While everybody's different and there's exceptions*...way more often than not, it seriously can make people seem like 5-7 years older than their peers their exact same age who don't. I wonder why though? Sure having hand me downs or just looking up to your cool 14 year old big brother/sister or cousin when you're 7 can get you into things and maybe feel like you're having a legit experience of the times, but it's just amazing how two people born the same year can often seem so different.

*I'm one of those exceptions. It's ironic that I'm as old school as I am, being an only child with older than usual relatives and not that many close friends my age until my late teens. You'd think I would've been one of those kids who just discovered music and TV shows and the way the world worked at 14 in 1996 going into high school!  ;D Guess I was lucky to have hip and youthful adult relatives, and I did also have some teenage Valley girl babysitters and stuff, so the teen environments in John Hughes movies were familiar to me.

I think it definitely makes a difference if you have older siblings. I always felt that I was into pop music pretty early in comparison to my peers. Sinlings who just live next to your room can influence you a lot - I think even more than your parents if they aren't part of the target group of contempory pop culture. It was also pretty normal for me to get exposed to books and toys from the late 70s/early 80s since I have used them after my sister didn't need them anymore.

I think it definitely makes a difference if you have older siblings. I always felt that I was into pop music pretty early in comparison to my peers. Sinlings who just live next to your room can influence you a lot - I think even more than your parents if they aren't part of the target group of contempory pop culture. It was also pretty normal for me to get exposed to books and toys from the late 70s/early 80s since I have used them after my sister didn't need them anymore.


Yeah, like if a kids' parents are already out of touch with pop culture by then, they might not be around the music, TV shows and fashions very much, but with a like 3, 5 or 8 years older sibling you're bound to get tons of early exposure. Same thing like when their friends come over to the house and stuff.

I think that having an older brother (born in June of 1985) definitely affected the pop culture that I (born in September of 1987) was exposed to. In some cases, I used his tastes as a springboard to delve deeper underground into genres and form and refine my own tastses. For example, in the late 90's and early 00's, he was a big fan of alternative rock, but also a select few group of nu metal acts, particularly KoRn. Well, I was very much into nu-metal at the time, I must confess, but I first used that to get into slightly higher quality groups in that general sphere like Fear Factory, and then later, into more underground genres of metal. I've largely grown out of metal these days. However, he was also very much into Nine Inch Nails (I still love the first album), and I used that to look for other more classic industrial groups (in fact, I wanted to find groups that specifically reminded me of early NIN), which I would say sowed the seeds for my still current love of industrial music and for the somewhat related genres of gothic rock/darkwave/dark synthpop/etc.

I think that having an older brother (born in June of 1985) definitely affected the pop culture that I (born in September of 1987) was exposed to. In some cases, I used his tastes as a springboard to delve deeper underground into genres and form and refine my own tastses. For example, in the late 90's and early 00's, he was a big fan of alternative rock, but also a select few group of nu metal acts, particularly KoRn. Well, I was very much into nu-metal at the time, I must confess, but I first used that to get into slightly higher quality groups in that general sphere like Fear Factory, and then later, into more underground genres of metal. I've largely grown out of metal these days. However, he was also very much into Nine Inch Nails (I still love the first album), and I used that to look for other more classic industrial groups (in fact, I wanted to find groups that specifically reminded me of early NIN), which I would say sowed the seeds for my still current love of industrial music and for the somewhat related genres of gothic rock/darkwave/dark synthpop/etc.


How similar do you think your teenage experience was to your older brother?

How similar do you think your teenage experience was to your older brother?


Pretty similar. In middle school and early high school, we attended several of the same concerts and I occasionally was invited to parties with his friends who were usually his age or one year younger (that is, one year older than me). There is no doubt that, despite subtle differences due to age (and probably more dramatic differences due to having very distinct personality types, as he was very gregarious and extroverted and I very introverted and keeping to myself), we definitely have had a shared generational experience as unambiguous Y-ers.

My older sister was always there and she always protected me no matter what.

I think that having an older brother (born in June of 1985) definitely affected the pop culture that I (born in September of 1987) was exposed to.


Do you think that a 2 years and 3 months age gap was big when you were younger?

