If you didn’t get lost in the mall or rewind a VHS tape with your finger, did you even survive childhood? Seriously, it’s wild to think how much effort we all put into the tiniest things—just to watch a cartoon or call our best friend.
Kids today have it so easy, scrolling through shows or texting from anywhere, but honestly? I’m just a little bit in awe of what we went through. Our childhood was a whole workout, mentally and physically, and we wore those challenges like badges of honor.
There’s something kind of magical about knowing you survived waiting for your favorite song on the radio, or holding your breath while your disposable camera pictures developed. For every tantrum about slow WiFi today, I’m quietly remembering dial-up screeches and being booted off AOL for a landline call.
For all my fellow Gen Xers, Millennials, and early-2000s survivors—this stroll down memory lane is for you, with all the drama and pride it deserves.
1. Saturday Morning Cartoons—And Only Saturday Mornings
Waking up extra early on Saturdays wasn’t about chores—it was cartoon survival. If you missed your favorite show, you had to wait a whole week. No streaming or replays, just pure anticipation and a tiny bit of heartbreak if you slept in too late.
These mornings were a weekly highlight, packed with sugary cereal and a lineup of shows that made you forget you had chores waiting. There was a thrill in knowing everyone else on your block was doing the same thing. You’d talk about the best episode at school on Monday, and nobody wanted to admit they missed it.
Now with every show at your fingertips, that collective excitement is lost. There’s something so nostalgic about the ritual of Saturday mornings, when TV felt like a reward, not a background noise. Kids today? They wouldn’t stand a chance.
2. Waiting for Your Favorite Song on the Radio
You haven’t known real patience until you spent hours sitting by your radio, finger hovering over the “record” button. Capturing your favorite song without the DJ talking over the intro was the holy grail. Every second felt like a suspense movie—would the song play, or would you get another weather update?
Making a mixtape this way was a badge of honor. You’d hand them to friends with pride, but secretly wince when you heard the DJ’s voice halfway through your favorite part. Still, those choppy, imperfect mixes had a magic all their own.
Playlists are instant now, but nothing can replace that little thrill of finally hearing your jam after waiting all afternoon. Kids today just hit “add” and move on, but we earned every note.
3. Blowing Into Video Game Cartridges Like It Was Sacred Ritual
Ask any retro gamer—blowing into a cartridge felt like sorcery. If Super Mario glitched, you’d pop the game out, give it a dramatic puff of air, and pray for a miracle. Everyone swore it helped, even if science says otherwise.
There was a whole ritual involved: tap the cartridge, blow again, wipe on your shirt, and beg the gaming gods. Friends gathered round, offering advice like it was ancient wisdom passed down the ages. And when the screen finally loaded? Instant hero status.
Today’s discs and downloads don’t need this extra love, but back then, every game session was a test of faith and determination. Anybody raised on touchscreens wouldn’t last a level.
4. Rewinding VHS Tapes—By Hand if Necessary
Getting yelled at for not rewinding the rental was a rite of passage. If you didn’t have a fancy rewinder, you stuck a pencil in and spun—slow, tedious, and weirdly satisfying. Everyone knew the pain of seeing those words: “Please Be Kind, Rewind.”
VHS tapes were fragile, bulky, and demanded respect. Unspooled tape meant disaster, and sometimes you’d spend ages fixing a tape only to have it eaten by the VCR anyway. Somehow, we always managed to get the job done.
Netflix has no patience for this kind of struggle. Kids now will never know the anxiety of returning a tape late or the relief when it finally clicked back into place.
5. Having Only 1 TV in the Whole House—and No Remote
There was a time when TV meant family negotiations—or all-out warfare. With one TV and no remote, you’d sprint to the screen to change channels, hoping to beat your sibling to it. Whoever got there first ruled the living room.
“Remote privileges” was a joke—there was no remote. We took turns acting as human remotes, grudgingly standing up every commercial break. Fights broke out over cartoons versus news, and everyone learned the art of compromise, or at least how to pout convincingly.
Now, every bedroom has a screen and a remote within arm’s reach. That sense of shared experience—plus the drama—made TV nights unforgettable. Good luck convincing a kid today to share.
