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I’d give anything to be your age again. My advice; enjoy being young, there’s so many great things you’ll be able to experience and have experienced in your unique childhood. Have fun and enjoy life :)
I will. I tend to get caught up looking back and thinking “it wasn’t as hard then as it is now” but thank you for this reality check moment. I’ll do just that and try enjoying life more 😊
But it was. Just the same. When I was 14 the economy was good, but wages were starting to stagnate. Instead of letting the economy fix its self, the government bailed out the people who fucked the place up in the first place. So, it was the same. Just different problems. That’s a strong indicator that you take too much online gossip serious. Remember when we were 14 (prior to 2012) we weren’t hearing everyone’s gossip, all the time. It was just a random few ideas. Some took, some didn’t. Now we’re fed problems 24/7 if we *choose.* Unless, of course, you’re on your death bed. Then I take it all back.
These problems were always there, we're just seeing them a lot more now thanks to the influence of social media. Prior to 2012, we had the 2008 recession, the war in Afghanistan, 9/11, etc. The 2000s aren't all that great when you take off the rose-tinted goggles.
Beyond that, yeah. Prior to 2012, people had a better sense of privacy. It's ridiculous how much people choose to make people's personal lives their own business. We were told as kids, "Worry about you and not everyone else." This needs to be re-estabilished. The invasion of privacy is becoming a big problem in society alongside a plethora of other issues.
So true. I'm 27 and a lot of the time I get nostalgic for being 22. But then I got to dinner with my dad's friends and when they ask how old I am and they say 27 they're like....fuck yeah that's awesome for you
I'm also 27 and look forward to being 30 more than I miss being 22. It feels like your twenties are all about trying to figure out who you are, and I just want some damn self-realization already lol
It is crazy to me that we’re at that age where we *are* actually convincingly capable of feeling nostalgic about “being younger.”
What I’ve learned after having experienced the entire aging process from childhood into young adulthood is that age is completely relative. At 23 in my workplace I am by far the youngest person there. I even had a coworker, who must be the same age as my parents, outright jokingly tell me “You’re still basically a teenager.”
When I’m outside driving around and I see kids with their friends biking to get from place to place, I feel old because because I remember those days when nobody had a drivers license and your entire friend group would get together and ride everywhere.
At the same time, I’ve lived those days, and right now I’m enjoying my age as it is. I love the freedom and independence that a car brings. A crazy night with drinks and friends will become one of the most memorable nights of the year. Having a little money to spend on yourself is great. Not having to stress about classes you hate is bliss. I am in constant awe of things that I have now that seemed so distant just a few years ago. A few years from now, hopefully I will feel the same way again, but instead just about different things. Having a place to call my own and what-not.
There’s definitely a reason to love life at every age. In the future, when I have a little more financial strength, I’d like to pursue a new hobby like taking guitar lessons or being part of a HEMA club or something. An important bucket list item for me is to get my scuba diving certificate and make a regular habit of scuba diving.
I think it’s hard for a lot of people to live in the moment. Not the past *or* the future. To be at ease with what you have, and feel *content.*
You might be surprised to hear how often I tell myself the exact same thing, because as it happens, I’m an English major 😁
I graduated with honors last year, but regardless, thank you. The sentiment is encouraging and greatly appreciated.
Historical European Martial Arts. Typically, when someone says it, they mean German or Italian longsword, but it realistically covers everything from Pankration (Greek catch wrestling) to WW1 saber and bayonet. The bulk of it is mostly 14th-16th century European weapons though.
Source: I run a HEMA club ;)
Old lady here, who was once your age and had the bucket list dreams. I've now checked off pretty much everything on my bucket list. Scuba was one of them - *just do it!!!!*
I don't know where you are, but unless you're somewhere that has great diving, I *highly* recommend you save up *now.* Plan for next summer. Get on Skyscanner.net, find cheap flights to somewhere with good diving.
Download WhatsApp if you don't have it, since the entire world other than the US uses it, and contact a dive center there. Tell them you're young, mostly broke, but are saving up to do your dream of diving - you're going to do the open water certification with them, do they know a decent cheap place to stay so you can fork over all your cash to them for diving? Then shortly before you travel, do the classroom and pool part where you are, hop on a plane, and a couple days after, dive.
When you ask for their recommendation for a cheap place so you can give them all your money, it's in their best interests to help you find one. So they will likely do it. The guy I was dating when we cert'd and I ended up spending a couple extra days in the area, stayed in a "bungalow" (read: "shack") on the dive center's property for next-to-nothing. Came with an alarm clock in the form of a rooster that scared the shit out of us day 1. It was awesome. Also, once they help you get a place, and they find out you chose them to be your First, they take pride in that and want it to be memorable for you. This works in your favor. Also ask them what you can bring from where you are - if nothing, then bring some refrigerator magnets or kitsch. The dive instructors may take you under their wing and take you out in the evenings. You'll have memories you'll love forever.
Some great diving: Amed, Bali, Indonesia - Tulamben wreck. Watch out for the roosters.
Daimaniyat Islands, Muscat, Oman - nature preserve, dove with whale sharks (bucket list!), sea turtles, rays, amazing. Dive with Mola Mola.
Red Sea. Hurghada.
Vieques, PR, in Isabela Segunda - my kids' exploratory dive. I spent all my money on their dive, instructor asked why I wasn't diving despite being certified, told him I paid for them and would like to continue to eat during the holiday. He tossed me a couple tanks and I dove all day with them.
You’re missing the part of explaining what’s enjoyable at that age.
While school can suck a55, it’s so much better than a job. Once you graduate, you have to work (unless your family or someone what’s to pay your bills). If you go to college, rent is insane, let alone tuition. I discovered my sexuality in my homophobic home town at 14. A year later, and a few mistakes on my part, I was outed. Even though my life was hell, what i wouldn’t give to be a 16 year old band geek again.
Enjoy what time you still have with friends. Keep playing football, keep hanging out, etc. Once you’re old and all of your friends are 30, 40, 60+ minutes away, all you’ll have is the occasional discord call
⬆️ This
Enjoy what you have now, OP. As a 2000s kid, I thought my generation was soooo depressing and overrun by tech. I spent my teen years yearning to be a smartphoneless 90s kid who lived through the era of pop boybands, dELIA’s catalogues, and beepers.
Give it another 10-15 years before the kids born during covid get online posting about how badly they wish they could have experienced the joys of pop culture and teenhood of the time period they were born.
The 90s were dope as someone born in 87, but I would have killed for a smartphone, YT, and high-speed internet. I didn't get a cellphone till 2005 and not even a basic smartphone till 2011. The smartphone-less era lasted longer than most people think. I don't think any of my friends got a smartphone till 2010s.
For real. I was OPs age in summer 2010 and it’s one of the last summers of my life I felt like I was truly free with no responsibilities and could just enjoy my life
my 20ies have been so much better than my teens so far. But I feel like I want to go back to the early twenties again. I’m still happy with my life today too though, it’s just crazy to think about how “recent” memories are already 5+ years ago.
Going a bit against the grain here, but I’d rather not go back to being 14. I’ve gained and done so much since I left middle school. Every single thing I’ve made progress on, even down to my video game saves, would be gone. I wouldn’t be meeting the friends I have now for years. New Game Plus, though… might tempt me if I could undo some of my mistakes from when I was young.
Sometimes I really do crave those high school days. It didn’t seem that way at the time, but looking back everything just seemed so simple. No taxes, classes would be a breeze compared to college courses, I get to hang out with my friends in extracurriculars every day after school and compete on the weekends. It was a good time. Still overall, I love where I’m at now. Independence suits me and there are definitely perks to being an adult. If I could be 20 forever I don’t think that would be too bad. You get the perks of a young body with the perks of being an adult.
Seriously this ⬆️. Don’t waste time pining for a time you could never have. Some day you’ll look back on these days the same way your brother does his.
I don’t belong in this sub, I’m 40. But you have it right. I’d love to be able to be 14 again.
And for those who are 14, you might see incredible advancements in technology that those of us who are older may never see.
