepting the fact that most people either do not consider me a '90s kid at all or just consider me to barely squeeze into the definition. It's not a big issue, anyway.

As I said before, I just feel too old to be a '00s kid. My brother, born in '98, has no memories from before late '00, got his first iPod, cell phone, and Facebook account in elementary school, barely remembers 9/11, and does not show much interest in '90s culture. He is what I think of when I think, "'00s kid." My experiences are quite different; they happen to be more similar to those of people born in the late '80s and very early '90s (the "true" '90s kids). Acknowledging that much of my childhood took place in the '00s, I identify as more of a '90s kid because of the experience rift. It does suck to have such a split childhood, though. This'd be a lot easier if I'd been born in, say, '90.

I'm starting to value the decade labels less and less. They can only tell so much. That said, I'm still not comfortable identifying as a straight-up '00s kid because I honestly don't feel I ever was one. It's gotten beyond the point of empirical reasoning.

Anyway, carry on.

Early memories are fun to reminisce about.

I honestly didn't feel like too much of a kid then. I think it's a bit pointless to try to explain, though. I'm just accepting the fact that most people either do not consider me a '90s kid at all or just consider me to barely squeeze into the definition. It's not a big issue, anyway.

As I said before, I just feel too old to be a '00s kid. My brother, born in '98, has no memories from before late '00, got his first iPod, cell phone, and Facebook account in elementary school, barely remembers 9/11, and does not show much interest in '90s culture. He is what I think of when I think, "'00s kid." My experiences are quite different; they happen to be more similar to those of people born in the late '80s and very early '90s (the "true" '90s kids). Acknowledging that much of my childhood took place in the '00s, I identify as more of a '90s kid because of the experience rift. It does suck to have such a split childhood, though. This'd be a lot easier if I'd been born in, say, '90.

I'm starting to value the decade labels less and less. They can only tell so much. That said, I'm still not comfortable identifying as a straight-up '00s kid because I honestly don't feel I ever was one. It's gotten beyond the point of empirical reasoning.

Anyway, carry on.

Early memories are fun to reminisce about.

Putting aside decade labels (which I agree, some people get too worked up about), the difference between you and your brother clearly shows the generational difference between you two. Your brother is clearly part of Generation Z (born from 1995-2010 or so), or the digital natives, because the internet and digital technology in general (DVDs, iPods, smartphones, etc.) have been part of his entire life and he knows nothing about a world before they took over. The age difference is just a few years, but you're just old enough to remember what life was like before they became widespread, which is why I think you're on the tail end of generation Y (also known as Millennials). I don't think this is a trivial difference...........I think having access to such things at such a young age may shape up this new generation very differently than those who are even a few years older.

Putting aside decade labels (which I agree, some people get too worked up about), the difference between you and your brother clearly shows the generational difference between you two. Your brother is clearly part of Generation Z (born from 1995-2010 or so), or the digital natives, because the internet and digital technology in general (DVDs, iPods, smartphones, etc.) have been part of his entire life and he knows nothing about a world before they took over. The age difference is just a few years, but you're just old enough to remember what life was like before they became widespread, which is why I think you're on the tail end of generation Y (also known as Millennials). I don't think this is a trivial difference...........I think having access to such things at such a young age may shape up this new generation very differently than those who are even a few years older.


Gosh, it's weird to think that the generation after Z has already started. Who knows what those kids will remember?

Though I'm starting to think that generation labels really are what it's all about, I don't want this thread to get too off-topic. I'm gonna go on a limb here and say that what a lot of people (here) are secretly thinking is that Generation Y = '90s kids. Of course, I'm not trying to use the idea that I am in Gen Y as much of a justification for myself being a '90s kid; they are separate ideas at their core, and the boundaries between generations are fuzzy.

I hope I've adequately thrown a rope back to the '90s-kid construct.

the difference between you and your brother clearly shows the generational difference between you two. Your brother is clearly part of Generation Z (born from 1995-2010 or so), or the digital natives, because the internet and digital technology in general (DVDs, iPods, smartphones, etc.) have been part of his entire life and he knows nothing about a world before they took over.


C'mon, digital technology was existent all over the 90s, even during the 80s. Digital technology is not just DVD, smartphones and the iPod.  Raisin's first real memories are from the late 90's when the internet and a lot of digital technology was already existent, too. I think an age gap of less than 5 years to mark generational differences is a bit absurd. Just because somebody experienced one special event as a little kid makes no different generation in comparison to somebody slightly younger either. Where is the big difference between somebody who had his first cellphone in elementary school or in 8th grade in a wider context?


and does not show much interest in '90s culture.
 

I also don't show much interest in 90's culture to be honest; I am more into the 80's and my 2000's teenage time - though I am a 90's kid.  ::)

I stick with my opinion: As being a person who already feels to be on the edge of the people who are the last to remember 'the old world', as being a person who was still very little during 90's culture, I just can't understand how somebody born in the mid-90's, nearly a decade later, could still call the 90's and pre-Internet-time 'his' time.

I stick with my opinion: As being a person who already feels to be on the edge of the people who are the last to remember 'the old world', as being a person who was still very little during 90's culture, I just can't understand how somebody born in the mid-90's, nearly a decade later, could still call the 90's and pre-Internet-time 'his' time.


I think a lot of it stems from wanting to feel a sense of belonging.

Eventually when Generation Z becomes older and starts feeling nostaglic about the 00's though we may see the same debate about 00's kids that we do about 90's.  :P

Overall, I think it's a little silly that this subject becomes argued so much. There isn't an exact cutoff because people have different memories. I remember stuff from 1991 onward and I was born in 1989. It just depends on the person.

Although considering what decade you had more childhood years (3-12) helps too. XD

I always found it really dumb that people want to be 90s kids so badly. What's so good about the 90s? Maybe 80s but I don't know. The 00s are alright for me. I think kids should appreciate the decade which they grew up in more.


the kids of the 90's won't be able to remember the 90's for another 10 years.

I remember stuff from when I was two.....



I can remember stuff from when I was 5 and that was in 1979.

Gosh, it's weird to think that the generation after Z has already started. Who knows what those kids will remember?

We'll have to wait 20 years but that time I'll be in my late 50's.

C'mon, digital technology was existent all over the 90s, even during the 80s. Digital technology is not just DVD, smartphones and the iPod.  Raisin's first real memories are from the late 90's when the internet and a lot of digital technology was already existent, too. I think an age gap of less than 5 years to mark generational differences is a bit absurd. Just because somebody experienced one special event as a little kid makes no different generation in comparison to somebody slightly younger either. Where is the big difference between somebody who had his first cellphone in elementary school or in 8th grade in a wider context?

Raisin apparently remembers 1996. And I should've been more clear when I mentioned "digital technology". Obviously I didn't mean simple devices like digital watches or primitive computers. But there's a whole slew of technologies that didn't really emerge until the late 90s or 00s.

I think Raisin is on the cusp of Y/Z while Raisin's brother is clearly Z, so maybe not an entire generation of a difference. But compare a '98er to someone my age, and yeah, the difference is there, much like the difference between a person from 1966 compared to 1958.

Raisin apparently remembers 1996.


Yeah, and he obviously wrote that year on his papers while being in kindergarten ;D
I remember late '88 and '89 a bit - am I now part of generation X or XY-cusp because I toddled around and have some memories of boxy toy cars?


But compare a '98er to someone my age, and yeah, the difference is there, much like the difference between a person from 1966 compared to 1958.


Yeah, certainly. Because it's an 8-year-gap and not only a 4-year-gap where the younger individual just have missed some events that happend during the early childhood of the older individual.

Yeah, and he obviously wrote that year on his papers while being in kindergarten ;D
I remember late '88 and '89 a bit - am I now part of generation X or XY-cusp because I toddled around and have some memories of boxy toy cars?

Of course not. '86ers aren't even close to being X. Had you been born in '81 with those memories, then maybe so.

Yeah, and he obviously wrote that year on his papers while being in kindergarten ;D
I remember late '88 and '89 a bit - am I now part of generation X or XY-cusp because I toddled around and have some memories of boxy toy cars?

Yeah, certainly. Because it's an 8-year-gap and not only a 4-year-gap where the younger individual just have missed some events that happend during the early childhood of the older individual.


