20 Things We Had In The 90s That Are So Obsolete Kids Won’t Recognize Them
The 90s had technology and everyday items that seemed essential at the time but are now so obsolete that kids today wouldn’t recognize them or understand what they were for. VCRs, floppy disks, pagers. All things we used regularly that are now museum pieces.
These things we had in the 90s are completely obsolete now. Technology moved fast, smartphones replaced everything, and an entire generation grew up never needing the stuff we couldn’t live without.
If you lived through the 90s, you’ll recognize all of these. If you didn’t, half of this list will make zero sense.
1. Fax Machines
This was how we emailed paper. You’d print something, feed it into a screaming robot, and it would send your paper… as another paper… somewhere else. No one knows why.
2. Clapper (Sound-Activated Switch)
You clapped to turn lights on. Basically early voice control for people who didn’t want to stand up. Or speak.
3. VHS Tapes
Netflix, except you had to rewind it.
4. Discman CD Players
Spotify, but if you jogged too hard it skipped like it was scared.
5. Floppy Disks
We used to save entire school papers on something that holds less memory than a single meme.
6. Boom Boxes
Portable speakers the size of a microwave. You carried it on your shoulder to prove you had upper body strength.
7. Encyclopedia Sets
Google, but heavy. If you needed one fact about frogs, you had to lift a 12-pound book labeled “F.”
8. Blockbuster Video
A giant building full of movies you could physically touch. Late fees were our student loans.
9. Film Cameras
You took 24 photos and hoped for the best. No previews, either.
10. CRT Televisions
Televisions shaped like furniture. If you dropped one, it became part of the foundation.
11. Rollerball Computer Mice
A computer mouse with a literal ball inside. It collected crumbs like a real mouse would.
12. Dial-Up Internet
The Wi-Fi used to scream before it worked. You had to ask your family not to use the phone while you were “logging on,” which could take longer than downloading a movie today.
13. Pagers or Beepers
Texting, but worse. It would beep and just show a number. You had to find a separate phone to call them back like it was a scavenger hunt.
14. Portable GPS Units
Before Google Maps, we suction-cupped a robot to our windshield and trusted it with our lives.
15. Overhead Projectors
16. Pay Phones
Public FaceTime booths, minus the FaceTime. You had to pull over to call someone.
17. Polaroid Instant Cameras (Old School Models)
18. Cassette Tapes
Music you had to rewind with a pencil like a tiny mechanic.
19. Landline Telephones
Phones attached to walls. If someone called, you had to answer it. No screening. Just blind answering.
20. Answering Machines
Voicemail, but it lived in your house and your mom heard it first.