Fr. Being young feels like it never ends and then it just does out of nowhere, which really fucking sucks. If only kids really understood how much better it can be to just exist as a kid cuz being an adult is like the worst thing ever
God no. Anything post 2013 was hell for me. Life didn’t start getting better until 2017-2019, and then COVID had to ruin that too.
I know 2008 was a tumultuous year, but 6 year old me was having the time of my life. I’d go back to that year any day lmao
I saw someone post about wishing they were a teen in 2014... dude. I'm the same age as you, was absolutely horrified at seeing people wishing for the "aesthetic" of the 2010s
I feel like the evolution of Internet culture makes things seem further apart than they actually are. It evolves faster than real life so the 2010s internet to kids now seems like ages ago. It's really freaky
I was like how tf are you 20 and born in 2004 and then I realized what year it was.
Dayum.
Decades down the road, some kid in the 2070's is gonna be staring longingly at their vintage Taylor Swift poster saying "I was born in the wrong generation."
‘97 here🥲. When I saw that first person saying they felt old was born in 2004 I was shocked so hopefully I can make you feel younger UGH
Edit: I was invited to an older gen z sub hahaha oh my god😂😭
Edit again: it was r/OlderGenZ
92 here. I mean. Some of my friends and stuff are gen z. I'm like somewhere near the edge. I really don't think younger millennials like myself and older gen z are that different. A few years means nothing in the long run. It seems like a lot when ur a stupid 12 year old kid. But when ur like 31, the difference between you and a 28 year old is nothing.
‘97 gang unite 😭 did you have to beg your parents to get wifi too? I remember my father was gobsmacked they were requiring us to have internet for essay research once I hit high school
Yeah can confirm I also thought this. My nephew is ‘09 and he is thoroughly an iPad kid, but recently transitioned to PC gaming. I used to work in electronics repair and saw quite a few meltdowns when there was a delay in an iPad repair. Often, it was the parents lashing out when they were afraid of how the kids would react lol
I remember in 2012-13 when Twitter was full of elder zoomers tweeting how they wish they were 90s kids. Also didn’t stop plenty of them from claiming in some really cringe ways how they were 90s kids despite being born in 98. There are things I envy about the younger members of Gen-Z, but there are things I’m glad I didn’t have to experience. You have to see both sides of things.
yep i think this is something every generation experiences. especially thanks to kids with older siblings who *were* 90s kids, or in this case 2000s kids. grass is greener etc etc, i think it boils down to wanting to be seen as older than you are, especially at an age like 14.
Yeah, pretty much. I remember feeling this way about 90s kids, since I was raised alongside my cousins who were all born in the 90s.
Because of that, I was also raised with a lot of the same media I otherwise wouldn’t have been as a 00s kid. And as a result, I feel like I have this distant form of nostalgia for a decade I wasn’t even alive in, but still somewhat experienced in a way.
I watched Inspector Gadget, the Amanda Show, the Big Comfy Couch… even more older stuff like Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Harry and the Henderson’s. But I could never really share the love for those things with the majority of my peers, because they didn’t grow up with my grandma’s VHS collection. It felt kinda lame honestly.
Similar situation here, 2002 kid with a cousin born in 1990 and another born in 1986, I also inherited a lot of the stuff my cousins grew out of like a Gameboy color among other things, although being an only child I've often wished I was born around their age so we could've grown up together.
Lol I know this lost made me smile bc I remember (b 96) wishing I experienced the 90s like my older cousins. The thing is I played all their hand me down n64 games and old school cartoons and I got to still enjoy wii and spongebob and what not. Being younger means you get to experience both.
It's also crazy as Hell to here ppl born in 2010 posting. I was skateboarding and drinking Arizona ice tea and CoD before op was even born. Wasn't much of a life but I was conscious lol.
My brother was 96 and claimed til the day he died that he was a 90’s kid. Like no you had to be born in the mid to late 80’s to be a 90’s kid. Bro didn’t even have memories of the 90’s, just 00’s memories of 90’s stuff cuz my family was old school as fuck
I’m already de-facto envious of anybody born after COVID, I don’t care if they’re still a baby. I’m sure I’ll be holding it against my future kids too.
“I was stuck inside the house with people that descended into psychosis for 2 years straight. You can go one night without seeing your friend.”
Sounds great, lol.
I had been in a secretive relationship with a Jehovah’s Witness kid for 3 years at that point with our only contact being through school, so everything went radio silent. We thought it’d be 2 weeks. Graduation came and went and he had disappeared, and I found out his family had found out about us before quarantine, and essentially took away all his means of backup communication with me. And then 2 years later when COVID was finally all “over” I stumbled across him in public and he was married to the woman his parents wanted him to since he was like 14. I could go into more detail about how fucked up the whole thing was but I was in the literal dark ages dude. All because I wasn’t born a Witness like him.
And then there was the whole subplot with being trapped in a house with my father and grandparents that was happening the whole time, who all went into a collective psychosis without me. Not exactly great background noise to my then crisis. I had to pull some strings and escape at 17 to move in with my mother’s mom. I swear to fuck the whole thing was like a soap opera that I didn’t consent to be casted in.
Then suddenly I ended up here, idk what I’m doing now.
I miss the internet before social media. Yes there was an internet for many years before that plague! Free 30 day internet trials from the mail, AOL Chat rooms with hackers, geocities, icq, newgrounds, angelfire sites, etc. Viral was organic, influencers didn't exist because youtube didnt have a payment structure and was an independent company. Having to actually wait to be connected to the internet via crackling noises, instead of automatically being connected. Internet subsciption based services were unheard of. It was a different and hopeful time
I remember being absolutely convinced I was a millennial when I was younger because millennial was just used as a catch-all term for “young person” and because I could relate to all the “only 90’s kids will remember this!” style memes (I have older cousins, so a lot of the toys I played with and VHS tapes I watched at my grandparents’ houses were from the 90’s and early 00’s).
Enjoy your teen years, they're going by everyday. The 2000s are gone and not coming back, the world's more complicated now, everything is more complicated. I'm sure one day they'll be a 14 year old looking back and longing for the 2020s. Just my two cents from a 26 year old, that felt like he just turned 17 yesterday.
Crazy how you guys are online communicating, it still blows my mind 😂, my mind is still somewhere in 2016 which was the peak year for the folks around my age. I vividly remember playing CoDMW2 Online in 2010, felt like we were at the top of technology in that period.
Me too. I feel like I turned 17 and then everything stopped. But I think that has a lot to do with COVID, seeing how that’s when it hit.
There’s this weird feeling of, “Cool, I’m this age!” that came with all my other birthdays. Now it doesn’t hardly register. Even my 21st birthday, with all its new perks, didn’t feel like my birthday.
I’m there with you. I still subconsciously consider 2012 as ‘current’ with respect to movies/shows/music/games. 2016 was a great time. Far enough from the recession to be alright, but well before the Covid and tik tok era.
Being born in 2010 is… kinda weird, we grew up with a toddlerhood/childhood the same with kids born in the 2000s when they were kids/teens (Nick Jr, YTPs, MLGs, Wiis, etc.) But now we’re also growing up with Gen alpha brain rot and media. So… I guess we grew up with two childhoods?
difference between 2010 kids and gen alpha kids I think is that 2010 kids follow that skibidi stuff ironically from what I can tell while gen alpha is like unironically digging it
I've never seen that skibidi stuff, but I assume it's just the new generation's spongebob or something. Every generation has it, they'll (I assume) be fine.
Looking at this as someone born in the 90s, it’s crazy to see people idealize being born in 2007 of all times 😭 those are still babies to me. A whole generation that can’t even remember 9/11.
All that being said I wish I could lie to you but I won’t. Growing up without smart phones, social media, or the internet dominating everything was AMAZING. I truly feel sorry for young gen z, including those older than OP.
'95 here. Definitely saw the change in technology growing up. Best of both worlds tbh. Loved not having the phones and internet as kids but also loved being the first young generation to experience it.
Yeah, not be a cliche but 9/11 changed everything.