I was not in kindergarten when I was 1-2 (1996). Most of the reason I remember dates and ages from my early childhood more clearly than most do is that my family lived on the calendar, as well as that my preschool kept a good record of everyone's birthdays.

No, you're not part of Generation X, because the very youngest of those were born in the late '70s and early '80s. Generation Y extended until at least the mid '90s, so I'm not trying to push myself in by any means. He just highlighted the fact that I was part of Gen Y and thus experienced a different culture from that of my brother. Please stop being so patronizing.

Yes, many people believe that it does make a difference. If it couldn't, people wouldn't go on at such length in threads like these over who is a '90s kid and who isn't. As I see it, the "original" '90s kids, when the debate started, were kids born in the mid to late '90s who chided kids born in the early '00s - born only a few years later - because they had no memories of '90s cartoons and music (assuming the late '90s-born kids have any memory of the decade at all). The cutoff, as consensus holds it, for being a '90s kid has inched backward in time from there, but it's much the same now.

Of course not. '86ers aren't even close to being X. Had you been born in '81 with those memories, then maybe so.


Yes, that's what I mean! That was a rhetorical question.

On the other hand - there are sources that state that at least XY cusp goes through 1987 so my statement was not completely without sense.

I always found it really dumb that people want to be 90s kids so badly. What's so good about the 90s? Maybe 80s but I don't know. The 00s are alright for me. I think kids should appreciate the decade which they grew up in more.


I find it rather sad that most 90's babies, more specifically those born in the mid/late 90's, want to be a 90's kid so badly that they completely deny the fact that they were still kids in the 00's. Hell, I've even seen early 00's babies popping out on the Internet claiming to be 90's kids! I just find it really sad and I know the constant 00's bashing doesn't help at all. I'm currently in my 20's, but when I look back at the 00's, I realize that it wasn't completely horrible. I guess it's because I'm getting older, but I'm already starting to miss 2000-2004, especially the early 00's. Did I completely love the 00's? Absolutely not, but I grew up in it and have memories that I'll treasure. No decade is perfect and the 90's is definitely not an exception to that. I just wish more young people would accept their childhood, regardless of what decade it occurred in. You only get to be a kid once. Enjoy it!

I can remember stuff from when I was 5 and that was in 1979.

I can remember age 5 as well (for me, that was 1985 into '86); from my birthday party in July to my maternal grandfather's death in late August to starting kindergarten in September (and switching classes in late October) to Christmastime to finishing kindergarten in June of 1986.

I find it rather sad that most 90's babies, more specifically those born in the mid/late 90's, want to be a 90's kid so badly that they completely deny the fact that they were still kids in the 00's. Hell, I've even seen early 00's babies popping out on the Internet claiming to be 90's kids! I just find it really sad and I know the constant 00's bashing doesn't help at all. I'm currently in my 20's, but when I look back at the 00's, I realize that it wasn't completely horrible. I guess it's because I'm getting older, but I'm already starting to miss 2000-2004, especially the early 00's. Did I completely love the 00's? Absolutely not, but I grew up in it and have memories that I'll treasure. No decade is perfect and the 90's is definitely not an exception to that. I just wish more young people would accept their childhood, regardless of what decade it occurred in. You only get to be a kid once. Enjoy it!


Completely deny? I hope by "most" you're not including me. I never said that I was not a kid in the '00s. All I said was that I am not unequivocally a '00s kid, since I did have several years of childhood in the '90s, and that generally I identify as more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid (for various reasons). If my childhood occurred solely in one decade, I'd be with you on this, but how many people are like that?

Besides, growing up is different from being a child. Hell, I'm almost 18 and I'm still growing up.

Raisins, you see I am very interested in your postings - otherwise I would not reply. If you feel such a big connection, I will not be talking against it in future.

But one thing would be really interesting: What specific aspects do you as a mid-90's born really associate with your 90's childhood? I don't mean reruns of 90's TV shows in the 2000's or 90's music that you have listened to during the 2000's. I mean actual actions and pop cultural observations in the '94-'99 time frame.

Yes, many people believe that it does make a difference. If it couldn't, people wouldn't go on at such length in threads like these over who is a '90s kid and who isn't. As I see it, the "original" '90s kids, when the debate started, were kids born in the mid to late '90s who chided kids born in the early '00s - born only a few years later - because they had no memories of '90s cartoons and music (assuming the late '90s-born kids have any memory of the decade at all). The cutoff, as consensus holds it, for being a '90s kid has inched backward in time from there, but it's much the same now.


You have it backwards.  I first noticed the whole "90s kid" thing (on the internet at least) 2/3 years ago with people born in the 80s telling early 90s babies they weren't true 90s kids.  The cutoff actually keeps moving forward in time.  It's all pretty rediculous actually.

Raisins, you see I am very interested in your postings - otherwise I would not reply. If you feel such a big connection, I will not be talking against it in future.

But one thing would be really interesting: What specific aspects do you as a mid-90's born really associate with your 90's childhood? I don't mean reruns of 90's TV shows in the 2000's or 90's music that you have listened to during the 2000's. I mean actual actions and pop cultural observations in the '94-'99 time frame.


Well, I remember listening to '90s music during the '90s when it was new - not grunge, of course, as that had ended by '96 or so, but alt-rock/post-grunge (Sister Hazel, Collective Soul, Foo Fighters, Blues Traveler, Counting Crows, etc.), the Backstreet Boys (I don't remember 'N Sync at all), and some rap, though I don't remember whom it was by.

I watched my first couple episodes of Pokemon in the '90s. I wouldn't actually get into it until '02, '03 or so, but it was in the '90s that I formed my first impressions of it. I also remember watching Barney, Blue's Clues, and a few other shows.

I vaguely remember seeing a couple of '90s movies in theaters. One was Star Wars Episode I, and the other was some romantic comedy or something.

I remember a lot of toys from the '90s: Furbys, Big Wheels, Barbies, and such. Of course, the second two of those weren't restricted to that decade, but the models/versions I remember mostly were.

That's most of it for pop culture. Most of the memories I have from the '90s don't tie into specific pop culture phenomena but relate to aspects of my personal/family life that were uniquely '90s. Examples would include being in (late) daycare and preschool, playing with my pets before they died, my brother just having been born, living in a different place from where I do now, etc.

I do have fond memories of '90s culture that aren't from the '90s. For example, I started listening to Nirvana in '06 or so, and I started getting into Yu-Gi-Oh! in '03 or '04. However, I don't confuse those with real '90s memories.

By the way, it's all good. I don't accuse you of talking against my connection to the decade. The issue is such a connection's importance rather than existence or validity.

Since there is a debate about Generation Y from people from two different ends of the generation, I would like to throw in 2 cents. 

I do think the mid 80s born ppl are a bit different than those born in the 90s, and possibly the late 80s.  We remember life before the Cold War ended, and were 10 and older before the Gen Y culture, which seems universally started in 1997, started.  I do agree that the late 80s/early 90s babies were kids in the 90s, but I always saw the 90s as a very divided decade.  When I was 4-6, I watched GI Joe, GhostBusters, Duck Tales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain Planet, COPS, Transformers, etc...This is different from someone born in 1991 watching Rugrats or Pokemon.

I do agree that the late 80s/early 90s babies were kids in the 90s, but I always saw the 90s as a very divided decade.  When I was 4-6, I watched GI Joe, GhostBusters, Duck Tales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain Planet, COPS, Transformers, etc...This is different from someone born in 1991 watching Rugrats or Pokemon.


I strongly agree with that. Plus: Even though the aspects that Raisins mentioned were technically part of the 90's decade, I would associate them more with millennial stuff from the very end of the 90's and the early 00's -> not peak 90's. That reveals that somebody who was born in the mid-90's has a totally different understanding of what the 90's were - in comparison to 80's born people.

I strongly agree with that. Plus: Even though the aspects that Raisins mentioned were technically part of the 90's decade, I would associate them more with millennial stuff from the very end of the 90's and the early 00's -> not peak 90's. That reveals that somebody who was born in the mid-90's has a totally different understanding of what the 90's were - in comparison to 80's born people.


I don't think that's correct. Very end of the '90s and early '00s? Collective Soul made it big in '95 or '96. The Counting Crows made it big in '93 or '94. Barney started in '92 and Blue's Clues in '96. Most of these things had died out by the time '00 hit, so I don't think it's accurate to characterize these as complete straddling-the-turn-of-the-millenium culture. One time, in '99 or '00 I think, a 10-year-old who was an alumnus of my daycare - which I was visiting at the time - asked me who my favorite band was. When I told him it was the Counting Crows, he seemed surprised that I still listened to them.

