We Ranked 10 Universal Experiences From the 90s You’ll Have Opinions About

You’re about to take a fast, opinion-fueled trip back to the ’90s, where small daily rituals felt huge and everyone had strong takes about what mattered. You’ll find which ten shared experiences still spark debate, nostalgia, and laughter—and why you’ll probably have an opinion about at least a few of them.

Flip through memories of dial-up mornings, mixtapes made from the radio, blowing into game cartridges, and other habits that defined a generation’s routine and taste. Expect surprises, gentle arguments, and plenty of chances to disagree with how these moments ranked.

Blowing into Nintendo game cartridges to make them work

‘When I Was Your Age, We Had To Blow On The Video Games To Make Them Work.’

You probably blew into cartridges hoping to clear dust and revive a stubborn game.
Technically, the spit and breath could shift dust, but it also added moisture that can corrode contacts over time.

Sometimes reinserting the cart or wiggling it fixed the connection without any blowing.
Mostly it became a ritual—you did it because everyone did, and sometimes luck made it feel effective.

Recording songs off the radio with a cassette player

You’d press record and sprint to hit pause the moment a DJ faded the intro. Timing mattered — you learned to tolerate a few seconds of chatter to catch the chorus.

You balanced tape length, rewinding, and flipping sides between songs. Sometimes you made a perfect mix; sometimes the track cut out mid-verse and became a fondly flawed artifact.

Waiting for dial-up internet to connect

You remember the modem’s screech and beep like a tiny opera in your living room.
You sat there, phone line occupied, watching the connection lights blink and hoping it would finish before someone needed the line.

Sometimes it worked on the first try; sometimes you had to redial and wait again.
That slow startup taught you patience and made every successful load feel like a small victory.

Writing handwritten notes or letters to friends

You probably remember the slow thrill of finding a letter in your locker or mailbox.
Those folded pages carried doodles, mixtape tracklists, and jokes that felt private.

Writing one took time, and that effort made the words land differently than a text.
You chose stationery, hesitated over sentence order, and signed your name like it mattered.

Rewinding VHS tapes before returning them

You remembered to rewind the tape before dropping it off, or you faced the glare of the rental clerk.
It wasn’t just etiquette — stores often charged fees, and nobody wanted to hassle with a tape stuck at the credits.

You might’ve used the VCR’s rewind button or a single-purpose rewinder so your VCR stayed intact.
Either way, that little ritual became part of the rental experience and a tiny test of responsibility.

Using Payphones when your cell phone died

You remember that small panic when your battery hit zero and you needed to call someone now. A nearby payphone felt like a tiny rescue—coins, cord, and a dial tone that actually worked.

Using one was simple: drop in change or use a calling card, speak clearly, and hope the line stayed connected. It felt more deliberate than tapping a screen, and yes, it made you appreciate being charged up.

Popping Bubble Tape gum until it was huge

You remember pulling out a long strip of Bubble Tape like it was treasure.
You’d wrap it around your fingers, chew one end, and work to blow a bubble that kept getting bigger.

Friends gathered to watch whose bubble would pop first, and the dispenser made it feel like a gadget.
The sweet, fast-fading flavor and novelty packaging turned it into a must-have playground flex.

Trading Beanie Babies like they were treasure

You remember swapping Beanie Babies at recess and feeling like you’d scored something rare. Markets, garage sales, and late-night phone calls turned small plush toys into hot commodities for a while.

You chased specific tags, birthdays, and misprints because those details could bump value. Most ended up worth little today, but the thrill of the hunt and the social drama stuck with you.

Using floppy disks to save your school projects

You kept backups on floppy disks because that’s what you had. The 1.44 MB capacity forced you to edit ruthlessly and learn file management fast.

You swapped disks with classmates, traded labels, and feared the click that meant data loss. Sometimes you’d hand in a floppy with a printout and pray the teacher’s PC still had a drive.

You remember the satisfaction of a successful save icon. It felt like victory then, even if it looks quaint now.

Watching 90s cartoon marathons on Saturday mornings

You woke up early, grabbed cereal, and parked yourself on the couch for a block of back-to-back cartoons. The mix of action, comedy, and weirdness kept you glued to the TV for hours.

You debated which show was best with siblings or friends, trading opinions like rare trading cards. Those marathon mornings shaped small rituals—favorite theme songs, snack choices, and the way time somehow slowed down.

Vinyl and Velvet