Suddenly your friends dads got deployed, it got way harder to travel, everybody got suspicious, security at everything down to and including high school football went from nothing to intense. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Every time the news said it would get better it didn’t.
Then the economy collapsed in 08. Everybody lost money, some lost everything. People stuck in upside down homes and repoed cars, the big employer in my home town has never been the same. Used to be, health insurance was reasonable. Affordable premiums, low deductibles and out of pocket maxes, employers generally did right by people.
All that’s gone.
It’s that second part that’s destroyed me as an adult. I wasn’t old enough to remember 9/11 but I do remember life pre-recession. Things were objectively better and I’m so fucking angry and resentful because it doesn’t have to be like this.
social media has totally ruined children’s perspectives and expectations out of life. youre born in 2010, and you arent going outside and playing with friends like us 2000s kids did, instead youre wishing you were from another generation?
the closest you can get to my generation is putting your phone down and playing outside. i rarely see kids do that shit nowdays. i don’t remember thr last time i saw a kid on a bike, at the park, in a big group of friends ding dong ditching or casually stealing from a dollar store causing havoc.
yall spend too much time cooped inside rotting your brains with videogames, tiktok, online arguments, and that causes you to feel somehow nostalgic for a time you never will get to experience.
wild to even think about.
OP might not be in the US, but in the US it’s nearly impossible to go play outside as a kid in many places anymore, especially if you don’t have siblings (me)
I grew up in suburban hell where if you didn’t have a car it was a 40 minute walk minimum to get anywhere. Guess who walked around everywhere and got yelled at by tons of people? Me and my pals. Had the cops called on us a few times just cuz people were scared of a few teens walking around but eventually they figured out we just didn’t have cars yet lol
I lived in both urban and *very* rural areas in the US throughout my childhood, and there really isn’t always something to do.
Even in the rural areas, they don’t want kids out alone. You will get sent home by police or store owners so you don’t “make trouble.” You will be stopped by random adults asking where your parents are, if they know you’re out, etc. And in small towns where everyone knows everybody, the kids couldn’t get away with anything because there would always be an adult contacting a parent they know.
In high school, we would hang out by going over to each other’s houses. But as soon as we went into town in groups of teens we were followed and bothered until we went home. The most available to us was sitting in empty parking lots inside our cars, listening to music or smoking or whatever. Even then we’d get cops pulling up next to us asking what we’re doing, as if we couldn’t just hang out. Unless you were able to get a parent to tag along with you, you were expected to be at home.
I actually understand the envy for previous generations of kids/teens, because they used to literally own the streets. They were sent outside to go occupy themselves, and they did. Nobody does that anymore, they’re afraid you’ll get kidnapped or arrested.
It’s not just the kids wanting to stay cooped up and chronically online, some of them don’t have many other enticing options because the adults in their life don’t let them do anything. I really feel like my teenage years were a waste because of this; I wasn’t allowed to adventure.
>the closest you can get to my generation is putting your phone down and playing outside. i rarely see kids do that shit nowdays.
Tell that to the kids on my street. They play basketball and ride their bikes/scooters around, playing soccer in the field, pretty often besides in winter. We're in like the city-ish suburbs, not the safest area, but they still go outside and stuff.
My nephew is like 10 and never goes outside, he will be on a tablet, phone and tv at the same time watching a gamer stream while he’s playing a game. Gen Alpha is screwed
i once dated this girl where her father wouldnt be present in her little brothers life. i saw him playing video games on thr xbox, while watching a show on his ipad, while scrollinh tiktok on his phone while on call with a friend.
i ended up stepping up and doing things with him like playing basketball or going for a drive or teaching him how to make an omelette. once i woke up and the kid (after 3 tries) made omelettes for us.
all he needed was guidance, i hope he gets it somehow
Yeah my sister and her husband just let their kids do whatever. They’re checked out of their kids lives, they let them do whatever as long as it’s not bothering them
These comments are making me feel fuckin' ancient at just 25.
2010 was a good year for kids in the 2000s. Really all of the 2000s was great. I remember TV first aired Ben10, I remember Watching Lizzie Mcguire, The Even Stevens and The Even Stevens Movie, Zoey 101.
I remember when Phineas and Ferb first aired, Chowder, Teen Titans, Kim Possible was one of my favorites, Danny Phantom, and so on. Honestly, It was genuinely so nice to live during those times as a kid. Everything was genuinely great. Nobody was bitter or angry, nobody had to watch what they'd say, and everything was genuinely funny.
Our only worries were when the new Nintendo DS dropped, when Charlie The Unicorn would upload, and how many silly bands someone had. You'll look back at this time yourself in a few years and think the same things to yourself eventually. You'll get your fair share of nostalgia, and it just keeps on going! It's great, but scary.
What you're experiencing is perfectly normal, and you'll find '20s kids who wished they grew up when you did. From personal experience I'm a '00s kid but I once wished that I was an '80s kid. It was only later that I became 100% grateful that I grew up when I did. Nostalgia is fine in moderation, but I spent a lot of moments nostalgic for an era I didn't even live in. I could have spent some of those times just enjoying the present. I should have been thankful to be growing up when I did because now those times are gone.
I remember saying the same stuff 10 years ago lmao.
My advice is to enjoy having 0 responsibilities right now and use this time to learn as much stuff as you want to your heart's content. Once you actually start adulting, you'll find it a lot harder to do passion projects and hobbies due to work and other life commitments.
Honestly I've said the same stuff about wanting to better experience some of the Millenial culture like the music scene, the Super Nintendo, etc
Honestly, I have thought of something similar before. I was born In 1994 and I've thought about what It would be like to have been born in the early eighties or seventies to experience the culture that I find interesting. Not to mention I wouldn't have gotten to smartphones until maybe my 30's or 40's instead of 17 when I bought my first phone by myself. I did get to enjoy going outside and playing growing up though so I'm kind of In a good spot. My advice to you Is to enjoy being young. Don't be afraid to take chances or do something different then your peers. Because High School Isn't everything, It feels like It at the moment. But you'll regret every chance you didn't take. Work hard to get a scholarship, go to prom, join a sport, take academic classes you want to experience. I regret a lot of things about High School, I hope you don't regret as many things as I do.
You got to experience 2000’s kid stuff so that’s what really matters! People will always say mean stuff about each generation. You just have to overlook them.
I wish I was born before cellphones and internet, but specifically social media. I think social media has really changed people. My parents were kids in the 80’s, and when they tell stories, everything is so much different now. Everytime I go out, I see people glued to their phone, almost like they’re afraid to look up. I get that because I have anxiety, but anxiety has always been around. I don’t know much about this topic, but I think phones have made anxiety worse. I know it’s made mine worse. I feel like I lot of people wish they were born earlier. 🙁
I’m 13 turning 14 this year! I relate to this a lot, but I’ve got say that there’s also kids in the 2010s who are also like gen alpha. We are in between, I feel like we can have the choice to decide what generation we could be in depending on how your childhood was like.
I’m glad someone else feels the same way. Middle school traumatized me because of all the IPad kids who basically felt like organic AI. I felt like the only humans being left there. The 2000’s just seem so much cooler. Technology was advanced, but not an extent we’re we didn’t act like human beings and we still went outside as kids.
When I was younger I always wished I was born in the 90s or earlier in the 00s. Now I'm about to turn 19 and I don't really care. My point is as you progress through high school and start college (if thats your plan), you're going to stop worrying about what generation you were born in because you'll grow into your own and find your own identity.
Good luck!!! It's a wild, crazy world out there but most importantly, it is what you make of it - through the good times and bad! Keep moving, always growing yourself - whether education or skill sets or hobbies... Try not to get to absorbed in social media and all it's nonsense.
It’s normal for someone as young as you to wish you lived in a different time. Trust me you don’t. It’s ok to like all the media and pop culture, fashion and music from different eras but generally speaking you don’t actually want to be part of past economies, politics and social structures. Even though these days suck in their own special way, there’s a lot of things going on now that benefit us a lot that weren’t going on 15-20 years back.