While you do have a point that the '90s are a divided decade, it's not as though I don't remember anything that was popular before the "very end of the '90s," which I take to mean '99 and maybe late '98. I'm not saying I remember the early '90s - that just isn't possible - but you have to give me more credit than this.

Sorry, I was rather referring to Starwars Ep. I and Pokémon wich is very millenial to me. You also mentioned that you were listening to 90's music when it was new and I didn't think of the '93-'96-era in this case, because I just couldn't believe that you actually listened to music under the age of three ;)

Since there is a debate about Generation Y from people from two different ends of the generation, I would like to throw in 2 cents. 

I do think the mid 80s born ppl are a bit different than those born in the 90s, and possibly the late 80s.  We remember life before the Cold War ended, and were 10 and older before the Gen Y culture, which seems universally started in 1997, started.  I do agree that the late 80s/early 90s babies were kids in the 90s, but I always saw the 90s as a very divided decade.  When I was 4-6, I watched GI Joe, GhostBusters, Duck Tales, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Captain Planet, COPS, Transformers, etc...This is different from someone born in 1991 watching Rugrats or Pokemon.


I watched, or knew kids that liked, the majority of those shows and I was born in the late 80's. o.o However, I only actually liked a couple of those shows you mentioned.

However, it is true that mid-80's children remember the end of the cold war and late 80's children really don't which does separate us a bit. Regardless, we are all Generation Y.

I think it's fair to say nobody born after 93' is a 90s kid. Some people may say that nobody even born in the 90s would be 90s kids either. So Raisins you are not a 90s kid you are a 00s for sure kid like me (I was born in 1995) It doesn't matter how you feel and if you think the 90s are cooler, you would still be a 00s kid. Seriously who cares anyway? I don't think people from the 80s argued about whether they were 70s kids or not.....  :P

I've been reading through this thread and there's been quite a spirited yet healthy debate about whether or not one is considered a "90's kid," and I was wondering why that label is so important to younger people. Does falling into the category of "90's kid" give someone a little bit higher social status? Is it kind of a "badge of honor," if you will?

I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything, I'm just genuinely curious.

I've been reading through this thread and there's been quite a spirited yet healthy debate about whether or not one is considered a "90's kid," and I was wondering why that label is so important to younger people. Does falling into the category of "90's kid" give someone a little bit higher social status? Is it kind of a "badge of honor," if you will?

I'm not trying to be a smartass or anything, I'm just genuinely curious.


I think it mostly stems from the seemingly popular opinion that the 90's were somehow vastly superior to the 00's by some people's standards. Therefore, for some reason people think they are a member of the cool club or some bull by claiming to be a 90's kid.

This idea is very silly in my opinion as no decade is superior to the other. XD

Sometimes this "90's kid" obsession annoys me even though I am nostalgic about the decade too. Although...I have been contributing my two cents to the discussion on what I think makes a 90's kid or not as well. In the grand scheme of issues, it honestly does not matter though.

While you do have a point that the '90s are a divided decade, it's not as though I don't remember anything that was popular before the "very end of the '90s," which I take to mean '99 and maybe late '98. I'm not saying I remember the early '90s - that just isn't possible - but you have to give me more credit than this.

Honsetly man, how much credit do you expect to get?  You turned 4 in 98 and 5 in 99.  To what extent were you really experiencing music and pop culture at age 2/3?

I think it mostly stems from the seemingly popular opinion that the 90's were somehow vastly superior to the 00's by some people's standards. Therefore, for some reason people think they are a member of the cool club or some bull by claiming to be a 90's kid.

This idea is very silly in my opinion as no decade is superior to the other. XD

Sometimes this "90's kid" obsession annoys me even though I am nostalgic about the decade too. Although...I have been contributing my two cents to the discussion on what I think makes a 90's kid or not as well. In the grand scheme of issues, it honestly does not matter though.


I don't want to get this thread too far off topic but your first sentence confirms more or less what I thought all along. It's really just part of the 20-year retro cycle. Everything from the previous decade is crap, but once a decade gets 20 years old it suddenly becomes cool. It's the moment when you're in your early twenties and you suddenly see something you remember from when you were five years old and it takes you back to a happier, more innocent time. I know, I experienced it too.

I was born in 1970 and I guess I could be considered a "70's kid."  ;D

During the 1980's there was a huge backlash against the 1970's, especially anything disco related. If you walked down the halls of my high school in 1987 wearing bell bottoms (unironically) then you were probably just asking for a swirly. Then in the early 90's I was hanging with a friend who whipped out some old 70's albums and it was really cool hearing that again. Soon I saw hot chicks wearing bell bottoms again and they were actually quite sexy. Suddenly the 1970's were cool again (which I never thought in a million years would happen).

The same backlash happened in the 90's against the 80's, which were associated with hair metal, but now it's OK to like Poison again. I more or less got out of the current pop culture thing in the 00's, but I imagine there must have been some 90's backlash going on then as well.

And I wonder if this whole 90's kids vs. 00's kids debate really isn't just more of the same thing.

Of course not. '86ers aren't even close to being X. Had you been born in '81 with those memories, then maybe so.


People who were born in 1986 are 26 years old.

Honsetly man, how much credit do you expect to get?  You turned 4 in 98 and 5 in 99.  How much are you really experiencing/remembering at age 2/3?


too young to remember anything at that age.

too young to remember anything at that age.

yeah... like I said earlier, any memories I have of being that age are extremely fuzzy.

too young to remember anything at that age.


I remember hiding behind my mom's liver so my dad wouldn't poke my eyes out.

I think it's fair to say nobody born after 93' is a 90s kid. Some people may say that nobody even born in the 90s would be 90s kids either. So Raisins you are not a 90s kid you are a 00s for sure kid like me (I was born in 1995) It doesn't matter how you feel and if you think the 90s are cooler, you would still be a 00s kid. Seriously who cares anyway? I don't think people from the 80s argued about whether they were 70s kids or not.....  :P


"Who cares"? That pretty much ignores the point of this entire thread and of many threads - on this site and elsewhere - like it.

You're entitled to your opinion that no one born after '93 is a '90s kid, but it's not like everyone agrees with you on that. Some people set the bar earlier, others later. No one's definition of the term is more important than anyone else's. I happen to consider myself more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid. If I didn't care about the difference, I wouldn't be here. If anyone else here didn't, neither would they.

If anyone born in '93 or earlier is a '90s kid, why would I be "for sure" a '00s kid? Wouldn't I only be tangentially or barely a '00s kid? Or wouldn't I be both?

If I was a different kind of person, I'd suggest that you were a troll who set the bar at the year before I was born to get me upset. I'm not, of course, and I don't think that you are one, but I wish you would have more respect for this discussion. It isn't even all about me; half of the posts since I've joined it aren't even about me.

I don't want to get this thread too far off topic but your first sentence confirms more or less what I thought all along. It's really just part of the 20-year retro cycle. Everything from the previous decade is crap, but once a decade gets 20 years old it suddenly becomes cool. It's the moment when you're in your early twenties and you suddenly see something you remember from when you were five years old and it takes you back to a happier, more innocent time. I know, I experienced it too.

I was born in 1970 and I guess I could be considered a "70's kid."  ;D

During the 1980's there was a huge backlash against the 1970's, especially anything disco related. If you walked down the halls of my high school in 1987 wearing bell bottoms (unironically) then you were probably just asking for a swirly. Then in the early 90's I was hanging with a friend who whipped out some old 70's albums and it was really cool hearing that again. Soon I saw hot chicks wearing bell bottoms again and they were actually quite sexy. Suddenly the 1970's were cool again (which I never thought in a million years would happen).

The same backlash happened in the 90's against the 80's, which were associated with hair metal, but now it's OK to like Poison again. I more or less got out of the current pop culture thing in the 00's, but I imagine there must have been some 90's backlash going on then as well.

And I wonder if this whole 90's kids vs. 00's kids debate really isn't just more of the same thing.


I can't speak for everyone who was born in the mid-'90s. What I can tell you is what I've said several times: that I do not claim to not be a child of the '00s at all, but that I only consider myself more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid and have for some time.

Gosh, I don't want to be here when people are bashing the '10s...

