The more I think about it, the '90s really lacked an identity or a specific theme that tied the decade together.  I think the '90s simply were a bridge to get us from the '80s to the '00s, both very defining decades.  One thing that is unique to the '90s was how fast everything in pop culture changed.  1999 was very different from 1995 which was very different from 1991.  Few decades bring so much change in such a short amount of time as the '90s.  The world of 1999 would have been almost unrecognizable in 1990.  While 2009 has its differences from 2000, they aren't near as far apart.  Clinton wasn't a great President.  He was simply the right man for the right time.  I don't think Clinton would have been as fondly remembered if he didn't preside mostly over economic growth and kept us in relative peace compared to how things were under George HW Bush or how they would be under George W Bush in the '00s. 

I would say the fall of the Soviet Union was the end of the '80s and 9/11 was the beginning of the '00s.  Everything between that was transitional.

I just noticed things like how Tail spin came out from the Jungle book.  just a new cartoon, not the years defined as new technology or something like that

The 2010s is a bridge from the 2000s to the 2020s.

The 90's is the first decade where Gen-X parents caught up with Boomers.  This brought about a bit of a culture shift.  I call the 90's decade "kid-centric" for many reasons.  It was the first decade where the "every kid gets a trophy" philosophy became rampant. It was the first really big decade for (American) kids' playing soccer - both girls and boys.  (Organized girls' sports in general made huge strides in the 90's overall.)  It was a major growth decade for Disney.  There was a return in popularity of music artists that were most beloved by pre-teens (not very prevalent in the 80's or late 70's).  Video games ruled, also beloved by kids.  In short, in the 90's it was "good to be a kid".  8)

The 90's is the first decade where Gen-X parents caught up with Boomers.  This brought about a bit of a culture shift.  I call the 90's decade "kid-centric" for many reasons.  It was the first decade where the "every kid gets a trophy" philosophy became rampant. It was the first really big decade for (American) kids' playing soccer - both girls and boys.  (Organized girls' sports in general made huge strides in the 90's overall.)  It was a major growth decade for Disney.  There was a return in popularity of music artists that were most beloved by pre-teens (not very prevalent in the 80's or late 70's).  Video games ruled, also beloved by kids.  In short, in the 90's it was "good to be a kid".  8)


Makes sense. The 1990's had great entertainment for kids. But, unfortunately, by the 1990's obesity became a clear problem in America.  :(

The 90's is the first decade where Gen-X parents caught up with Boomers.  This brought about a bit of a culture shift.  I call the 90's decade "kid-centric" for many reasons.  It was the first decade where the "every kid gets a trophy" philosophy became rampant. It was the first really big decade for (American) kids' playing soccer - both girls and boys.  (Organized girls' sports in general made huge strides in the 90's overall.)  It was a major growth decade for Disney.  There was a return in popularity of music artists that were most beloved by pre-teens (not very prevalent in the 80's or late 70's).  Video games ruled, also beloved by kids.  In short, in the 90's it was "good to be a kid".  8)


I agree with this, but I think the '90s were a good time to be any age.  It was a great time to be a young adult as well.  The '90s were the last decade where the idea that "if you go to college and get a degree the world will be at your fingertips" was still true.  It was also a great decade for pop culture and was way more diverse than the '80s or anything in the new millennium.  But yeah, I can definitely see the point that it was a kid's decade.

The 90's is the first decade where Gen-X parents caught up with Boomers.  This brought about a bit of a culture shift.  I call the 90's decade "kid-centric" for many reasons.  It was the first decade where the "every kid gets a trophy" philosophy became rampant. It was the first really big decade for (American) kids' playing soccer - both girls and boys.  (Organized girls' sports in general made huge strides in the 90's overall.)  It was a major growth decade for Disney.  There was a return in popularity of music artists that were most beloved by pre-teens (not very prevalent in the 80's or late 70's).  Video games ruled, also beloved by kids.  In short, in the 90's it was "good to be a kid".  8)


You can say that again!