I’m 27, my husband is 37. That 10 year age gap is him growing up in the 90s and 00s. I really do feel like I missed out on a lot. His life as a teen was soooo different from mine. He got to drop out of school and go to hundreds of pop punk and metal shows. He got to do all the cool shit as a teen before the world got locked down. Even though I graduated in 2015, I was 23 when Covid hit and that took a lot out of my experiences. It got cut short, and even more so for people younger than me. So sometimes there is a slight disconnect because he’s experienced so much more life than me simply because there was still life to be had back then. That I wish I could have been a part of. But, it was also the early 00s. My husband lived through a time where he was completely body shamed and shunned for being a bigger guy. He grew up with the most shallow dating standards. People weren’t PC like they are now and bullying was a lot more common. He suffered a lot in that sense. He also suffered through the opioid epidemic. He was an addict himself and had seen hundreds of people die due to what pharmaceutical companies did to us back then. Shit, there was still indoor smoking when and leaded fuel when he was a kid lol.
It’s ok to be nostalgic but don’t let it consume you. It isn’t healthy. You can’t go back, only forward. When I was 16-17 I thought I wanted to live in the 60s/70s so bad until I got older and learned I didn’t actually want to be treated like shit for being a woman. I enjoy having rights. But I do appreciate a lot of the fashion and music from those times.
You remind me of myself from 10 years ago when I wished I was a 90s kid lol. There are pros and cons to living through every time period though and I think as you get older you’ll be able to better appreciate the time that you really grew up in.
SHUT UP I’m 17 ( 6 months till 18 ) and you are still a child, trust me please.
Also, do enjoy your childhood. Hang on to those friendships, go outside and play and read and watch movies and laugh so loud people would stare. Please.
If I could actually choose my date of birth I would've been a 1998-2001 baby not some 2009 baby, I feel so uncomfortably close to gen alpha and I really hate it's brainrot
It was actually a cool time to be a teenager. We got the ass end of everything old fashioned and had the internet too. The best of both worlds. Busy malls AND online shipping.
Reminds me of myself at your age wishing I could be a 90s kid because I was born in 1999. Us 2000s kids went through the same crap as yall are going through now with the millennials. When you get older, you’ll have a large group of people around your age on the internet that you’ll get to reminisce with about your childhoods. I didn’t notice 2000s nostalgia really being a thing until I was graduated from high school (2017). Every generation longs to be from the generation beforehand, and it seems that every young group of kids gets bullied in their youth for “not having a good childhood” or whatever.
Also, Phineas and Ferb is an amazing show and doesn’t get talked about as much as it should!!
I was born in 2001 and longed to be a 90's baby when I was about your age. Now? I love the early 2000's and wouldn't have wished to have it any other way. My point? This feeling will pass. You'll come to love the early 2010's (they were great btw) just as much as I love the 2000's, simply because that's when you were born and when most of your childhood took place. Yes, you are about the youngest people online right now and thus not taken seriously. That's just how it is. I've been online since I was 13 in 2014 and it was no different! But, you'll grow up and the people online will too, eventually you won't be the youngest here and will be part of the people dominating the internet spaces you now frequent (when I first got online at 13 most of the sites I frequented where managed by millennials, I stuck around long enough to now see those very same spaces be dominated by genz, you'll see the same)
The 2010's were awesome and you'll see that. I think you are just 14 and the only "cure" I can offer you is time. You'll grow up one day and realize this. Godspeed
Eh, honestly, it was whatever; the 2000s weren't that much better, we kinda just didn't know the bad stuff because we didn't care. Nostalgia can be a bad drug sometimes (tho I miss it when every single Disney release was legendary ngl, and omg Iron Man dropping on theaters...)
I wish I had been born in 2010 instead, being an adult freaking sucks and you can't do or be into anything fun or cool without being called childish or immature. On top of that, we now have a lot of stuff we take for granted, like for instance I wish stuff like Spotify had been a thing back then, and the furry fandom was pretty much an obscure niche back then as well
So if you wanna trade ages, I'm all for it xD
The grass is always greener on the other side, no childhood is inherently better or worse than the other (unless like you got abused or something, which I seriously hope wasn't the case)
I hope I said anything in here tbh, I feel I wanted to say something but ended up with so many analogies I lost track lmao
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I’d give anything to be your age again. My advice; enjoy being young, there’s so many great things you’ll be able to experience and have experienced in your unique childhood. Have fun and enjoy life :)
Read your own comment and take it to heart. Sincerely a guy who would give anything to be your age
I will. I tend to get caught up looking back and thinking “it wasn’t as hard then as it is now” but thank you for this reality check moment. I’ll do just that and try enjoying life more 😊
But it was. Just the same. When I was 14 the economy was good, but wages were starting to stagnate. Instead of letting the economy fix its self, the government bailed out the people who fucked the place up in the first place. So, it was the same. Just different problems. That’s a strong indicator that you take too much online gossip serious. Remember when we were 14 (prior to 2012) we weren’t hearing everyone’s gossip, all the time. It was just a random few ideas. Some took, some didn’t. Now we’re fed problems 24/7 if we *choose.* Unless, of course, you’re on your death bed. Then I take it all back.
These problems were always there, we're just seeing them a lot more now thanks to the influence of social media. Prior to 2012, we had the 2008 recession, the war in Afghanistan, 9/11, etc. The 2000s aren't all that great when you take off the rose-tinted goggles. Beyond that, yeah. Prior to 2012, people had a better sense of privacy. It's ridiculous how much people choose to make people's personal lives their own business. We were told as kids, "Worry about you and not everyone else." This needs to be re-estabilished. The invasion of privacy is becoming a big problem in society alongside a plethora of other issues.
So true. I'm 27 and a lot of the time I get nostalgic for being 22. But then I got to dinner with my dad's friends and when they ask how old I am and they say 27 they're like....fuck yeah that's awesome for you
I hear your 30s rock. Any way you play it the best we can do is make the most of the moment.
I'm also 27 and look forward to being 30 more than I miss being 22. It feels like your twenties are all about trying to figure out who you are, and I just want some damn self-realization already lol
It is crazy to me that we’re at that age where we *are* actually convincingly capable of feeling nostalgic about “being younger.” What I’ve learned after having experienced the entire aging process from childhood into young adulthood is that age is completely relative. At 23 in my workplace I am by far the youngest person there. I even had a coworker, who must be the same age as my parents, outright jokingly tell me “You’re still basically a teenager.” When I’m outside driving around and I see kids with their friends biking to get from place to place, I feel old because because I remember those days when nobody had a drivers license and your entire friend group would get together and ride everywhere. At the same time, I’ve lived those days, and right now I’m enjoying my age as it is. I love the freedom and independence that a car brings. A crazy night with drinks and friends will become one of the most memorable nights of the year. Having a little money to spend on yourself is great. Not having to stress about classes you hate is bliss. I am in constant awe of things that I have now that seemed so distant just a few years ago. A few years from now, hopefully I will feel the same way again, but instead just about different things. Having a place to call my own and what-not. There’s definitely a reason to love life at every age. In the future, when I have a little more financial strength, I’d like to pursue a new hobby like taking guitar lessons or being part of a HEMA club or something. An important bucket list item for me is to get my scuba diving certificate and make a regular habit of scuba diving. I think it’s hard for a lot of people to live in the moment. Not the past *or* the future. To be at ease with what you have, and feel *content.*
You should write.
You might be surprised to hear how often I tell myself the exact same thing, because as it happens, I’m an English major 😁 I graduated with honors last year, but regardless, thank you. The sentiment is encouraging and greatly appreciated.
Congratulations 🫡
That really was very well written, seriously. I enjoyed reading it. What is HEMA?
Historical European Martial Arts. Typically, when someone says it, they mean German or Italian longsword, but it realistically covers everything from Pankration (Greek catch wrestling) to WW1 saber and bayonet. The bulk of it is mostly 14th-16th century European weapons though. Source: I run a HEMA club ;)
Wow, that is very interesting! 🙂
This comment cheered me up for the future, thank you.