I can't speak for everyone who was born in the mid-'90s. What I can tell you is what I've said several times: that I do not claim to not be a child of the '00s at all, but that I only consider myself more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid and have for some time.

Gosh, I don't want to be here when people are bashing the '10s...


But why does it matter so much whether you're a "90's kid" or an "00's kid?"  ???

Again, I'm not trying to be a smartass, I'm just wondering why the status of "90's kid" is so important.

too young to remember anything at that age.


That depends on the person. The brain structures necessary for long-term memory aren't fully developed until around age 2 or 3, but it's not as though no one has any memories from before that age. It's just that they're usually quite vague and almost never go before the first birthday. As I've seen in several international studies, age at first memory is affected by cultural factors. I'd agree with you if we lived in, say, China, where children rarely talk about themselves and henceforth don't usually cement memories until they are 4 or 5 if not 6, but the U.S., where I live, is a much more individualistic and autobiographical culture.

Besides, he wasn't really talking about the age at which I experienced my first pop culture memories; he was talking about the part of the decade in which they became popular. Let's say there was a child - we'll call him Tom - who was born in 2002 but whose parents completely isolated him in their early '90s-themed apartment. He would grow up listening to grunge, watching Edward Scissorhands and Singles, and playing the Super NES. Though he would undoubtedly not be a true '90s kid (I'd consider him a '00s kid, though a severely deprived one), he would have a childhood that rendered him well-acquainted with pre-turn-of-the-millenium culture.

I happen to have an advantage over Tom; I actually lived through more than half of the '90s. Obviously I don't remember '94 at all, and I'm not comfortable with any memory I have until '96, but I think you should actually read up on the context of this discussion before having such a knee-jerk reaction.

But why does it matter so much whether you're a "90's kid" or an "00's kid?"  ???

Again, I'm not trying to be a smartass, I'm just wondering why the status of "90's kid" is so important.


Again, I cannot speak for everyone born in the mid '90s. Not everyone who does so has the same reason for it.

Myself, I'm not enamored with the idea that I am a full-fledged '90s kid. I know that I missed a lot. I just also don't think I can really be considered a full-fledged '00s kid, since there was a lot that I wasn't able to experience as a kid would. I consider myself pretty legit, because I don't have any agenda.

With many mid to late '90s-born kids, the agenda is to chide kids born later for their perceivedly-dismal childhoods. I don't think that anyone has to have had a dismal childhood simply because of the time they were born.

For some, being a kid of a certain decade is a badge. For me, it isn't. In fact, being a '00s kid will be a badge in a while, but I don't think I'm enough of a '00s kid to be among the best recipients of it.

You have it backwards.  I first noticed the whole "90s kid" thing (on the internet at least) 2/3 years ago with people born in the 80s telling early 90s babies they weren't true 90s kids.  The cutoff actually keeps moving forward in time.  It's all pretty rediculous actually.

This debate has happened on this board at least since 2006, back in the Donnie Darko days. It wasn't as "nasty" as it seems now, probably because back then there weren't many people born 1993+ who posted and the 90s nostalgia was a bit less. Other than that, it seemed to be pretty much the same arguments and obsessions.

yeah... like I said earlier, any memories I have of being that age are extremely fuzzy.


I couldn't remember anything in 1977.

"Who cares"? That pretty much ignores the point of this entire thread and of many threads - on this site and elsewhere - like it.

You're entitled to your opinion that no one born after '93 is a '90s kid, but it's not like everyone agrees with you on that. Some people set the bar earlier, others later. No one's definition of the term is more important than anyone else's. I happen to consider myself more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid. If I didn't care about the difference, I wouldn't be here. If anyone else here didn't, neither would they.

If anyone born in '93 or earlier is a '90s kid, why would I be "for sure" a '00s kid? Wouldn't I only be tangentially or barely a '00s kid? Or wouldn't I be both?

If I was a different kind of person, I'd suggest that you were a troll who set the bar at the year before I was born to get me upset. I'm not, of course, and I don't think that you are one, but I wish you would have more respect for this discussion. It isn't even all about me; half of the posts since I've joined it aren't even about me.

Sorry I misread that you were born in 94' I thought I saw 96' for some reason.. I know it isn't about you but there are plenty of people on this thread who don't care about it like me. It's just my opinion but I'm sorry if I offended you. Yeah I guess you can consider yourself a 90s kid if you want to. But I just don't find it that important that's all.

Sorry I misread that you were born in 94' I thought I saw 96' for some reason.. I know it isn't about you but there are plenty of people on this thread who don't care about it like me. It's just my opinion but I'm sorry if I offended you. Yeah I guess you can consider yourself a 90s kid if you want to. But I just don't find it that important that's all.


I don't find it THAT important, just worthy of more than just fleeting discussion. If I'm understanding him correctly, Kingofpain and I agree that generation labels are more accurate. They're also usually less fiercely debated; how many "I was born in '99 and I'm in Generation Y, so suck it" threads do you see?

"Who cares"? That pretty much ignores the point of this entire thread and of many threads - on this site and elsewhere - like it.

You're entitled to your opinion that no one born after '93 is a '90s kid, but it's not like everyone agrees with you on that. Some people set the bar earlier, others later. No one's definition of the term is more important than anyone else's. I happen to consider myself more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid. If I didn't care about the difference, I wouldn't be here. If anyone else here didn't, neither would they.

If anyone born in '93 or earlier is a '90s kid, why would I be "for sure" a '00s kid? Wouldn't I only be tangentially or barely a '00s kid? Or wouldn't I be both?

If I was a different kind of person, I'd suggest that you were a troll who set the bar at the year before I was born to get me upset. I'm not, of course, and I don't think that you are one, but I wish you would have more respect for this discussion. It isn't even all about me; half of the posts since I've joined it aren't even about me.

My 2 cents: nobody born after 1992 is a 90s kid, and even '92 is a stretch. I say that because anyone born after that year would've been less than 7 when the 90s ended, with most of their childhood still yet to come (and yes, preteens count as kids).

I don't find it THAT important, just worthy of more than just fleeting discussion. If I'm understanding him correctly, Kingofpain and I agree that generation labels are more accurate. They're also usually less fiercely debated; how many "I was born in '99 and I'm in Generation Y, so suck it" threads do you see?

I do like generation labels a bit better, because they are usually defined by common experiences and characteristics (except the boomers who are defined by birth rates) and aren't necessarily centered around one decade or what happened in someone's prepubescent childhood.

That depends on the person. The brain structures necessary for long-term memory aren't fully developed until around age 2 or 3, but it's not as though no one has any memories from before that age. It's just that they're usually quite vague and almost never go before the first birthday. As I've seen in several international studies, age at first memory is affected by cultural factors. I'd agree with you if we lived in, say, China, where children rarely talk about themselves and henceforth don't usually cement memories until they are 4 or 5 if not 6, but the U.S., where I live, is a much more individualistic and autobiographical culture.

Besides, he wasn't really talking about the age at which I experienced my first pop culture memories; he was talking about the part of the decade in which they became popular. Let's say there was a child - we'll call him Tom - who was born in 2002 but whose parents completely isolated him in their early '90s-themed apartment. He would grow up listening to grunge, watching Edward Scissorhands and Singles, and playing the Super NES. Though he would undoubtedly not be a true '90s kid (I'd consider him a '00s kid, though a severely deprived one), he would have a childhood that rendered him well-acquainted with pre-turn-of-the-millenium culture.

I happen to have an advantage over Tom; I actually lived through more than half of the '90s. Obviously I don't remember '94 at all, and I'm not comfortable with any memory I have until '96, but I think you should actually read up on the context of this discussion before having such a knee-jerk reaction.


Let me ask (and I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything), you count age 2/3 as part of your childhood, but not age 10-12?  It just seems like you're reaching for straws here...

This debate has happened on this board at least since 2006, back in the Donnie Darko days. It wasn't as "nasty" as it seems now, probably because back then there weren't many people born 1993+ who posted and the 90s nostalgia was a bit less. Other than that, it seemed to be pretty much the same arguments and obsessions.


I'm sure it was on this board earlier than most places, but I didn't really notice it until about 2/3 years ago.  As a late 87er, I actually feel slightly on the younger side; I don't remember hardly anything from 90, vague memories from 91/92, and I was still 12 for most of 2000.

