August 21, 2022 at 12:12 am

What Was Normal in the 1990s but Is Pretty Rare Now? Here’s What People Said.

by Matthew Gilligan

Times sure have changed, huh…?

There’s no doubt about that!

And things have changed A LOT since the interesting decade that was the 1990s.

It’s hard to believe it was that long ago, and today we’re going to hear from folks on AskReddit about what was normal back then but is rare today.

Let’s have a look.

1. It was paradise!

“Being completely unreachable by anyone for an entire day or more with no one thinking that it was unusual or rude.”

2. What could be on there?

“Taking your disposable camera to get developed, and having no idea if any of your pictures were even usable until you got the pictures back.”

3. Yes!

“Parents leaving $20 under a magnet on the fridge for pizza with the number of the restaurant they were eating at, your friend’s parents-down-the-block’s number, and maybe your grandmother’s landline as a last resort.”

4. Party time!

“Playing multiplayer video games with all of the players IN the room together. We had some pretty heated N64 parties.”

5. People watching.

“In general…just waiting for things, alone with only your thoughts.

Gameboy ran out of battery? Didn’t bring a book?

Time to people watch.”

6. Do you have it memorized?

“Home telephones and answering machines.

And memorizing phone numbers.”

7. Old school.

“Floppy discs. My parents had a file cabinet full of those things.

I used to save cool Dragon Ball Z pictures off the internet on them for later viewing enjoyment LOL.”

8. You bet it was!

“I miss Blockbuster on a Friday night.

Renting a movie was special.”

9. Six-disc changer.

“Keeping a binder full of CDs in your car.

My car CDs were stolen in 1998. I’m still p**sed.”

10. Pen pals.

“I used to write 10-page letters to a girl I knew in Norway, and she did the same for me back in the States.

I’d get like one a month, and it was so exciting to read them. People had to put so much thought into those letters before the internet.”

11. The gatekeepers.

“Landline home phones. And having to talk to your friend’s parents for a couple of minutes while you waited for your friend to come to the phone.

The parents were always the gatekeeper. I remember calling girls and hoping their dad didn’t answer.”

12. Good times!

“Pressing play and record at the same time.

Putting tape over the security tab/square so you could record over any tape you had in your collection.”

13. You’ll be there, right?

“Meeting people at the time and place you said you’d meet them when you mad plans days or even weeks ago.

You used to say “hey, let’s hang out on Tuesday at 7 pm at downtown bar” and then without ever having to text or call again you’d both meet there.”

twistedsifter on facebook What Was Normal in the 1990s but Is Pretty Rare Now? Here’s What People Said.