Another year has flown by, and I still find it amusing—and a little unsettling—that young people today think I’m “old.” Yet, as I stumbled upon some items from the past, they evoked that peculiar wave of nostalgia, much like catching the scent of a familiar perfume your grandmother wore or glimpsing an old toy tucked away in a box. Time marches on, but these memories? Timeless. Let’s dive into some relics from the past that are today’s equivalents of “OMG” moments.
MSN Messenger
Who remembers obsessing over their status on MSN Messenger? It was the pinnacle of digital self-expression. Crafting the perfect blend of wit, mystery, and a song lyric? Pure art. After spending the entire day at school with your friends, you’d rush home to… chat with them some more. Why did we do this? Why??
Jelly Sandals
The ultimate footwear flex of the 90s and early 2000s. Jelly sandals were waterproof, colourful, and oh-so-trendy. Yet, no matter how fancy the event, some of us insisted on wearing them, much to our parents’ dismay. Fun fact: they’ve made a comeback in modern fashion. Could anything be more timeless than these glittery plastic wonders?
Xanga
Before WordPress or Tumblr, there was Xanga, the emotional hub of the early blogosphere. Teens and young adults expressed their deepest emotions, chronicling every heartbreak, crush, and existential crisis. Sure, it’s been overshadowed by newer platforms, but Xanga paved the way for the internet as we know it. Let’s celebrate the quirky, heartfelt glory of Xanga with a virtual toast.
Candy Necklace
Edible fashion! Candy necklaces made every 90s kid feel like royalty. Wearing your snack? Genius. However, those pastel stains left on your neck were a constant reminder of their sticky, sugary allure. Was it practical? Not at all. Was it fun? Absolutely.
Apple Macs
Remember the colourful iMacs of the early 2000s? Those translucent, Bondi Blue beauties made computing feel futuristic. They weren’t vastly different from other computers at the time, but they looked cool. If you’ve held onto one, you might be in luck—they’re now collectible treasures on sites like eBay. The appeal of nostalgia is timeless.
Bebo
Oh, Bebo. The platform that let you rank your friendships with hearts and create personalised “skins” in Paint. What were we thinking?! The “Who’s Hotter?” polls were a terrifying gamble, but somehow, we survived. Bebo might be gone, but it left an indelible mark on our internet adolescence.
Singing Along to the AOL Dial-Up Noise
Let’s talk about logging into the internet circa 2000. That iconic dial-up noise—a symphony of screeches and beeps—was the sound of possibility. Waiting for the homepage to load felt like an event in itself. Unless, of course, your mom picked up the phone mid-download. Check out this blast from the past: AOL Dial-Up Noise.
Although getting the world at your disposal today is pretty impressive in seconds, there was something a little fun about the excitement that came with logging into AOL and singing along to its chorus of screeches as you waited for the homepage to pop up naturally, unless your mom picked the phone.
Hot or Not?
Remember the original social rating game? Hot or Not was the precursor to modern dating apps like Tinder. You uploaded your picture, and strangers rated your looks on a scale of 1 to 10. Brutal? Yes. Entertaining? Also yes.
Lip Smackers
Owning a Lip Smacker for every day of the week was peak 90s cool. Whether it was bubblegum, Dr Pepper, or vanilla frosting, these tiny tubes of flavoured gloss were an obsession. Admit it: you didn’t really need that many, but the joy of collecting them was unmatched.
Although their functionality wasn’t drastically different from other computers at the time, looking back at your Bondi Blue machine, although waiting for Netscape to load, felt like an exciting new adventure.
Word Fonts
Chain Letters
Chain letters were the original internet spam. “Send this to 10 friends or face bad luck!” Cue the anxiety. When you combine this with Word’s endless font experiments, such as Curlz MT, Comic Sans, and Papyrus, it can lead to a chaotic childhood.
Capri Sun
It’s undeniable that a Capri Sun is delicious, and its introduction was a significant event. It took some practice, but it took a lot of skill to open one without putting your straw (or finger) through the hole.
“S” Sign
Ah, the universal doodle of school notebooks everywhere. The mysterious “S” symbol, often depicted in bold, overlapping lines, marked a significant milestone in school life. Where did it come from? No one knows. Why was it so satisfying to draw? It just was.
Failing to Keep Your Tamagotchi Alive
The virtual pet craze of the late 90s and early 2000s brought us Tamagotchis—miniature, pixelated friends who needed feeding, cleaning, and playing. Sounds simple, right? Yet most of us couldn’t keep them alive for more than two days. RIP, tiny digital friends.
These gems from the past weren’t just trends—they were experiences. They serve as a reminder of our progress and the timeless appeal of certain elements, such as nostalgia. What’s your favourite memory from this list? Or did we miss one? Let’s reminisce together.
