The other day, I was playing Nsync's Greatest Hits album while I was driving down the Cape with my cousins and I was shocked to find they didn't even know who Nsync was! Not only did that make my 19-year-old self feel extremely old, but it also reminded me that I grew up differently than they did. These teens grew up in the era of "Pokemon Go," "Paw Patrol," and even Disney shows like "Liv and Maddy." That drive just reminded me of some of the things I miss about growing up, so I thought I'd share them with you.
1. If I said "Nick At Nite," you'd what I mean.
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Remember when Nickelodeon used to broadcast "The Nanny" and "My Wife and Kids" until the wee hours of the morning? I sure do. I haven't heard of those shows in ages!
2. You owned, have worn, or seen these around growing up.
Much like the ones above and if you were like me, the odds of your jellies being sparkly were 100 percent.
3. Or these glorious divas...
Even your mom may have had this style flip flop, but maybe a little less colorful...
4. THIS WAS YOUR FAVORITE GAME SHOW EVER!
Don't kid yourself, you wanted to be on this show.
5. You watched movies using these bad boys.
Sorry, no DVD players for us and I can assure you, I still have stacks of these in my cabinet at home.
6. If we didn't like our at home VHS selections, this was our ONLY option.
Remember when this was a thing?
7. We lived for games like MASH, ZAP, and Cootie Catchers.
Who am I gonna marry? Where will I live? Am I gonna have kids? MASH could literally decide your entire future and you were extremely serious about that. MASH is no joke... No one wants to live in a shed rather than a mansion!
8. You were the coolest kid on the block if you had one of these.
9. Now, if you did have those sweet wheels, I bet your bike was decked out in streamers, a bell, a horn, or maybe even a basket.
That's right.. They see you rollin'... They hatin'... (If you don't know this song, I'm seriously shaking my head right now).
10. Your playlist included Nsync, Backstreet Boys, and Britney Spears.
11. You watched "Zoey 101" and to this day still wish PCA was real and you had a boy like Chase in your life.
...You're also low-key still mad the show got cancelled.
12. You played dress up.
Speaking for myself, I had my very own dress up box filled with costumes and boas and tiaras to run around in. I was rarely seen without a princess dress on.
14. This was your version of People Magazine, low-key your pop-culture bible, and you lived for the posters inside.
15. Your biggest worry in life was feeding and taking care of your Tamagotchi.
Nope, no Pokemon here, just a Tamagotchi waiting to be fed.
16. Playing pretend was the best part of your day.
You see, as kids, we were raised to go outside and explore using our imaginations. That stick is actually a light saber and you're in another galaxy. Watch out! Darth Vader's behind you!
17. These were iconic, sugary treats you could get at any store
18. This. Is. Gym. Class!
19. Fruit stripped gum was the gum of the century with the first real tongue tattoos.
Fun fact friends: over Fourth of July weekend, I actually found this gum at a Penny Candy shop in New Hampshire, so it does in fact still exist!
20. You were constantly smelling these as you were coloring.
Now, I don't know about you, but those growing up in this day and age don't really get to have all these things or experiences that we did. They're growing up in a more technological age, meaning some of this stuff they may never understand, but I know all of you who made it to the end will. And I bet this article made you feel old because I felt old writing it!