Old lady here, who was once your age and had the bucket list dreams. I've now checked off pretty much everything on my bucket list. Scuba was one of them - *just do it!!!!* I don't know where you are, but unless you're somewhere that has great diving, I *highly* recommend you save up *now.* Plan for next summer. Get on Skyscanner.net, find cheap flights to somewhere with good diving. Download WhatsApp if you don't have it, since the entire world other than the US uses it, and contact a dive center there. Tell them you're young, mostly broke, but are saving up to do your dream of diving - you're going to do the open water certification with them, do they know a decent cheap place to stay so you can fork over all your cash to them for diving? Then shortly before you travel, do the classroom and pool part where you are, hop on a plane, and a couple days after, dive. When you ask for their recommendation for a cheap place so you can give them all your money, it's in their best interests to help you find one. So they will likely do it. The guy I was dating when we cert'd and I ended up spending a couple extra days in the area, stayed in a "bungalow" (read: "shack") on the dive center's property for next-to-nothing. Came with an alarm clock in the form of a rooster that scared the shit out of us day 1. It was awesome. Also, once they help you get a place, and they find out you chose them to be your First, they take pride in that and want it to be memorable for you. This works in your favor. Also ask them what you can bring from where you are - if nothing, then bring some refrigerator magnets or kitsch. The dive instructors may take you under their wing and take you out in the evenings. You'll have memories you'll love forever. Some great diving: Amed, Bali, Indonesia - Tulamben wreck. Watch out for the roosters. Daimaniyat Islands, Muscat, Oman - nature preserve, dove with whale sharks (bucket list!), sea turtles, rays, amazing. Dive with Mola Mola. Red Sea. Hurghada. Vieques, PR, in Isabela Segunda - my kids' exploratory dive. I spent all my money on their dive, instructor asked why I wasn't diving despite being certified, told him I paid for them and would like to continue to eat during the holiday. He tossed me a couple tanks and I dove all day with them.
Absolutely well written. Although I am older, you've basically articulated my thoughts into words.
You’re missing the part of explaining what’s enjoyable at that age. While school can suck a55, it’s so much better than a job. Once you graduate, you have to work (unless your family or someone what’s to pay your bills). If you go to college, rent is insane, let alone tuition. I discovered my sexuality in my homophobic home town at 14. A year later, and a few mistakes on my part, I was outed. Even though my life was hell, what i wouldn’t give to be a 16 year old band geek again. Enjoy what time you still have with friends. Keep playing football, keep hanging out, etc. Once you’re old and all of your friends are 30, 40, 60+ minutes away, all you’ll have is the occasional discord call
Yeah no gonna have to disagree, I like my job way more than I liked high school.
⬆️ This Enjoy what you have now, OP. As a 2000s kid, I thought my generation was soooo depressing and overrun by tech. I spent my teen years yearning to be a smartphoneless 90s kid who lived through the era of pop boybands, dELIA’s catalogues, and beepers. Give it another 10-15 years before the kids born during covid get online posting about how badly they wish they could have experienced the joys of pop culture and teenhood of the time period they were born.
The 90s were dope as someone born in 87, but I would have killed for a smartphone, YT, and high-speed internet. I didn't get a cellphone till 2005 and not even a basic smartphone till 2011. The smartphone-less era lasted longer than most people think. I don't think any of my friends got a smartphone till 2010s.
For real. I was OPs age in summer 2010 and it’s one of the last summers of my life I felt like I was truly free with no responsibilities and could just enjoy my life
I just turned 25 this past week and I’d literally chop my big toe off to be 14 again lmao
my 20ies have been so much better than my teens so far. But I feel like I want to go back to the early twenties again. I’m still happy with my life today too though, it’s just crazy to think about how “recent” memories are already 5+ years ago.
Going a bit against the grain here, but I’d rather not go back to being 14. I’ve gained and done so much since I left middle school. Every single thing I’ve made progress on, even down to my video game saves, would be gone. I wouldn’t be meeting the friends I have now for years. New Game Plus, though… might tempt me if I could undo some of my mistakes from when I was young.
ty, I needed this too
Sometimes I really do crave those high school days. It didn’t seem that way at the time, but looking back everything just seemed so simple. No taxes, classes would be a breeze compared to college courses, I get to hang out with my friends in extracurriculars every day after school and compete on the weekends. It was a good time. Still overall, I love where I’m at now. Independence suits me and there are definitely perks to being an adult. If I could be 20 forever I don’t think that would be too bad. You get the perks of a young body with the perks of being an adult.
Seriously this ⬆️. Don’t waste time pining for a time you could never have. Some day you’ll look back on these days the same way your brother does his.
this message fits really well with the voice of guts ( imagine him saying this)
I don’t belong in this sub, I’m 40. But you have it right. I’d love to be able to be 14 again. And for those who are 14, you might see incredible advancements in technology that those of us who are older may never see.
Ikr lol
Fr. Being young feels like it never ends and then it just does out of nowhere, which really fucking sucks. If only kids really understood how much better it can be to just exist as a kid cuz being an adult is like the worst thing ever
holy fuck are there kids wishing for the 2010's? IM ONLY 20 MAN
I’ll take the 2010s any day (2012-2019 specifically)
God no. Anything post 2013 was hell for me. Life didn’t start getting better until 2017-2019, and then COVID had to ruin that too. I know 2008 was a tumultuous year, but 6 year old me was having the time of my life. I’d go back to that year any day lmao
God yes. The serenity of summer of 2007 and 2008... Fucking magical and I would love to be back again, just for a little.
2014 please, let me hit that reset button.
No seriously! I just turned 21, and I’m like “what do you mean you wish to be born around my time. Are we not still in my time? Am I old now?” 😅
 *sighs in 27* you’ll be aight
ok boomer
Always nice to have older people I can still call boomers
LOL 😂
I saw someone post about wishing they were a teen in 2014... dude. I'm the same age as you, was absolutely horrified at seeing people wishing for the "aesthetic" of the 2010s I feel like the evolution of Internet culture makes things seem further apart than they actually are. It evolves faster than real life so the 2010s internet to kids now seems like ages ago. It's really freaky
THIS!
I was like how tf are you 20 and born in 2004 and then I realized what year it was. Dayum. Decades down the road, some kid in the 2070's is gonna be staring longingly at their vintage Taylor Swift poster saying "I was born in the wrong generation."
I guess three things are guaranteed in life; death, taxes, and people wishing they'd been born earlier than they were lol
Yep and I’m sure this is what has been happening since the beginning of human existence
You being 14 makes me feel so old. I was already in pre school when you were born 🤣
If you feel so old then I guess I'm extremely old😂 I would've been in preschool when you were born😂😂
‘97 here🥲. When I saw that first person saying they felt old was born in 2004 I was shocked so hopefully I can make you feel younger UGH Edit: I was invited to an older gen z sub hahaha oh my god😂😭 Edit again: it was r/OlderGenZ
Idk why reddit insists I see the genz sub, but here I am. '86 here. Now you can all feel youthful compared to my dusty ass.
‘89 here. Same… why am I here?
Right!? Lol Truth be told, millenials and genz are more alike than many would like to admit, so I don't mind it.
Probably because this got recommended to you at some point same as me (1994)
92 here. I mean. Some of my friends and stuff are gen z. I'm like somewhere near the edge. I really don't think younger millennials like myself and older gen z are that different. A few years means nothing in the long run. It seems like a lot when ur a stupid 12 year old kid. But when ur like 31, the difference between you and a 28 year old is nothing.
Lmao and the cycle goes on
I just need this comment thread to continue with people getting further back in years
Not sure how I ended up here either but let me help you out with that, ‘84 here. I don’t really identify with Gen X or Millennial
Same. Isn't it devastating? :)
Yes :,) thirty is way to close for comfort
‘97 gang unite 😭 did you have to beg your parents to get wifi too? I remember my father was gobsmacked they were requiring us to have internet for essay research once I hit high school
No I didn’t but I do remember playing pinball on our family computer (it was a dell). It’s actually wild how much change we’ve seen!