Let me ask (and I'm not trying to be a jerk or anything), you count age 2/3 as part of your childhood, but not age 10-12?  It just seems like you're reaching for straws here...


As I said before, I thought of myself as more of a tween/preteen at that time than as a child. I was done with that label, especially since I was either in middle school or almost there. How many sixth or seventh graders identify quintessentially as children? Conversely, as far back as I can remember, I never thought of myself as a baby or a toddler, only as a kid, even when that meant that four- or five-year-olds were "big kids."

Also, I know it seems like I'm reaching for straws, as you put it, and that's the problem. It would also be reaching for straws to claim that my childhood lasted all the way (or at least most of the way) through the '00s and that I was a "true" '00s kid. The problem is that I don't fit neatly into one decade, and my answer is to identify as more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid, yet many people see it a different way. Sometimes I say that I'm a late-'90s/early-'00s kid, and while that's more accurate than anything else, it just sounds weird. "Generation Y" more accurately describes me.

Sorry I misread that you were born in 94' I thought I saw 96' for some reason..


I don't think that this really matters. Where is the big difference between experiencing 1998 as a 4-year-old or 2000 as a 4-year-old?


I'm sure it was on this board earlier than most places, but I didn't really notice it until about 2/3 years ago.  As a late 87er, I actually feel slightly on the younger side; I don't remember hardly anything from 90, vague memories from 91/92, and I was still 12 for most of 2000.


That's what I was saying earlier in this thread. Even people a lot older than a '94er were very young in the 90s and even early 00s. Yeah, even late 80's born people were still kids in the early 2000s.

From Raisin's perspective, I must be more of an 80's kid than 90's - and now it becomes weird:

80's culture lasted until late 1991. I was 0-5.5 during that time and have definetly some late 80's influenced memories. I watched European cartoons from the 70s and 80s and American sitcoms that started in the 80's. I listened to 80's Genesis songs around '92, I also played kid's vinyl records from the late 70's and 80's that my older sister owned and of course, a lot of toys and books I got from my sister were very 80's.

Am I an 80's kid? No, I am not, because my childhood took place in the 90's, and the 90's was the first decade I recognized as a decade - even though I have vague memories of the late 80's.

My 2 cents: nobody born after 1992 is a 90s kid, and even '92 is a stretch. I say that because anyone born after that year would've been less than 7 when the 90s ended, with most of their childhood still yet to come (and yes, preteens count as kids).


people who were born in 1992 are 20 today.

people who were born in 1992 are 20 today.


Not those who were born in the second half of 1992 :P

I'm sure it was on this board earlier than most places, but I didn't really notice it until about 2/3 years ago.  As a late 87er, I actually feel slightly on the younger side; I don't remember hardly anything from 90, vague memories from 91/92, and I was still 12 for most of 2000.

I am a late 86er and I have some memories from 1990 and 1991, even very late 1989. The second half of 91 is when my memories get really clear. I always felt I was one of the younger ones to experience the 90s as well. This is why it confuses me when I see all of these people born in 1994 or 1995 trying to claim the decade.

I am a late 86er and I have some memories from 1990 and 1991, even very late 1989. The second half of 91 is when my memories get really clear. I always felt I was one of the younger ones to experience the 90s as well. This is why it confuses me when I see all of these people born in 1994 or 1995 trying to claim the decade.


With many of us (not all) it's not about claiming the decade. We know people born in the '80s remember more of it than we do. It's more about differentiating ourselves from kids born after the mid to late '90s than about claiming to be exactly the same as you. Not everyone born in '94 considers himself a '90s kid, but I haven't seen many who identify as core, full-blooded '00s kids. The labels are especially problematic for people born around that time.

people who were born in 1992 are 20 today.

I'm not talking about today, I'm talking about how old they were when 2000 began.

I'm not talking about today, I'm talking about how old they were when 2000 began.


In 2000 a person today would be 12 years old.

In 2000 a person today would be 12 years old.


I believe he meant how old a '92er was 2000 which was 8 years old.

I don't want to get this thread too far off topic but your first sentence confirms more or less what I thought all along. It's really just part of the 20-year retro cycle. Everything from the previous decade is crap, but once a decade gets 20 years old it suddenly becomes cool. It's the moment when you're in your early twenties and you suddenly see something you remember from when you were five years old and it takes you back to a happier, more innocent time. I know, I experienced it too.

I was born in 1970 and I guess I could be considered a "70's kid."  ;D

During the 1980's there was a huge backlash against the 1970's, especially anything disco related. If you walked down the halls of my high school in 1987 wearing bell bottoms (unironically) then you were probably just asking for a swirly. Then in the early 90's I was hanging with a friend who whipped out some old 70's albums and it was really cool hearing that again. Soon I saw hot chicks wearing bell bottoms again and they were actually quite sexy. Suddenly the 1970's were cool again (which I never thought in a million years would happen).

The same backlash happened in the 90's against the 80's, which were associated with hair metal, but now it's OK to like Poison again. I more or less got out of the current pop culture thing in the 00's, but I imagine there must have been some 90's backlash going on then as well.

And I wonder if this whole 90's kids vs. 00's kids debate really isn't just more of the same thing.


I agree with everything you just said. I have a feeling in the future people will be saying the exact same statements about the 00's. XD

Also, yes, you would be a 70's kid. I envy you a little because I love David Bowie and I wish I would have been alive in the 70's to see him in concert during his prime. Although, really I guess I would have had to have been born in the early to mid-60's to really be able to go see a concert of him in his prime, not 70's. ^^

Completely deny? I hope by "most" you're not including me. I never said that I was not a kid in the '00s. All I said was that I am not unequivocally a '00s kid, since I did have several years of childhood in the '90s, and that generally I identify as more of a '90s kid than a '00s kid (for various reasons). If my childhood occurred solely in one decade, I'd be with you on this, but how many people are like that?

Besides, growing up is different from being a child. Hell, I'm almost 18 and I'm still growing up.


No, I wasn't including you. What I was saying was based off what I've seen around on the internet, especially a lot of those 90's themed videos on Youtube. I think I pretty much get the gist of one of the points that you're trying to make in this thread. You're not solely a 00's kid or solely a 90's kid, but you connect more to the 90's that you remember experiencing than the 00's.

The whole 90's kid debate is honestly subjective. Everyone is going to have their own opinion about who they consider to be a 90's kid. The problem is when someone says the cutoff date is, for example, 1992, then someone will always bring up why a 93er can't be a 90's kid when they're only a year younger. It's honestly going to be never-ending debate.

Most 2000s babies are going to become teenagers in this decade (a 2000er will become 13 yrs old next year :o ). Just wait til they start making a lot of those "Are You a 2000s Kid?" videos on Youtube. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of 90's born kids start arguing with them over whether or not they're really 00's kids. You know it's gonna happen. It's a cycle.

No, I wasn't including you. What I was saying was based off what I've seen around on the internet, especially a lot of those 90's themed videos on Youtube. I think I pretty much get the gist of one of the points that you're trying to make in this thread. You're not solely a 00's kid or solely a 90's kid, but you connect more to the 90's that you remember experiencing than the 00's.

The whole 90's kid debate is honestly subjective. Everyone is going to have their own opinion about who they consider to be a 90's kid. The problem is when someone says the cutoff date is, for example, 1992, then someone will always bring up why a 93er can't be a 90's kid when they're only a year younger. It's honestly going to be never-ending debate.

Most 2000s babies are going to become teenagers in this decade (a 2000er will become 13 yrs old next year :o ). Just wait til they start making a lot of those "Are You a 2000s Kid?" videos on Youtube. I wouldn't be surprised if a lot of 90's born kids start arguing with them over whether or not they're really 00's kids. You know it's gonna happen. It's a cycle.


QFE

You are so right.  :)

You know it's gonna happen. It's a cycle.


...if the 2000's (2000-2009) will ever be considered as it's own decade like it was with the decades of the 20th century, then maybe.

I've been reading a lot of these "what birth year makes a 90s kid?" or "what's the cut-off date for Gen Y" threads lately and have been dying to give my two cents. Some of my thoughts might actually be general responses to things I've read in other threads.

I think it’s really arrogant when people, especially those born in the late 80s, try to exclude people born in the early 90s as 90s kids. So you’re telling me someone born 12/31/89 “experienced the 90s” while someone born 1/1/90 didn’t? Pfft…Also, what’s with some of you who seem to be unaware of the difference between “childhood” and “teenage years”? Being a teenager for the majority of a decade does NOT make you a child of that decade. Childhood is generally considered ages 3-12 and certainly doesn’t include the high school years or even most if any of junior high really.