6. Talking to Your Crush on a Corded Phone—in Front of Your Entire Family
Privacy? Not in this house. If you wanted a conversation with your crush, you did it with your entire family as your uninvited audience. The cord stretched around corners, but there was nowhere to hide.
Your little sister would eavesdrop, your parents dropped passive-aggressive hints, and you desperately tried to sound calm. Every pause was torture, and every giggle from the peanut gallery felt like social doom. Still, we dialed the number and took our chances.
Texting is safe; landline confessions built real courage. Kids today would crumble under pressure, but we learned to be bold—awkward, but bold.
7. Developing Photos… Weeks Later
Disposable cameras felt like magic—until you realized you’d have to wait weeks to see if you blinked in every shot. Dropping off a roll of film, you’d count the days, hoping for at least one decent picture.
There was no chance for do-overs or filters. Blurry group shots and crooked selfies were part of the adventure, and the big reveal at the photo counter was practically a social event. You never knew what memories you’d captured until the envelope opened.
Kids with endless selfies can’t relate to that suspense. Instant gratification is nice, but those delayed surprises hit differently.
8. School Projects Made with Poster Board and Glue—Not Canva
Trifold displays, glitter glue, and bubble letters—those were our creative weapons. School projects meant sticky fingers, glue stains on the table, and the panic when your marker ran dry at midnight.
Forget digital templates. We fought for the last sheet of neon poster board at the store and smuggled supplies in our backpacks. Every project was one-of-a-kind, for better or worse.
Now, slick Canva graphics make everything look polished, but I’ll take our crooked collages any day. They were messy, memorable, and totally ours.
9. Using Encyclopedias for Research
Research wasn’t a Google search away—it was an upper-body workout. Flipping through cramped print, you’d hope your topic wasn’t in the missing volume (was it always the “R” book?). Handwritten notes were required, and any illustration felt like winning the research lottery.
Libraries were epicenters of learning, but encyclopedias at home were status symbols. Parents warned, “Don’t rip the pages!” and every answer came with a dose of patience. Sometimes you even learned things by accident, just from browsing.
Wikipedia makes it easy, but nothing beats the pride of finishing a bibliography the old-school way. Kids today have no clue how good they’ve got it.
10. Passing Notes in Class Like a Spy Mission
Sending a secret note in class was a high-stakes game. You folded it into shapes—hearts, footballs, ninja stars—and passed it along, risking everything. If the teacher caught you, your private poetry or embarrassing doodle was broadcast to the whole class.
Each note was filled with secrets, jokes, or desperate pleas about lunch trades. Friends created elaborate codes to throw off nosy teachers, and every delivery felt like a covert operation. Getting a reply was the best part of the school day.
Texts are fast, but nothing matched the adrenaline of a perfectly executed pass. Kids now will never know that thrill (or that fear).
11. Waiting a Whole Week Between TV Episodes
Binging wasn’t a thing. When your show ended on a cliffhanger, you circled the next air date in red. The drama, the theories—everyone had a week to stew over what would happen next.
If you missed the episode, you’d beg friends for a recap or pray for a rerun. Those rare marathons during school breaks felt like winning the lottery. There was a collective sense of waiting, and it made the stories hit harder.
Now, everything’s on-demand. The anticipation is gone, and honestly, today’s kids would lose their minds at the idea of waiting even twelve hours for answers.
12. Using Paper Maps Without GPS or Traffic Alerts
Paper maps were a family road trip staple—and a recipe for arguments. Mom navigated with a map the size of a bedsheet, shouting out exits while dad squinted at blurry highway signs. You learned patience and geography all at once.
Detours were epic adventures or, let’s be real, sources of tears. There was always one kid in the back with zero faith in mom’s sense of direction. But when you finally pulled up to your destination, everyone cheered.
Today’s GPS is magic, but it takes the drama (and teamwork) out of travel. Could kids today fold a map correctly? Doubtful.
13. Memorizing Everyone’s Phone Number
A phone book in your head was survival. You knew your best friend’s, your parents’, your grandma’s, and the local pizza place by heart—or scribbled them in your notebook or even on your hand for emergencies.