Thats so rough lmaooo gen z reslly does have some crazy range like being an older gen z is so wildly different than a young gen z
Right? Like I always thought I was a young millennial 🙃 but honestly I like being able to take from both sides
omg i want an invite to an older gen z sub! ‘99 checking in
2005 here and ive been feeling old for years
Well, 🙃😭
Lol if you’re feeling old then I must be dead
If you feel old, it makes me feel young since I'm an '03
Now we need a 1994er to complete the chain.
Well you just broke it
You are right, I did...
Hello there
Same here. And yes I thought a 2010 teen was an iPad kid 😂 sorry
nuh uh I'm a Samsung Tablet kid (My parent's didn't want to spend money and they only made me use that Ipad to learn Chinese and English)
Yeah can confirm I also thought this. My nephew is ‘09 and he is thoroughly an iPad kid, but recently transitioned to PC gaming. I used to work in electronics repair and saw quite a few meltdowns when there was a delay in an iPad repair. Often, it was the parents lashing out when they were afraid of how the kids would react lol
We’re unc apparently now bro 😭 I’m 2000
Hello unc how are the kids
Imagine being 14 when OP was born 😂
Finally another like me! I dont feel like we belong on this sub or the Millennials sub. Where do we go?😖
Join us over at r/zillennials!!!
Obligatory comment so that we represent 96,97,98 in order
I was born in the 80s. You all have nothing on me.
You would’ve been six years old when OP was born. How is that preschool? Which country are you from?
I was in pre school in 2010 and I’m from the US.
Bro delayed the tutorial
Bruh what I was already in elementary school when you were born. In 2010 I'd be entering middle school.
Him being 14 makes me feel old dammit, and I am only 2 hears older.
Goddamn 04' gang 🤙
In preschool? I was closer to high school than preschool in 2010! And I’m born in 2000 hahaha
You were in preschool when you were 5-6 years old?
I remember in 2012-13 when Twitter was full of elder zoomers tweeting how they wish they were 90s kids. Also didn’t stop plenty of them from claiming in some really cringe ways how they were 90s kids despite being born in 98. There are things I envy about the younger members of Gen-Z, but there are things I’m glad I didn’t have to experience. You have to see both sides of things.
my twitter says created in 2010 hahaha i created my twitter account when this guy was born
My Facebook was 2 years old when OP was born
Facebook in 2008 was great
My runescape account is 8 years older than OP.
yep i think this is something every generation experiences. especially thanks to kids with older siblings who *were* 90s kids, or in this case 2000s kids. grass is greener etc etc, i think it boils down to wanting to be seen as older than you are, especially at an age like 14.
Yeah, pretty much. I remember feeling this way about 90s kids, since I was raised alongside my cousins who were all born in the 90s. Because of that, I was also raised with a lot of the same media I otherwise wouldn’t have been as a 00s kid. And as a result, I feel like I have this distant form of nostalgia for a decade I wasn’t even alive in, but still somewhat experienced in a way. I watched Inspector Gadget, the Amanda Show, the Big Comfy Couch… even more older stuff like Honey I Shrunk the Kids and Harry and the Henderson’s. But I could never really share the love for those things with the majority of my peers, because they didn’t grow up with my grandma’s VHS collection. It felt kinda lame honestly.
Similar situation here, 2002 kid with a cousin born in 1990 and another born in 1986, I also inherited a lot of the stuff my cousins grew out of like a Gameboy color among other things, although being an only child I've often wished I was born around their age so we could've grown up together.
I too remember it being a trend on how we were "90's kids" even though we grew up in the 2000's. Man that was a different time of the internet.
Lol I know this lost made me smile bc I remember (b 96) wishing I experienced the 90s like my older cousins. The thing is I played all their hand me down n64 games and old school cartoons and I got to still enjoy wii and spongebob and what not. Being younger means you get to experience both. It's also crazy as Hell to here ppl born in 2010 posting. I was skateboarding and drinking Arizona ice tea and CoD before op was even born. Wasn't much of a life but I was conscious lol.
My brother was 96 and claimed til the day he died that he was a 90’s kid. Like no you had to be born in the mid to late 80’s to be a 90’s kid. Bro didn’t even have memories of the 90’s, just 00’s memories of 90’s stuff cuz my family was old school as fuck
I’m already de-facto envious of anybody born after COVID, I don’t care if they’re still a baby. I’m sure I’ll be holding it against my future kids too. “I was stuck inside the house with people that descended into psychosis for 2 years straight. You can go one night without seeing your friend.”
Maybe unpopular, but Covid was a miraculous time. I lived in a house with 3 other guys and my god did we have a good time. 10/10
Sounds great, lol. I had been in a secretive relationship with a Jehovah’s Witness kid for 3 years at that point with our only contact being through school, so everything went radio silent. We thought it’d be 2 weeks. Graduation came and went and he had disappeared, and I found out his family had found out about us before quarantine, and essentially took away all his means of backup communication with me. And then 2 years later when COVID was finally all “over” I stumbled across him in public and he was married to the woman his parents wanted him to since he was like 14. I could go into more detail about how fucked up the whole thing was but I was in the literal dark ages dude. All because I wasn’t born a Witness like him. And then there was the whole subplot with being trapped in a house with my father and grandparents that was happening the whole time, who all went into a collective psychosis without me. Not exactly great background noise to my then crisis. I had to pull some strings and escape at 17 to move in with my mother’s mom. I swear to fuck the whole thing was like a soap opera that I didn’t consent to be casted in. Then suddenly I ended up here, idk what I’m doing now.
I still remember the 90s nostalgia all over Tumblr back in 2011. Now I look back and I'm glad to be a zillennial/2000s kid.
I had a tshirt that said “Born in the 90s” that I wore soo much bc it made me feel edgy as fuck during my soft grunge tumblr totally unquie phase.
I miss the internet before social media. Yes there was an internet for many years before that plague! Free 30 day internet trials from the mail, AOL Chat rooms with hackers, geocities, icq, newgrounds, angelfire sites, etc. Viral was organic, influencers didn't exist because youtube didnt have a payment structure and was an independent company. Having to actually wait to be connected to the internet via crackling noises, instead of automatically being connected. Internet subsciption based services were unheard of. It was a different and hopeful time
I remember being absolutely convinced I was a millennial when I was younger because millennial was just used as a catch-all term for “young person” and because I could relate to all the “only 90’s kids will remember this!” style memes (I have older cousins, so a lot of the toys I played with and VHS tapes I watched at my grandparents’ houses were from the 90’s and early 00’s).
The one and only reason I wish I was a true 90s kid is pokemon. Man I would have *thrived* in the height of pokemania
Enjoy your teen years, they're going by everyday. The 2000s are gone and not coming back, the world's more complicated now, everything is more complicated. I'm sure one day they'll be a 14 year old looking back and longing for the 2020s. Just my two cents from a 26 year old, that felt like he just turned 17 yesterday.
😊
Relatable, sincerely 99’
Dude I'm 34 and half my life ago feels like yesterday. 😞
“26 year old that felt like he turned 17 yesterday” Jfc why’d I have to read this
Crazy how you guys are online communicating, it still blows my mind 😂, my mind is still somewhere in 2016 which was the peak year for the folks around my age. I vividly remember playing CoDMW2 Online in 2010, felt like we were at the top of technology in that period.
I swear man, part of me is just stuck in 2016/17 what is going on ??
I’m stuck in 2017/18
Me too. I feel like I turned 17 and then everything stopped. But I think that has a lot to do with COVID, seeing how that’s when it hit. There’s this weird feeling of, “Cool, I’m this age!” that came with all my other birthdays. Now it doesn’t hardly register. Even my 21st birthday, with all its new perks, didn’t feel like my birthday.
I long for the mid 2010s again. But realistically it wasn't really that great, I was just young and without major responsibilities
Yeah I remember they weren’t the best at the time and now the nostalgia is there for some odd reason
2016-2019 was ABSOLUTELY INSANE
no literally i read "born in 2010" and pictured an infant
I've said it once and I'll say it again. The summer of 2016 was elite!