I was born in October of 1990 and I consider myself a child of the 90s AND of the 00s, but mostly 90s. I consider myself a teen of the 00s. I can remember 1993-1999, so that’s most of the decade. Also, considering I was already 9 at the dawn of 2000, it would be silly to strictly label me a 00s kid considering my childhood only had 3 years left to go at that point. Meanwhile I celebrated all my teen birthdays between 2003-2009 so that makes me a solid 00s teen.

I think it’s also fair to say that the cultural experiences are different for everyone. I grew up the youngest of my family, close relatives, and neighborhood kids. I have an older brother born in 1987, which some have cited as the quintessential birth year for a 90s kid, as well as older cousins born in ’83, ’85, and ’89, so I tended to watch the same TV shows and play with the same toys they did. Even on my own accord, I strongly remember all the 90s Nick shows such as Rugrats, Doug, Are You Afraid of the Dark, the original All That, Kenan and Kel, Rocko’s Modern Life…the list goes on. I also remember seeing the “Disney Renaissance” films such as Pocahontas, The Hunchback of Notre Dame, and Hercules in theaters, as well as 90s blockbusters such as Independence Day, Twister, Armageddon, and Titanic coming out.

Also, let’s be real here, culture doesn’t lend itself to rigid 10 year cycles that change overnight on 1/1/*0 like how history tends to generalize. Arguably, the time period people remember as the “80s” probably lasted until about 1991/2 in terms of music and fashion, with the “90s” as we knew them ending in late 2001 with 9-11. But there are really no solid dates for when certain elements of culture come into and go out of style and it’s all up for debate as to what defines the parameters of each era.

Bottom line, I think as long as someone was born in the 90s and can remember them in any capacity, even if their earliest memory is New Year’s Eve 1999, then they have the right to call themselves a 90s kid. This is bound to include kids born in at least 1995.

I guess I'll forever be resentful that I had to be born at the beginning of the decade, because those born before me will forever lump me in with the Jonas Brothers/Bieber-loving kids who who were born in '99 as if I'm part of their generation O_O

I guess I'll forever be resentful that I had to be born at the beginning of the decade, because those born before me will forever lump me in with the Jonas Brothers/Bieber-loving kids who who were born in '99 as if I'm part of their generation O_O


I would never lump you as a '90er into the same generation as late 90s born people. That would be just wrong, because I actually played with some 1990ers from the neighborhood in the 90's and today we're somewhat of the same wave length (+/- 4 years is nothing when you are in your mid/late 20s).

I would also not say that you weren't a 90's kid because it makes a difference if somebody was born at the beginning of a decade or in the middle.

The arguments of the mid 80's born people who want to be the 'real' 90's kids are probably:

a) They remember all of the 90's - every cultural period
b) had no childhood years in the 00's, while early 90's born people (plus 1988 and 1989) were still kids in the early 00's
c) associate everything they did as a kid with the 90's with no exception

Yeah, I get that someone born in 86/87ish would be the "prime" 90s kid, but still, people born before and after them were 90s kids too as long as they can remember being a kid in the 90s.

I consider myself lucky being born late in 88. If I was three years older then I would have been able to enjoy more older sitcoms that were so popular midway during the decade. Although I did catch that prime wave of kid awesomeness that the 90s is known for! If you came in after me then I'm sorry you missed it. For my third birthday party I had a 101 Dalmatians theme and I hit the 90s running.

If I was three years older then I would have been able to enjoy more older sitcoms that were so popular midway during the decade.


What about reruns? I even enjoyed and still enjoy ALF which was produced while I was 0-4.

What about reruns? I even enjoyed and still enjoy ALF which was produced while I was 0-4.


I loved ALF 25 years ago, that was a good sitcom.

I loved ALF 25 years ago, that was a good sitcom.

The character was funny, too. I even dressed up as him for Halloween in 1987.

The reruns can now be seen on the Hub channel weeknights at 5:30pm (although the times may vary in other time zones).

I'd say kids born as late as roughly 1992 (like my younger brother) could be considered 90s kids. Most '90-92 kids should probably remember a good amount of the late 90s at least. And they did at least experience most of the 90s, even if they don't remember it all. I've read in different places that Generation Y is roughly '81-83  through '92-93, so there does seem to be a lot of overlap between the two groups.

And they did at least experience most of the 90s,


Did they really experience most of the 90's? Even I didn't really experience the early part.

Did they really experience most of the 90's? Even I didn't really experience the early part.


I think maybe they're a bit young to experience the 90's.

People have different views on pop culture, and how long certain things lasted. Late 90's fashion and music was pretty much the same in 2000-2002. By 2003, that's when fashion and music started slowly changing from the late 90's. Really slow. Kind of like comparing the late 60's to the 70's, in my opinion.

The "core" 90's, circa 1993-1996/1997 was certainly over by 2003, though.

The kids of the 90's would probably have to wait later in the 00's to actually remember stuff.

The kids of the 90's would probably have to wait later in the 00's to actually remember stuff.


You start forming solid memories at the age of three according to research studies. However, some people have memories from being two. I know I do, but they are quite vague.

Wow, this debate has been going on for several pages now. o.o

I agree.  I remember watching a lot of WWF wrestling stuff back in the late 80s and early 90s and guys like Hogan and Macho Man stuck out a lot more than wrestlers in the Attitude Era.

You start forming solid memories at the age of three according to research studies. However, some people have memories from being two. I know I do, but they are quite vague.

Wow, this debate has been going on for several pages now. o.o


And we've been going on repeatedly about the same old stuff.

Does this debate go on outside cyberspace? I mean, do people get into arguments about whether or not they can call themselves "90's kids"  while they're hanging out at school or in bars or coffee shops? ???

Does this debate go on outside cyberspace? I mean, do people get into arguments about whether or not they can call themselves "90's kids"  while they're hanging out at school or in bars or coffee shops? ???

Sadly, it probably does.

Signed: Warped ( A person who thinks he's a 60s kid but there is some debate he might be a 70s kid coz he graduated from high school in 1980 ) ;)

Does this debate go on outside cyberspace? I mean, do people get into arguments about whether or not they can call themselves "90's kids"  while they're hanging out at school or in bars or coffee shops? ???


Honestly, I really don't think so. Based off my experience, I've only seen these arguments on the Internet. When I hang out with people (many of whom are in their early and mid 20s) and we start reminiscing about something from the 90s, no one ever launches into the whole tiresome 90s kids debate like it's life or death. We just reminisce and talk about how we miss stuff from "back in the day" like we're old timers! :P But that's it. Then again, maybe I just happen to know mature people who know there's more important things to life than just a title.

And we've been going on repeatedly about the same old stuff.


Ha ha. That is certainly true, Howard.

I am refering to the new thread about the 'year-awareness':

90's kids are those who clearly knew IN the 90's, that it WERE the 90's - and they knew in the 90's, that the following decade will be the 2000's and that the previous one was the 80's. 90's kids generally understood the concept of decades IN the 90's  8)

That statement excludes most people born in the mid and late 90's from being 90's kids.  ;D

You start forming solid memories at the age of three according to research studies. However, some people have memories from being two. I know I do, but they are quite vague.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I turned 3 in 1983 but I have no specific memories of that year. Any memories I do have are probably very fuzzy. However I do remember something that happened to me in May of 1984 (I was still three, about two months away from turning four).

Yeah, that's what I thought. I turned 3 in 1983 but I have no specific memories of that year. Any memories I do have are probably very fuzzy. However I do remember something that happened to me in May of 1984 (I was still three, about two months away from turning four).


Yeah I definitely have better memories from being 4 than being 3, but I remember quite a bit from being 3 too and a couple of memories from being 2.

It varies from person to person though.

Does this debate go on outside cyberspace? I mean, do people get into arguments about whether or not they can call themselves "90's kids"  while they're hanging out at school or in bars or coffee shops? ???


I'm an 80's kid.

Yeah, that's what I thought. I turned 3 in 1983 but I have no specific memories of that year. Any memories I do have are probably very fuzzy. However I do remember something that happened to me in May of 1984 (I was still three, about two months away from turning four).


