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Growing Up In the 90s

A Walk Down Memory Lane...

By Nicole (Nikki) M.Published 7 years ago 3 min read
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Growing up in the 90s was a fun time! I miss the good old days of playing with the infamous Skip-It toy and eating Sodalicious fruit snacks—boy… those were the days! I grew up in a simpler time, where we had dial-up internet instead of Wifi, and VHSs instead of DVDs.

If you grew up in the 90s, you surely remember watching One Saturday Morning cartoons and TGIF. With old trends slowly making a comeback, many 90s cartoons have been modernized. Today’s animation is a higher quality, but the cartoons look much too digitalized.

My favorite memories of growing up in the 90s are playing board games with my friends such as: Dream Phone, Pretty Pretty Princess, and Party Mania. I enjoyed collecting scratch and sniff stickers and playing with Polly Pockets.

During my pre-teen years, slap bracelets and tear-away pants were all the rage! With the rise of boy bands and girl groups, The Spice Girls and Backstreet Boys consecutively topped the billboards. Other popular 90s music included: Aqua’s smash hit “Barbie Girl,” Savage Garden’s "Cherry Cola" and Chumbawamba’s high ranking “Tubthumping.”

During middle school, I enjoyed participating in skipping contests, playing pogs on the playground and the much-loved pajama days. If you grew up in the 90s, you will very likely agree that the “parachute” was the best field day activity to ever exist. Sadly, later generations will never get to experience the magic!

Looking back now, I feel so grateful for growing up in the 90s. During a time when kids could really just be kids. Have a childhood plays a critical role in one’s development, growth and maturity. Learning social skills by playing with our peers is important for emotional and mental development. Having the time to feel joy and play create warm memories. These memories help to shape us to be who we are later in life and therefore their importance mustn’t be undervalued.

It is sadly no surprise that suicide rates are on the rise. With children growing up so fast, they are facing adult-level pressures at a much earlier age than previous generations. One could easily say, that as a society, we are facing a mental health crisis amongst today’s youth. As mental health problems increase, access to care become dwindling. With the number of patients rapidly increasing, the health care system is struggling to keep up with the growing demand.

Today's generation is the most technologically advanced yet. Due to these advances, children are under an enormous amount of pressure to act mature and to grow up faster. As the pressure grows, children are unable to take the necessary time to develop emotional maturity.

Children are frequently exposed to adult-orientated themes through television, movies, and the internet. With a simple click of a mouse, the internet is literally at your finger tips. With this open accessibility, it becomes extremely difficult for parents to filter what their child is being exposed to.

Every generation faces different struggles than the previous generations. It is imperative that as technology advances, we don’t loose touch with the primary principles of healthy living. Technology can be a wonderful thing, when used appropriately and managed accordingly. It is important to not replace our social interactions, with online communications. Without these connections, it unlikely that one is able to established lasting bonds. When we cease to socialize face-to-face, we become isolated and the lines between what’s “real” and what’s not, become blurred.

Modern living can be very hectic and it is easy to get lost in the day-to-day shuffle. That is why it is so important to make time and enjoy the smaller things—by practicing mindfulness. By doing so, you will find a better balance and ultimately live a healthier and happier life!

vintagehumanity
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About the Creator

Nicole (Nikki) M.

I'm a free-spirit, deep thinker and continuous learner. My hope is that my stories will evoke emotion, educate and inspire. Thank you for being apart of my creative journey!

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