As we journey through the ever-evolving landscape of the 21st century, we often reflect on the ‘good old days’ of the 90s. But were they really that good? For Millennials, the last decade of the 20th century was a time of unique experiences and learning skills that are sadly obsolete. From the art of mastering a VHS recorder to painstakingly creating a mixtape, this nostalgic trip down memory lane unveils 14 skills we spent hours honing in the 90s— skills that today’s digital age has ruthlessly rendered irrelevant.
The Art of T9 Texting
“Texting using T9. I was so good; I could carry on a verbal conversation with my parents without looking at what I was texting. I wish I had some other skill that would have aged better.”
Before smartphones with full keyboards, T9 texting was a skill you had to master to chat on the go. The name T9 stands for “Text on nine keys,” and it was all about speed and precision. Pressing a number key 1 to 3 times could give you a particular letter. However, touch screens and auto-correct functions have made this skill unnecessary.
The Phone Number Memorizer
“Memorizing phone numbers. Now everyone just saves contacts on their phone.”
In the 90s, phone numbers were essential pieces of information to remember. Without a digital phonebook, remembering the numbers of friends, family, and important services was a crucial skill. Nowadays, we rarely dial numbers, let alone memorize them!
The TV Guide Navigator
“Memorizing the TV channels so I knew what to look for on the TV Guide channel.”
Before Netflix and Hulu, there was the TV Guide channel. It scrolled through the entire lineup of shows playing on various channels, and it was up to you to memorize which number corresponded to each channel.
The Ashtray Cleaner
“Dumping ashtrays for grandma.”
With smoking rates on the decline and public smoking bans, the sight of ashtrays in homes is less common. Today’s children will more likely never learn this skill of emptying the ashtray, making it a true artifact of the past.
The CD Burner
“Burning CDs. I was the first one in my class who learned how to do it and had a computer capable of doing it. Oh, what a brief and shining moment of popularity…”
Back in the 90s, burning CDs gave you the power to create custom playlists or back up important files. With the rise of digital music and cloud storage, this skill is now largely unnecessary and has been replaced by the ability to curate playlists on platforms like Spotify or Apple Music.
The ClipArt Master
“Using WordArt and ClipArt to make documents more visually interesting.”
In a time before Photoshop and Canva, WordArt and ClipArt were the kings of document decoration. Adding colorful, slightly pixelated images or text to school reports or family newsletters was a skill in itself. Now these simple graphics are part of the nostalgia vault.
The Yeti Ski Game Expert
“Was really good at that ski game where the yeti eats you eventually.”
The 90s saw an explosion in video games, from arcade games to PC games. Skills learned in these games have little use in today’s gaming world, which is dominated by complex, multiplayer online games.
The Careful Music Walker
“Walking carefully while I listen to music so that the broken headphone cable won’t disconnect.”
Before the age of Bluetooth and wireless headphones, a simple activity like walking and listening to music could become a balancing act to ensure the headphone cable didn’t disconnect. It was a sign of a dedicated and broke music fan!
The Cassette Tape Rescuer
“Using a pencil to roll the tape back into the cassette after it got chewed up by the darn pitch roller.”
If you grew up in the 90s, you’d know the struggle of rescuing a beloved cassette tape from the clutches of a rogue tape deck. The pencil was the unsung hero, helping to manually wind the tape back into the cassette. With digital music, this problem, and the skill to solve it, has disappeared.
The Mix Tape Producer
“Making mix tapes on cassette.”
Curating and recording a mix tape was the ultimate sign of affection in the 90s. You’d carefully select and order songs to fit on one cassette tape. But with digital playlists and instant sharing, you don’t need to do this anymore.
The CD Doctor
“Buffing the scratches out of CDs was a skill that served me well for a very limited time.”
From using toothpaste to rubbing alcohol, various home remedies were applied to bring a scratched CD back to life. In the age of digital and streaming music, scratched CDs are a thing of the past.
The Pog Champion
“How to smack the pogs with the slammer just right.”
Pogs were one of the biggest fads of the 90s. The game involved throwing a heavy slammer at a stack of cardboard pogs, trying to flip as many as possible. While it might have made you the cool kid on the playground back then, it’s a skill that serves little purpose today.
The Tamagotchi Caretaker
“How to keep my Tamagotchi alive.”
Having a Tamagotchi was like a rite of passage in the 90s. These digital pets needed constant care, and keeping one alive was a big accomplishment. With the rise of more sophisticated video games and virtual experiences, the simple Tamagotchi has become a nostalgic toy rather than a must-have accessory.
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