I have little memory of what happened to me in 1983 and 1984.

Does this debate go on outside cyberspace? I mean, do people get into arguments about whether or not they can call themselves "90's kids"  while they're hanging out at school or in bars or coffee shops? ???


No one really gets into arguments about this at my school simply because we don't care that much about, as well as being aware that we didn't truly grow up in the 90s even though we saw the leftovers and what not.

Does this debate go on outside cyberspace? I mean, do people get into arguments about whether or not they can call themselves "90's kids"  while they're hanging out at school or in bars or coffee shops? ???

Yes.

Not sure about school or hangouts, but I've seen it happen between siblings. You can thank significant age differences.

I think the reason that mid-'90s-born people tend to have the highest '90s kid insistence to '90s experience ratio is that the '00s are seen as a quite undesirable decade. This occurs mainly because earlier-born '90s kids are often so disparaging of the '00s. It needn't be this way.


I think this comment hits the nail on the head. I don't presume to speak for you (as you seem very sincere in your claims), but most other people born around the mid/late 90's fighting for 90's kid "cred" seem to be doing so mostly because it is currently en vogue to dump on 00's kids. And I can't really say I blame them. If you were a 16 year old '96er, and every thread on the web you see on this issue is something along the lines of: "OMG! 00's kidz suck and 90's kidz rule!", why would you want to go in said thread and call yourself a proud 00's kid?

On another note, it's just so weird to see how far this has all come, with even some people born in the 00's getting into 90's culture. When I first started to feel 90's "kid" nostalgia back in about 2004, I was only 17 years old, and kind of felt like a freak for missing my childhood years so much when they had only ended so recently. I certainly felt like the only person in the world that was jonesning for the 90's, as the 80's nostalgia movement was at it's peak during that time, until I came around here and began noticing that there were actually alot of other people with similar feelings.

I agree I was born in '91 and even though I remember the 90s I don't consider myself a 90s kid, I consider myself a 00s kid because I was becoming of age at that time and had a better outlook on life than when I did as a youngster in the 90s. I noticed that people born after '92 try way too hard to claim the 90s like someone born in 1994 trying to claim to be 90s kids even though they were like 5 in 1999. I don't get it. 

People have different views on pop culture, and how long certain things lasted. Late 90's fashion and music was pretty much the same in 2000-2002. By 2003, that's when fashion and music started slowly changing from the late 90's. Really slow. Kind of like comparing the late 60's to the 70's, in my opinion.

The "core" 90's, circa 1993-1996/1997 was certainly over by 2003, though.


I agree! I began to feel the change around mid '03.

I think so. I think that your decade is one, out of the ones that you were a kid in, and that your childhood was based on the most.

I was born in 1994, so I would often be considered a '90s kid, but often not. I identify as one (usually) because I played '90s games and listened to '90s music well into the '00s, not caring that they weren't quite "current," and because I have copious memories, the oldest of which are from the mid-to-late-'90s. Yeah, I don't remember Bill Clinton getting elected, "Smells Like Teen Spirit" coming out, or OJ's trial, but who cares? I remember watching Pokemon back in its first season, and it doesn't get much more '90s than that.

Besides, it's not like there's anything wrong with being a '00s kid. I don't think people should be so arrogant that their era was the best one and try to fight to claim others'. At the end of the day, time isn't rigidly defined into eras anyway; '90s culture was dominant into the early '00s. That's why I think it's a waste of time to argue at such length on who is a '90s kid and who isn't.


I just wanted to add that I can understand your feelings on this, and I think it illustrates the reason why trying to put exact labels on someone's childhood experience is problematic. I was born in 1987, so I'm obviously considered a prime "90s kid", but I watched alot of '80s shows when i was a kid that were constantly re-run (or in some cases were still producing new episodes) into the 90's like The Smurfs, TMNT, Transformers, Ducktales, G.I. Joe, etc. And even though I started high school in 2001, I still did watch some new cartoons at that time, mostly anime on Toonami.

So in other words, during my childhood years, I was a fan of contemporary kid's TV shows and fads that date to as far back as 1981, and as recent as 2001. I may not consider myself a "child of the '80s" or a "child of the '00s", but they were both a part of my overall childhood experience.

I agree I was born in '91 and even though I remember the 90s I don't consider myself a 90s kid, I consider myself a 00s kid because I was becoming of age at that time and had a better outlook on life than when I did as a youngster in the 90s. I noticed that people born after '92 try way too hard to claim the 90s like someone born in 1994 trying to claim to be 90s kids even though they were like 5 in 1999. I don't get it.

You're a 90s kid. You were 8 when the 90s ended, that's a decent portion of your childhood happening during that time.

But I agree with you about people born after '92.

You're a 90s kid. You were 8 when the 90s ended, that's a decent portion of your childhood happening during that time.

But I agree with you about people born after '92.


I guess you're right because by the time 2004 came around I was 13, I wasn't really a little kid anymore, but of course I was technically still a child.

And I really don't understand these people born after '92 doing this.  There was some kid born in 1995 reminiscing about the late 90s and early 00s, I just though it was weird for him to be nostalgic for the late 90s because he was barely out of the toddler stage at that time. And then he got offended when I called him a kid even though he just turned 16 in Dec. 

Yeah I was born 10-28-1990 and consider myself both a 90s and 00s kid, but more 90s (especially since a lot of 90s tv shows and toys and stuff were still relevant/being produced in the early 00s). If we're saying childhood is ages 3-12, then 6 years, 2 months, and 4 days of those years were in the 90s and 3 years, 9 months and 27 days were in the 00s. It's not nearly an even split, but still significant portions in both decades. But let's face it, no one's childhood was 100% in the 90s or 00s unless they were born at midnight on January 1, 1987/97 :P

Yeah I was born 10-28-1990 and consider myself both a 90s and 00s kid, but more 90s (especially since a lot of 90s tv shows and toys and stuff were still relevant/being produced in the early 00s). If we're saying childhood is ages 3-12, then 6 years, 2 months, and 4 days of those years were in the 90s and 3 years, 9 months and 27 days were in the 00s. It's not nearly an even split, but still significant portions in both decades. But let's face it, no one's childhood was 100% in the 90s or 00s unless they were born at midnight on January 1, 1987/97 :P


I was born March 25, 1992, so using that criteria my split would be almost completely even, March 25, 1995 to March 24, 2005.

I was born March 25, 1992, so using that criteria my split would be almost completely even, March 25, 1995 to March 24, 2005.


I guess going by that logic My childhood began in late June of 1994 to late June of 2004. Makes sense.

I just wanted to add that I can understand your feelings on this, and I think it illustrates the reason why trying to put exact labels on someone's childhood experience is problematic. I was born in 1987, so I'm obviously considered a prime "90s kid", but I watched alot of '80s shows when i was a kid that were constantly re-run (or in some cases were still producing new episodes) into the 90's like The Smurfs, TMNT, Transformers, Ducktales, G.I. Joe, etc. And even though I started high school in 2001, I still did watch some new cartoons at that time, mostly anime on Toonami.

So in other words, during my childhood years, I was a fan of contemporary kid's TV shows and fads that date to as far back as 1981, and as recent as 2001. I may not consider myself a "child of the '80s" or a "child of the '00s", but they were both a part of my overall childhood experience.


Ha ha, I know what you mean. I watched a lot of 80's cartoons re-runs (or some series that spread into the 90's) in the early to mid 1990's and I'm a February 1989 baby.

I watched Rainbow Brite, Care Bears, Gummi Bears, Muppet Babies, Duck Tales, Strawberry Shortcake, and the like too. Actually, most of the shows I watched as a kid were either late 80's or early 90's shows.

Of course I also watched late 90's and early 00's cartoons too.

I think most people had their childhood spread across several decades though.

Being born in mid 1986 I didn't watch cartoons into the early 2000's - except for The Simpsons which I still watch sometimes. I think I stopped around 1997. It's interesting to read that even a 87er still watched cartoons until 2001ish.

My childhood was as good as only within the 90's, going 7 months into the 80's. So more or less just one decade for me.

Being born in mid 1986 I didn't watch cartoons into the early 2000's - except for The Simpsons which I still watch sometimes. I think I stopped around 1997. It's interesting to read that even a 87er still watched cartoons until 2001ish.

My childhood was as good as only within the 90's, going 7 months into the 80's. So more or less just one decade for me.