In comparison to the age gap between me and my sister (8 years), you and your brother are nearly peers  8)

Do you think that a 2 years and 3 months age gap was big when you were younger?

In comparison to the age gap between me and my sister (8 years), you and your brother are nearly peers  8)


Well, it felt pretty big up until about the time I was 14 and he 16. I was the annoying little brother who wanted to tag along with him and his cool friends. Right before I was about 15, he began including me in his social activities more often without the fraternal resentment of before.

And you are right, 2 years is nothing compared to the 8 years between you and your sister. And as I look back, I realize that our growing-up experience was probably the same in 85% to 90% of criteria. Honestly, the more I think about it, the more difficult it is for me to explain what exactly would be that 10% to 15% difference. I suppose that it would largely consist of him truly remembering the first two years of the 90's in a way that I cannot and him being two years older when getting started on the internet.

I was an only child, but when I lived in Oregon I was often around my cousins that were born in the 70s/80s, so I got exposed to more pop culture earlier than my peers. I had a lot of hand me downs from the 80s and early 90s. On top of that, I had a fairly clear memory as early as age 3 (1997) so I remember the late 90s with some clarity. As well, I've always felt like an old soul, I really should have been born in the 70s.

Well, it felt pretty big up until about the time I was 14 and he 16.


Yeah, I understand this. It's sometimes interesting how big even small age gaps seem to be when we are younger. I know some people, who were older and I when I was little, I thought we were worlds apart. Later I found out they were only born in 1985. It has also much to do with the fact that people who are only 1 year older than me (or maybe only 11 months) technically could have been 2 grades ahead of me in school. I started school with the late 86/early 87 crowd, even though I was born in the first half of 1986.

Yes, it's true. I have an older sister who was born in 1988 and we both can relate to everything from the 90s and 00s. We have both played the super Nintendo, N64, Sega Genesis, gamegear,  and the gameboy color. We have listened to 90s music ranging from hip-hop, R&B, Teen pop, and I believe AC. We both have watched the same TV shows, movies, and have done things together. I even thought I was a girl one time since I was doing some of the same as her and I also said that I was her sister (I was told I wasn't and that I'm her brother). Therefore, older siblings can definitely influence your memories and your hobbies.  To top it all off, I have a younger sister who is 10 years old and when I went to visit my dad and my other family, and this was when she 1, she picked up lots of cues from me. My dad (her dad as well) and her mom had told me that she had received qualities from me. I only saw her for 2 months I was there and she already has some similarities as me. I bet if I asked her what she remembers from the 2000s, she would give me a description of what she remembers from that time.

I even thought I was a girl one time since I was doing some of the same as her


Funny thing. I have actually played with Barbie Dolls when I was 3/4 together with my sister. I thought it was cool back then... I haven't done this for very long though. I have lost interest in it once my sister became a teenager in the early 90s.

Funny thing. I have actually played with Barbie Dolls when I was 3/4 together with my sister. I thought it was cool back then... I haven't done this for very long though. I have lost interest in it once my sister became a teenager in the early 90s.
I did too except for a little longer and my dad told me that they were for girls, but I didn't listen and still played with them.

I did too except for a little longer and my dad told me that they were for girls, but I didn't listen and still played with them.


Hehe, yeah, they can really be cool. I really liked the accessories, like the kitchen or other stuff like furniture. I think, If I had to tell somebody what I remember from the 80s, then it would definitely be this  ;D

Hehe, yeah, they can really be cool. I really liked the accessories, like the kitchen or other stuff like furniture. I think, If I had to tell somebody what I remember from the 80s, then it would definitely be this  ;D
yep, and for me too except, this would be one of my 90s memories as I remember playing with them. Not only that, I also tried on girls clothes and they felt different than boy clothes.

Funny thing. I have actually played with Barbie Dolls when I was 3/4 together with my sister. I thought it was cool back then... I haven't done this for very long though. I have lost interest in it once my sister became a teenager in the early 90s.


you played with Barbie Dolls? ;D

you played with Barbie Dolls? ;D


Yes, I did. Since I was still very young, I don't think it's that strange.

Yes, I did. Since I was still very young, I don't think it's that strange.


What did you observe?

What did you observe?


Fun?