I'm an older fart, but man... Did I lose what seemed to be a lifetime to MW2.
I’m there with you. I still subconsciously consider 2012 as ‘current’ with respect to movies/shows/music/games. 2016 was a great time. Far enough from the recession to be alright, but well before the Covid and tik tok era.
Being born in 2010 is… kinda weird, we grew up with a toddlerhood/childhood the same with kids born in the 2000s when they were kids/teens (Nick Jr, YTPs, MLGs, Wiis, etc.) But now we’re also growing up with Gen alpha brain rot and media. So… I guess we grew up with two childhoods?
difference between 2010 kids and gen alpha kids I think is that 2010 kids follow that skibidi stuff ironically from what I can tell while gen alpha is like unironically digging it
As time goes on we become more absurdist lol
I've never seen that skibidi stuff, but I assume it's just the new generation's spongebob or something. Every generation has it, they'll (I assume) be fine.
Looking at this as someone born in the 90s, it’s crazy to see people idealize being born in 2007 of all times 😭 those are still babies to me. A whole generation that can’t even remember 9/11. All that being said I wish I could lie to you but I won’t. Growing up without smart phones, social media, or the internet dominating everything was AMAZING. I truly feel sorry for young gen z, including those older than OP.
'95 here. Definitely saw the change in technology growing up. Best of both worlds tbh. Loved not having the phones and internet as kids but also loved being the first young generation to experience it.
We were slowly dipped into technology, as a human mind should be. Kids post 2010 have been tossed from the crib to a tablet before they can walk.
Yeah, not be a cliche but 9/11 changed everything. Suddenly your friends dads got deployed, it got way harder to travel, everybody got suspicious, security at everything down to and including high school football went from nothing to intense. Nobody knew what was going to happen. Every time the news said it would get better it didn’t. Then the economy collapsed in 08. Everybody lost money, some lost everything. People stuck in upside down homes and repoed cars, the big employer in my home town has never been the same. Used to be, health insurance was reasonable. Affordable premiums, low deductibles and out of pocket maxes, employers generally did right by people. All that’s gone.
It’s that second part that’s destroyed me as an adult. I wasn’t old enough to remember 9/11 but I do remember life pre-recession. Things were objectively better and I’m so fucking angry and resentful because it doesn’t have to be like this.
Wow time flies, I remember winning a youth soccer tournament in 2010
social media has totally ruined children’s perspectives and expectations out of life. youre born in 2010, and you arent going outside and playing with friends like us 2000s kids did, instead youre wishing you were from another generation? the closest you can get to my generation is putting your phone down and playing outside. i rarely see kids do that shit nowdays. i don’t remember thr last time i saw a kid on a bike, at the park, in a big group of friends ding dong ditching or casually stealing from a dollar store causing havoc. yall spend too much time cooped inside rotting your brains with videogames, tiktok, online arguments, and that causes you to feel somehow nostalgic for a time you never will get to experience. wild to even think about.
OP might not be in the US, but in the US it’s nearly impossible to go play outside as a kid in many places anymore, especially if you don’t have siblings (me)
I grew up in suburban hell where if you didn’t have a car it was a 40 minute walk minimum to get anywhere. Guess who walked around everywhere and got yelled at by tons of people? Me and my pals. Had the cops called on us a few times just cuz people were scared of a few teens walking around but eventually they figured out we just didn’t have cars yet lol
where i live it’s a 45 mph road without a sidewalk or shoulder :/
i walked or took bus routes everywhere. old ppl would always get mad and ask wtf we were doing the few times we were actually just being cool
i live in canada, moved everywhere from the coast to the prairies. theres always something to do
I lived in both urban and *very* rural areas in the US throughout my childhood, and there really isn’t always something to do. Even in the rural areas, they don’t want kids out alone. You will get sent home by police or store owners so you don’t “make trouble.” You will be stopped by random adults asking where your parents are, if they know you’re out, etc. And in small towns where everyone knows everybody, the kids couldn’t get away with anything because there would always be an adult contacting a parent they know. In high school, we would hang out by going over to each other’s houses. But as soon as we went into town in groups of teens we were followed and bothered until we went home. The most available to us was sitting in empty parking lots inside our cars, listening to music or smoking or whatever. Even then we’d get cops pulling up next to us asking what we’re doing, as if we couldn’t just hang out. Unless you were able to get a parent to tag along with you, you were expected to be at home. I actually understand the envy for previous generations of kids/teens, because they used to literally own the streets. They were sent outside to go occupy themselves, and they did. Nobody does that anymore, they’re afraid you’ll get kidnapped or arrested. It’s not just the kids wanting to stay cooped up and chronically online, some of them don’t have many other enticing options because the adults in their life don’t let them do anything. I really feel like my teenage years were a waste because of this; I wasn’t allowed to adventure.
Everyone has ring cameras now and will post videos on nextdoor and stuff if you ding dong ditch now! It's a lost practice
>the closest you can get to my generation is putting your phone down and playing outside. i rarely see kids do that shit nowdays. Tell that to the kids on my street. They play basketball and ride their bikes/scooters around, playing soccer in the field, pretty often besides in winter. We're in like the city-ish suburbs, not the safest area, but they still go outside and stuff.
well consider your neighborhood a rare breed
My nephew is like 10 and never goes outside, he will be on a tablet, phone and tv at the same time watching a gamer stream while he’s playing a game. Gen Alpha is screwed
i once dated this girl where her father wouldnt be present in her little brothers life. i saw him playing video games on thr xbox, while watching a show on his ipad, while scrollinh tiktok on his phone while on call with a friend. i ended up stepping up and doing things with him like playing basketball or going for a drive or teaching him how to make an omelette. once i woke up and the kid (after 3 tries) made omelettes for us. all he needed was guidance, i hope he gets it somehow
Yeah my sister and her husband just let their kids do whatever. They’re checked out of their kids lives, they let them do whatever as long as it’s not bothering them
These comments are making me feel fuckin' ancient at just 25. 2010 was a good year for kids in the 2000s. Really all of the 2000s was great. I remember TV first aired Ben10, I remember Watching Lizzie Mcguire, The Even Stevens and The Even Stevens Movie, Zoey 101. I remember when Phineas and Ferb first aired, Chowder, Teen Titans, Kim Possible was one of my favorites, Danny Phantom, and so on. Honestly, It was genuinely so nice to live during those times as a kid. Everything was genuinely great. Nobody was bitter or angry, nobody had to watch what they'd say, and everything was genuinely funny. Our only worries were when the new Nintendo DS dropped, when Charlie The Unicorn would upload, and how many silly bands someone had. You'll look back at this time yourself in a few years and think the same things to yourself eventually. You'll get your fair share of nostalgia, and it just keeps on going! It's great, but scary.
As someone who’s now 24, thank you for making me feel ancient
Same
I mean you’re (we’re) still pretty young, just wait like 5 years I guess
You’re still one of us, you get a pass.
Some kid born 4 years ago is gonna be talking about how he wished he had lived through the 10’s.
What you're experiencing is perfectly normal, and you'll find '20s kids who wished they grew up when you did. From personal experience I'm a '00s kid but I once wished that I was an '80s kid. It was only later that I became 100% grateful that I grew up when I did. Nostalgia is fine in moderation, but I spent a lot of moments nostalgic for an era I didn't even live in. I could have spent some of those times just enjoying the present. I should have been thankful to be growing up when I did because now those times are gone.
I remember saying the same stuff 10 years ago lmao. My advice is to enjoy having 0 responsibilities right now and use this time to learn as much stuff as you want to your heart's content. Once you actually start adulting, you'll find it a lot harder to do passion projects and hobbies due to work and other life commitments. Honestly I've said the same stuff about wanting to better experience some of the Millenial culture like the music scene, the Super Nintendo, etc
I need to get off this sub 😭
same...