It's funny because even after I became a teen I still watched cartoons, just not as much as I didn't when I was younger. If it wasn't for Avatar The Last Airbender, I would have stopped watching Nickelodeon a long time ago, at one point between 2005 and 2006 I did but briefly. The only cartoon I watch now is Regular Show, if I am watching cartoons, its the stuff I saw as a child.

I can't remember when I stopped watching cartoons (or kids shows in general). I actually still watch Nick@Nite because I love 80s/90s sitcoms (even though N@N is crap now; TVLand is much better) and sometimes if I fall asleep with the tv on I'll wake up to Nick Jr or some animated Penguin show ;D

Being born in mid 1986 I didn't watch cartoons into the early 2000's - except for The Simpsons which I still watch sometimes. I think I stopped around 1997. It's interesting to read that even a 87er still watched cartoons until 2001ish.

My childhood was as good as only within the 90's, going 7 months into the 80's. So more or less just one decade for me.


XD I still watch cartoons or animated movies sometimes.

I went and saw Brave recently in Theaters recently along with a group of eight other people ranging between the ages of 23 to 27.

XD I still watch cartoons or animated movies sometimes.

I went and saw Brave recently in Theaters recently along with a group of eight other people ranging between the ages of 23 to 27.


I still do, too. When it's really good and not too childish and I have nothing better to do I definetly enjoy it. By 'Stopped watching in '97' I actually meant, that the afternoons of watching one cartoon after another on our cartoon channel were definetly over. If I remember correctly I didn't watch any cartoon on a regular base after that since I became more interested in grown-up-TV stuff around that time.

And yeah, even I have watched some of the animated movies; but lots of them are not for kids only:

for example:
Finding Nemo - I was 17
Madgascar - I was 19
Ice Age II - I was 20

I still do, too. When it's really good and not too childish and I have nothing better to do I definetly enjoy it. By 'Stopped watching in '97' I actually meant, that the afternoons of watching one cartoon after another on our cartoon channel were definetly over. If I remember correctly I didn't watch any cartoon on a regular base after that since I became more interested in grown-up-TV stuff around that time.

And yeah, even I have watched some of the animated movies; but lots of them are not for kids only:

for example:
Finding Nemo - I was 17
Madgascar - I was 19
Ice Age II - I was 20


I think you're never too old for cartoons. :]

Although, most of what I watch now that would be considered under the cartoon genre are animated movies or occasionally anime at this point. I don't really regularly watch Nickelodeon, the Disney Channel (Of course this plays mostly what my mom used to call "teenage bullcrap shows" now instead of cartoons now), or Cartoon Network anymore.

Being born in mid 1986 I didn't watch cartoons into the early 2000's - except for The Simpsons which I still watch sometimes. I think I stopped around 1997. It's interesting to read that even a 87er still watched cartoons until 2001ish.

My childhood was as good as only within the 90's, going 7 months into the 80's. So more or less just one decade for me.


I think that's probably typical. The average person tends to stop watching cartoons as much, and start watching more MTVish type stuff, once they reach junior high. I followed that trend to an extent, but during my JH years (Fall 1998 until Spring 2001) Toonami, and anime as a whole, was huge. It may not have been this way everywhere, but at my school, I don't think there was a single male student that didn't watch Dragonball Z and Gundam Wing every afternoon.

I would say that 1991-1998 where probably my peak "Kid TV" watching years (Nicktoons, Fox Kids, Sat. Morning Cartoons, etc.), 1998-2002 were sort of the "in between" years (Toonami, WWF/WCW wrestling, MTV), and from 2002 foward I spend most of my free time either on the internet, or watching sports.

I think that's probably typical. The average person tends to stop watching cartoons as much, and start watching more MTVish type stuff, once they reach junior high. I followed that trend to an extent, but during my JH years (Fall 1998 until Spring 2001) Toonami, and anime as a whole, was huge. It may not have been this way everywhere, but at my school, I don't think there was a single male student that didn't watch Dragonball Z and Gundam Wing every afternoon.

I would say that 1991-1998 where probably my peak "Kid TV" watching years (Nicktoons, Fox Kids, Sat. Morning Cartoons, etc.), 1998-2002 were sort of the "in between" years (Toonami, WWF/WCW wrestling, MTV), and from 2002 foward I spend most of my free time either on the internet, or watching sports.

I can relate. I watched cartoons regularly during my elementary school years; I found most of them interesting at the time (late 80's/early 90's). Then when I entered junior high 20 years ago, I was not watching as much television in general. However, I did start watching them again shortly after I graduated high school in '98. "Animaniacs" and "Pinky & The Brain" were in their final seasons, and I began watching those and found 'em hilarious for the most part. In addition, the local WB channel in my area also played a half-hour block of classic Looney Tunes cartoons (which never get old, IMO) until the summer of 1999. Then during the 1999-2000 season they put together a "Big Cartoonie Show", which was a showcase compilation of Looney Tunes, Tiny Toons, Animaniacs, and Pinky & The Brain, with each short having a common theme; and the ending credits would be a typical "Animaniacs" tag. I would sometimes watch that when I got home from community college; that is, if no one else was home.

XD I still watch cartoons or animated movies sometimes.

I went and saw Brave recently in Theaters recently along with a group of eight other people ranging between the ages of 23 to 27.


I watch those adult cartoons like Family Guy, Cleveland Show, and American Dad.

I watch those adult cartoons like Family Guy, Cleveland Show, and American Dad.

What about South Park?

What about South Park?



Sometimes I do.

Sometimes I do.

I have watched a few episodes of it as well. Sometimes it can be funny, depending on the storyline.

They'd be too young to remember the early 90's.

I watch those adult cartoons like Family Guy, Cleveland Show, and American Dad.


I've watched those in the past but I don't really now.

I mainly watch Days of Our Lives, America's Got Talent, or store bought movies at this point. On occasion, I will watch cartoons though.

Honestly, I like video games more than television. I'm a gaming junkie. I have an MMORPG in window mode in the background right now in fact.

I would say someone born in say, 1990 is just as much a '90s kid' as someone born in 1984 is. 1986-88 would be the very center though, like 7 to 9 in 1995. 1983 would be a bit on the old side and 1992 a bit young, anything beyond those birth years id say is more 80s/00s kid respectively.

Of course if by 'kid' we are including teens, it's a totally different story, even someone born in the later 70s would be a '90s kid' in that way.

I would say someone born in say, 1990 is just as much a '90s kid' as someone born in 1984 is.


As much? That's a 6-year-difference. They are maybe both 90's kids but being 10 in '94 vs. 10 in '00 is a very different story in my opinion.

As much? That's a 6-year-difference. They are maybe both 90's kids but being 10 in '94 vs. 10 in '00 is a very different story in my opinion.


Well what I mean is someone born in 1984 would be partially an 80s kid to the same extent someone born in 1990 would be partially a 00s kid. Someone born in 1984's childhood would run from 1987 to 1997. Someone born in 1990's, from 1993 to 2003. But yeah if you consider teen 'kid', in this context I wouldn't because being a teenager is a different experience, than obviously someone born in 1984 is the ultimate 90s kid.

In fact in a certain sense a 1984er would be more of an 80s kid than a 90er would be of the 00s, since everything up to 1991 was culturally more 80s than 90s. Basically half the childhood experience of someone born in 1984 would be either the actual 80s or close enough to pretty much count. While the entirety of a 1990er's childhood would be either 90s or very 90s-like.

Basically half the childhood experience of someone born in 1984 would be either the actual 80s or close enough to pretty much count. While the entirety of a 1990er's childhood would be either 90s or very 90s-like.


I would say that this very 90's childhood you mentioned applies mostly to those born in the mid-80's, including '84. The first years - in my case it was 0-8 - often don't have this 'like yesterday feel', so I wouldn't value that 80's influence too much. I have to admit, that even my very early childhood felt a bit 80s, but when I was really aware of what was going on, it was already the peak-90's culture around.

Someone born in 1984's childhood would run from 1987 to 1997. Someone born in 1990's, from 1993 to 2003.
Well what I mean is someone born in 1984 would be partially an 80s kid to the same extent someone born in 1990 would be partially a 00s kid.

In this 's kid-debates I'd always value the later childhood years higher than the ealier ones. An '84er would probably know much less from the 80's than a 1990er would know from his late childhood in the early 00's; so you can't compare it like that.