22 Uniquely Millennial Things That Everyone Born In The '80s And '90s Will Instantly Remember
Having grown up in the '90s, I will never forget so many quintessential millennial experiences, like racing to be the first to use the family computer so I could run my very important business (aka my Neopets shop). Recently, redditor pabloandthehoney asked the r/Millennials community to share some of their generation's "rites of passage." Here are the experiences they mentioned.
1."Being old enough to experience life before the internet and young enough to adopt it."
"This is the one rite of passage that no other generation will ever, ever be able to understand — it's foundational."
2."Watching 9/11 happen on live TV at school."
"I saw the second plane hit in real-time. We were watching it on live TV when it happened. I have never been more horrified in my life. My sense of safety completely shattered as a 17-year-old."
3."Playing Snake on a Nokia phone."
4."Getting really good at typing because you liked a girl you only communicated with on AOL Instant Messenger."
"This is so accurate. AIM and online gaming had me typing super fast."
5."Learning to code at 14 to make your MySpace page look cool."
6."Sick from school as a young kid? The Price Is Right. Sick as a teenager? Maury."
7."Pressing the button four times to get an 'S.'"
8."Trying to play a video game, but the TV had to be on Channel 3."
9."~..~TyPiNg LiKe ThIs AnD pUtTiNg a VaGuE 'aWaY mEsSaGe' On YoUr AiM pRoFiLe HoPiNg YoUr CrUsH sEeS iT~..~"
"Don't forget signing in and out repeatedly until they notice you."
10."Getting chickenpox as a kid. Not only getting it but being actively infected in order to get it out of the way while it's safer. I didn't realize this until recently, but there has been a chickenpox vaccine since 1995. Kids today will never know the hell of lying in a fever dream, itching all over with oven mitts taped to your hands (depending on how young you were). I still have scars."
11."Calling the movie theater for movie times because they didn't have a website yet."
12."Having to let the whole household know when you were planning to go online so everyone could make their phone calls first."
13."Getting your ears pierced at Claire's."
"I worked at Claire’s in high school, and I came home with three new piercings on my first day. Yes, my piercings are uneven."
14."Texting that five-digit number to buy ringtones."
15."Someone causing tension in the friend group because they were bumped from someone else's MySpace Top 8."
16."Getting a ridiculous email address that included at least one underscore and probably a 69 at the end."
"My husband looked up all my old email addresses, and to say I was mortified would be an understatement."
17."Burning mix CDs."
"I remember sitting next to the radio with a blank tape so I could also record the songs that way. Waiting for specific songs took forever, but it was so worth it."
18."Falling asleep with Nickelodeon on your TV and waking up at 3 a.m. to 'Low Rider' playing on the intro for George Lopez."
19."Having a virus-riddled PC due to all the music you downloaded on LimeWire."
20."Calling your friends on the home phone and having to talk to their parents first. Also, having all of their numbers memorized."
21."Going to Wet Seal and buying your first thong underwear and hiding it from your mom."
"I bought my first thong from dELiA*s, and my mom totally busted me as I walked out of the store."
22."Being told you'd never have a calculator on your person to having a full computer on your wrist."
What other iconic millennial experiences do you remember? Tell us in the comments or fill out this anonymous form.
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.