Losing your address book meant panic, and prank calls were a sport (sorry, random strangers). Speed-dial was a futuristic dream. Practice meant dialing over and over until you could do it with your eyes closed.
Now, most kids don’t know even one number. If their phone dies, they’re stranded. Our brains were basically the original contacts app.
14. Watching Movies on Tiny, Boxy TVs
Watching Titanic on a ten-inch screen with fuzzy sound—that’s character building. You’d squint to see who was talking, and the color was always a little off. That’s if you could even get good reception with those rabbit ears.
Friends crowded close, fighting for the best seat, and snacks sat dangerously close to the VCR. Movie nights were magical, but also a true group experience. If someone got up, you yelled for them to hurry before the tape ended.
With today’s giant, crisp screens, it’s a wonder we survived movie marathons at all. Now, the struggle was real—and the memories worth every squint.
15. Getting Yelled At to “Get Off the Internet” So Someone Could Use the Phone
Dial-up internet was a family drama waiting to happen. The screeching modem, the eternal wait for a page to load—it was all part of the deal. But the real battle? Choosing between chatting online and letting grandma call.
Arguments erupted daily. “Five more minutes!” was never really five minutes. Eventually, someone would just pick up the phone, booting you offline in the middle of your AIM chat.
Kids today with WiFi everywhere have no idea how high-stakes online life used to be. Internet time was precious, and every second felt like borrowed magic.
16. Car Trips with No iPads—Just “I Spy” and Fighting Over the Window Seat
Long car trips meant boredom, sibling feuds, and desperate games of “I Spy.” If you were lucky, you’d get the window seat and the Walkman for exactly one tape. The rest of the time? You kept busy with coloring books and yelling “are we there yet?” every ten minutes.
Parents handed out snacks like bribes, and everyone knew the agony of listening to the same cassette on repeat. When boredom won, even highway signs became entertainment.
No iPads, no streaming—just creative survival. Today’s kids can’t handle five minutes of WiFi loss, let alone a six-hour road trip with nothing but their imagination.
17. Hiding Behind the Couch During Horror Movie Commercials
TV commercials used to be terrifying. If you were too slow with the remote, you’d get a jump scare you never asked for—cue the mad dash to hide behind the nearest couch. Horror movie trailers had a way of haunting your dreams.
Friends made fun, but deep down, everyone did it at least once. Siblings would purposely wait, just to see who would crack first. It was equal parts hilarious and traumatizing.
Streaming platforms now come without jump scare ads, so kids today are blissfully unaware. We survived those mini heart attacks, and honestly, we earned our sleepovers.
18. Wearing the Same Outfit in Every School Picture Because You Only Had One Good Shirt
School picture day was a fashion event, except there was only one ‘good’ shirt in the closet. Year after year, the same outfit made the wall of fame. Your mom would iron it the night before, and you’d practice your smile in the mirror.
If you blinked or made a weird face, too bad—you were stuck with it forever. The pressure to look perfect in that shirt was real. Friends would compare photos and laugh about how nothing ever changed, except for maybe a new haircut.
Multiple outfit changes for school pics? Not a chance. Our wardrobe options built humility and nerves of steel.
19. Learning Dance Routines from Music Videos—Not TikTok
Before tutorials and endless TikTok loops, learning to dance meant determination and a rewind button. Friends would gather and argue over who got to be which *NSYNC member, rewinding the music video until you wore out the tape.
Mistakes were part of the fun, and nobody was filming to post online. You’d work for hours just to nail one killer move. The living room turned into a dance studio, and your siblings ran for cover.
Now, step-by-step instructions are everywhere, but the struggle brought us closer together. Kids today would quit after two tries—our generation never backed down from a dance challenge.
20. Getting Picked Up from the Mall… Eventually
Mall drop-offs were peak independence, with a serious side of suspense. You just hoped your parents remembered the pickup time. No cell phones, just trust and a little bit of anxiety every time the clock ticked past five.
If they were late, you’d sit on a hard bench, swapping stories about what you’d do if you had to sleep in the mall. Security guards became your reluctant babysitters, and the food court felt like home.
Kids today just text for a ride. Waiting in limbo built patience—and gave us some hilarious stories. Those benches saw everything, and we survived to tell the tale.