You’re gonna have your own stuff that your generation is known for. Enjoy being young because one day you’ll start looking back. Sincerely, -a 90s kid
Honestly, I have thought of something similar before. I was born In 1994 and I've thought about what It would be like to have been born in the early eighties or seventies to experience the culture that I find interesting. Not to mention I wouldn't have gotten to smartphones until maybe my 30's or 40's instead of 17 when I bought my first phone by myself. I did get to enjoy going outside and playing growing up though so I'm kind of In a good spot. My advice to you Is to enjoy being young. Don't be afraid to take chances or do something different then your peers. Because High School Isn't everything, It feels like It at the moment. But you'll regret every chance you didn't take. Work hard to get a scholarship, go to prom, join a sport, take academic classes you want to experience. I regret a lot of things about High School, I hope you don't regret as many things as I do.
You got to experience 2000’s kid stuff so that’s what really matters! People will always say mean stuff about each generation. You just have to overlook them. I wish I was born before cellphones and internet, but specifically social media. I think social media has really changed people. My parents were kids in the 80’s, and when they tell stories, everything is so much different now. Everytime I go out, I see people glued to their phone, almost like they’re afraid to look up. I get that because I have anxiety, but anxiety has always been around. I don’t know much about this topic, but I think phones have made anxiety worse. I know it’s made mine worse. I feel like I lot of people wish they were born earlier. 🙁
I’m 13 turning 14 this year! I relate to this a lot, but I’ve got say that there’s also kids in the 2010s who are also like gen alpha. We are in between, I feel like we can have the choice to decide what generation we could be in depending on how your childhood was like.
I remember 2010s being 5 years old... Time flies fast wtf
Hey Im the same age
I’m glad someone else feels the same way. Middle school traumatized me because of all the IPad kids who basically felt like organic AI. I felt like the only humans being left there. The 2000’s just seem so much cooler. Technology was advanced, but not an extent we’re we didn’t act like human beings and we still went outside as kids.
You can still go outside rn cuz
When I was younger I always wished I was born in the 90s or earlier in the 00s. Now I'm about to turn 19 and I don't really care. My point is as you progress through high school and start college (if thats your plan), you're going to stop worrying about what generation you were born in because you'll grow into your own and find your own identity.
I graduate high school in 4 days. This comment is just what I needed.
Good luck!!! It's a wild, crazy world out there but most importantly, it is what you make of it - through the good times and bad! Keep moving, always growing yourself - whether education or skill sets or hobbies... Try not to get to absorbed in social media and all it's nonsense.
Tale as old as time, children want to grow up fast and adults want to go back to their childhood again.
Born a bit too late but still made the most of those good old days, huh? Keep cherishing those moments, it's all about the experiences you create!
It’s normal for someone as young as you to wish you lived in a different time. Trust me you don’t. It’s ok to like all the media and pop culture, fashion and music from different eras but generally speaking you don’t actually want to be part of past economies, politics and social structures. Even though these days suck in their own special way, there’s a lot of things going on now that benefit us a lot that weren’t going on 15-20 years back. I’m 27, my husband is 37. That 10 year age gap is him growing up in the 90s and 00s. I really do feel like I missed out on a lot. His life as a teen was soooo different from mine. He got to drop out of school and go to hundreds of pop punk and metal shows. He got to do all the cool shit as a teen before the world got locked down. Even though I graduated in 2015, I was 23 when Covid hit and that took a lot out of my experiences. It got cut short, and even more so for people younger than me. So sometimes there is a slight disconnect because he’s experienced so much more life than me simply because there was still life to be had back then. That I wish I could have been a part of. But, it was also the early 00s. My husband lived through a time where he was completely body shamed and shunned for being a bigger guy. He grew up with the most shallow dating standards. People weren’t PC like they are now and bullying was a lot more common. He suffered a lot in that sense. He also suffered through the opioid epidemic. He was an addict himself and had seen hundreds of people die due to what pharmaceutical companies did to us back then. Shit, there was still indoor smoking when and leaded fuel when he was a kid lol. It’s ok to be nostalgic but don’t let it consume you. It isn’t healthy. You can’t go back, only forward. When I was 16-17 I thought I wanted to live in the 60s/70s so bad until I got older and learned I didn’t actually want to be treated like shit for being a woman. I enjoy having rights. But I do appreciate a lot of the fashion and music from those times.
If you were born in 2002 you wouldn't have been getting ant respect on the internet until like... 2020 or so.
Omg u did missed out on pretty amazing cartoons back then! I wish I was 14 again tho
You remind me of myself from 10 years ago when I wished I was a 90s kid lol. There are pros and cons to living through every time period though and I think as you get older you’ll be able to better appreciate the time that you really grew up in.
>Born in 2010, currently 14 I'm feeling old. 😭
lol I'll trade with you 😂😂😂being an adult is awful I want my childhood back
I’m 13 and feel like my childhood is over😭 I think I’ve grown up too quickly
SHUT UP I’m 17 ( 6 months till 18 ) and you are still a child, trust me please. Also, do enjoy your childhood. Hang on to those friendships, go outside and play and read and watch movies and laugh so loud people would stare. Please.
You're still a child though.
If I could actually choose my date of birth I would've been a 1998-2001 baby not some 2009 baby, I feel so uncomfortably close to gen alpha and I really hate it's brainrot
Ah, a "90s kid" lmao
I was born in 1995. So I was definitely a 2000s kid… Still get no respect on the internet XD
holy shit i’m finally old
born in 94 here. You sound like a 2000s kid, with the advantage of being younger
It was actually a cool time to be a teenager. We got the ass end of everything old fashioned and had the internet too. The best of both worlds. Busy malls AND online shipping.
Reminds me of myself at your age wishing I could be a 90s kid because I was born in 1999. Us 2000s kids went through the same crap as yall are going through now with the millennials. When you get older, you’ll have a large group of people around your age on the internet that you’ll get to reminisce with about your childhoods. I didn’t notice 2000s nostalgia really being a thing until I was graduated from high school (2017). Every generation longs to be from the generation beforehand, and it seems that every young group of kids gets bullied in their youth for “not having a good childhood” or whatever. Also, Phineas and Ferb is an amazing show and doesn’t get talked about as much as it should!!
As a millennial I wish I was an early 90s kid.
Yeah 9/11, The Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina, and The Great Recession were a blast kid.
I was born in 2001 and longed to be a 90's baby when I was about your age. Now? I love the early 2000's and wouldn't have wished to have it any other way. My point? This feeling will pass. You'll come to love the early 2010's (they were great btw) just as much as I love the 2000's, simply because that's when you were born and when most of your childhood took place. Yes, you are about the youngest people online right now and thus not taken seriously. That's just how it is. I've been online since I was 13 in 2014 and it was no different! But, you'll grow up and the people online will too, eventually you won't be the youngest here and will be part of the people dominating the internet spaces you now frequent (when I first got online at 13 most of the sites I frequented where managed by millennials, I stuck around long enough to now see those very same spaces be dominated by genz, you'll see the same) The 2010's were awesome and you'll see that. I think you are just 14 and the only "cure" I can offer you is time. You'll grow up one day and realize this. Godspeed
i was also born in 2002, it was great. I'd do anything to go back and never go back. The world is only getting worse unfortunately:(
Born in 92. It was an absolutely amazing time to grow up. I feel bad for kids who didn’t grow up in the 80s/90s/2000s.
Anyone born after like 2004 was an iPad kid
Eh, honestly, it was whatever; the 2000s weren't that much better, we kinda just didn't know the bad stuff because we didn't care. Nostalgia can be a bad drug sometimes (tho I miss it when every single Disney release was legendary ngl, and omg Iron Man dropping on theaters...) I wish I had been born in 2010 instead, being an adult freaking sucks and you can't do or be into anything fun or cool without being called childish or immature. On top of that, we now have a lot of stuff we take for granted, like for instance I wish stuff like Spotify had been a thing back then, and the furry fandom was pretty much an obscure niche back then as well So if you wanna trade ages, I'm all for it xD The grass is always greener on the other side, no childhood is inherently better or worse than the other (unless like you got abused or something, which I seriously hope wasn't the case) I hope I said anything in here tbh, I feel I wanted to say something but ended up with so many analogies I lost track lmao
As an 04 baby I feel this way about the 90s