Then vs Now

Life in the 90s Compared to 2025 (AKA How Did We Survive?)

If you dropped someone from the 1990s straight into 2025, they’d assume two things immediately:

1. everyone is permanently staring at a small glowing rectangle, and

2. no one remembers how to be bored anymore.

Life in the 90s wasn’t better or worse — it was just wildly different. Especially for kids.

CHILDHOOD

Free-Range vs. Fully Charged

Kids in the 90s were basically free-range humans. We left the house after breakfast, maybe told a parent where we were loosely, and returned when the streetlights came on. There were no GPS trackers, no group chats, and definitely no “share your location.” If you were late, your parents assumed you were either riding bikes, at someone’s house, or possibly kidnapped — but they’d wait it out.

In 2025, kids have schedules, devices, logins, passwords, and screen-time limits negotiated like international treaties. Parents can see where their child is, how fast they’re moving, what they’re watching, and whether they’ve read a text message. In the 90s, if your parents wanted to know where you were, they yelled your name into the street and hoped for the best.

SMARTPHONES:

From “Hello?” to “Why Are You Calling Me?”

In the 90s, phones lived on walls. You didn’t take them with you — you visited them. Calling someone meant commitment. And if someone else answered? You spoke to them like a civilized human and asked politely for the person you wanted.

Fast forward to 2025, and phones are mini computers, cameras, TVs, therapists, and alarm clocks. People text instead of calling because calling now feels aggressive. Kids today have phones before they have driver’s licenses, and sometimes before they have fully developed sarcasm.

In the 90s, if you left the house, you were unreachable. Today, if someone doesn’t reply within five minutes, there’s mild concern and three follow-up messages.

PARENTING

“You’ll Be Fine” vs. “Let’s Talk About That”

Parenting in the 90s was simple. You fell? Walk it off. You were bored? Figure it out. You were upset? Have a snack and stop crying.

In 2025, parenting is emotional, intentional, researched, and deeply discussed. Kids are encouraged to talk about their feelings — which is great — but also means adults now have full-scale negotiations over bedtime, sock textures, and why the blue cup is emotionally devastating today.

The 90s raised independent kids. 2025 is raising emotionally aware kids. Somewhere in the middle is probably the perfect balance… but no one has found it yet.

Energy, Electricity, and Homes That Think Too Much

In the 90s, energy use was simple: flip the switch, lights turn on. Heat the house. Cool the house. Done. No apps. No dashboards. No notifications telling you that your thermostat is “learning your habits.”

Homes in 2025 are smart. Sometimes too smart. Your lights, fridge, doorbell, and coffee maker all have opinions and Wi-Fi requirements. If the internet goes down, half the house stops functioning. In the 90s, the only thing that needed rebooting was the VCR.

CARS

Rolling Tanks vs. Rolling Computers

Cars in the 90s were solid. You could slam the door and feel it in your soul. They didn’t beep at you. They didn’t warn you about lane drifting. They didn’t gently ask if you were tired.

Cars in 2025 are basically laptops on wheels. They talk. They ding. They monitor everything. They can parallel park themselves — which is impressive, but also mildly insulting if you’ve been driving for 30 years.

ENTERTAINMENT

Waiting vs. Instant Everything

In the 90s, you waited for shows. Missed an episode? Too bad. You waited a week. Or a summer. Or forever. Music required effort — CDs, tapes, rewinding, skipping tracks manually.

In 2025, everything is instant. Streaming, downloads, playlists, algorithms deciding what you’ll like before you even know you like it. The upside? Unlimited access. The downside? No patience left.

The Big Difference

The 90s taught people how to wait, adapt, and entertain themselves. 2025 teaches people how to optimize, multitask, and stay constantly connected.

Neither is better — they’re just different worlds. But there is something special about growing up without a camera on you at all times… and something impressive about kids today navigating a digital world we never had to.

If nothing else, one thing hasn’t changed: adults still say, “Back in my day,” and kids still roll their eyes.

Some traditions truly stand the test of time.