The '90s Were Not a "Golden Era": A List of '90s Things That Sucked

Ray Scott — Wed, 11 Feb 2026 13:45:00 +0000

The '90s have been trending recently. But the decade wasn't as INCREDIBLE as some people think. Since '90s nostalgia is popular, some Gen X'ers online are listing the WORST parts of the '90s . . . just to show that nothing was ever perfect.

1. "Getting locked out of your house after school, and having no way to contact your parents. So you just sat on your porch for three hours until they got home." (Although the challenge of "breaking in" to your house was fun.)

Kid Locked Outside © Ulianna19970 | Dreamstime.com

2. The insanely high prices for technology that's basic now, like small TVs.

Outside © boonstocker | Dreamstime.com

3. There was a lot of terrible, scary stuff in the news: The violent crime rates of the early-'90s . . . the AIDS crisis . . . Columbine . . . Waco . . . the Oklahoma City bombings . . . the crack epidemic . . . and the Rwandan genocide.

Kid © Canettistock | Dreamstime.com

4. Late fees at Blockbuster. And rewinding VHS tapes.

Blockbuster © Mira Agron | Dreamstime.com

5. Calling someone you wanted to date, but their parents pick up the phone.

6. Cigarette smoke everywhere. Not to mention cigarette butts.

7. "The insincerity of it all. Everything was ironic. Even joy. We dunked on 'nerds' who 'liked things.' People in the '90s were mean. Enjoying something the 'wrong' way would lead to ridicule."

©Photoeuphoria | Dreamstime.com

8. "Sexism, homophobia and transphobia, ableism, racism, lots of things were completely accepted and casual."

9. "Ordering stuff from black-and-white, low-resolution printed catalogs, and having to wait like six weeks for it to arrive."

10. "If your friend moved away, there weren't many ways to keep up with them besides a telephone call or writing them a letter."

11. "Hearing a great song . . . and knowing you might not ever find it again."

12. "CD players skipping when going over bumps in cars, or while walking."

13. "Taking a full day to download anything."

14. Frosted tips.

15. SnackWell's Devil Food Cookie Cakes. (???)

Did we miss anything? Ley us know in the comments.

(Buzzfeed)

95 The Drive: 95 The Drive

The '90s Were Not a "Golden Era": A List of '90s Things That Sucked