60 Things That’ll Make Millennials Feel Old

Being a millennial has both benefits and drawbacks. We hear all about the downfalls these days: a terrible job market, a bad housing market, and Baby Boomers thinking we’re all still teenagers.

But guess what? Millennials are growing up quickly. In fact, the most widely-accepted estimates put the end of the millennial generation in 1996. That means the very youngest millennials are approaching their mid-20s. Meanwhile, the older side of the generation is getting close to 40.

We’re not kids anymore. We might’ve come of age with the internet but we still remember what life was like before it. The millennial generation recalls things from the 1990s and early 2000s. And man was that a different time.

They say the passage of time speeds up as you grow older. Millennials are experiencing that in full force. Gen Z is getting older, too. Now, millennials are realizing for the first time just how different they are from today’s teens.

The kids of today don’t know how VCRs work or remember when the Backstreet Boys were young and attractive. They’ve never lived in a world that didn’t have the Sims and 9/11 is a historical event for them. Wow, they make us feel old.

1. This is what NSYNC looks like today

Back when we were kids, NSYNC was a group of young, attractive men with hair that couldn’t be matched. Now, well, they kind of look like a bunch of dads.

Variety Source: Variety

2. Kids these days don’t know why you “hang up” the phone

Kids growing up in the 2010s know nothing about a phone that wasn’t essentially a miniature computer. The phrase “hang up the phone” makes no sense to them. Don’t you mean “push the red button”?

Reddit/ModernForever Source: Reddit/ModernForever

3. They don’t teach cursive in school anymore

Times change and with the digital era, it kind of makes sense that cursive isn’t taught anymore. But considering how much they emphasized penmanship when we were kids, it does feel kind of odd.

Tumblr/I'mRemembering Source: Tumblr/I'mRemembering

4. For some people, Justin Bieber is their childhood music

People in their 20s can now officially talk about Justin Bieber as an artist they listened to when they were kids. Oh, and to make you feel even older, Bieber’s married.

Texts from last night Source: Texts from last night

5. Mara Wilson is in her 30s

Remember Matilda, the movie about the genius little girl who we all adored? Not only did that movie hit theaters 23 years ago, but Matilda herself is now 32.

YouTube Source: YouTube

6. Excuse me?

VCRs had a relatively short life, becoming a mass-market hit in the mid-1970s. They were an instrumental part of our childhoods. But kids these days don’t even know what they are.

Twitter/@ttorrapxela Source: Twitter/@ttorrapxela

7. This is what Nickelodeon Studios look like now

We all remember the Nickelodeon Studios as the bright and colorful building where all our favorite shows were born. It’s aged yet looks more professional.

Imgur Source: Imgur

8. Nelly plays on the Oldies station

Yes, that Nelly — the Nelly who still had hit songs on the radio from your memories. Those songs might’ve been chart-toppers in the 90s, but today they’re golden oldies.

Twitter/@raythar Source: Twitter/@raythar

9. Drew Carey has hosted “The Price is Right” for more than a decade

If you’re a millennial, you hear “The Price is Right” and immediately think of Bob Barker. But Barker retired back in 2007, followed by Carey taking his place. But don’t worry — Barker’s still going strong at age 95.

YouTube Screenshot/harpolucy Source: YouTube Screenshot/harpolucy

10. 2030 is closer than 2000

If that fact makes you reel, it’s time to face the truth — we’re all getting old. Sure, you remember 2000 like it was just a couple of years ago. But we’ve headed into the 2020s already.

Yik Yak via Popsugar Source: Yik Yak via Popsugar

11. People don’t know these songs by Avril Lavigne

In the early 2000s, Avril Lavigne was the height of cool. Between Complicated and Sk8ter Boi, she was the one who made all of us wish we were cool enough to be emos. By the way, Lavigne herself is 35 years old.

Yik Yak via Popsugar Source: Yik Yak via Popsugar

12. The art of burning CDs is dead

Burning CDs back in the day was an art — giving everyone a chance to personalize a mix. And no, you couldn’t just open Spotify and design a playlist with a couple of clicks.

Twitter/@theironwidow Source: Twitter/@theironwidow

13. Kids these days don’t know what the “save” icon is

The floppy disk lives on in the form of the “save” icon on every word document. But most young people have no idea what it is. They don’t even understand the luxury of automatic saving.

Twitter/@bill_gross Source: Twitter/@bill_gross

14. IT’S NOT A TV

Kids today will never understand the dreamy buzz of the projector in the classroom. They’ll also never understand how weirdly hot it was when the teacher made you come up and show off some work on the dry erase sheets.

Twitter/@marinap_13 Source: Twitter/@marinap_13

15. Nope, don’t like that

Not only are babies from the 2000s old enough to be out at night, but they’re also old enough to be going to clubs. Well, 18+ clubs — but you know the day for the conventional nightclubs is coming.

Twitter/@babyysims Source: Twitter/@babyysims

16. Please tell me you’re joking

I’m going to assume that kid was being facetious when he said this tape cassette was from the Civil War. Otherwise, I don’t know how to cope with this.

Twitter/@edwiley Source: Twitter/@edwiley

17. Once upon a time, phones were just phones

Eventually, we’re not even going to call them phones anymore. We’ll just call them tiny computers or digital Swiss army knives. Back in the day, they were used solely for calling and that was it.

Twitter/@L0stPh03n1x Source: Twitter/@L0stPh03n1x

18. History repeats itself

Oh, MySpace — it was the coolest place to be back in 2006. We wasted so many hours choosing our favorite songs and putting up lyrics in our favorite fonts. What a life it was.

Twitter/@jalenskutt Source: Twitter/@jalenskutt

19. Oh my word

It’s enough to make your jaw drop — a teenager was annoyed that his “iPhone docking station” was scratching his phone screen. You guessed it: he was cramming his phone into the cassette player.

iResq Source: iResq

20. This generation has never seen a manual window crank

Something about this one just makes my brain rebel. Is it possible there’s a generation that doesn’t understand you just roll the window up and down? How’s it possible?

Twitter/@marksebens Source: Twitter/@marksebens

21. Kids these days have never heard of Napster

Oh, Napster, the wonderful trend of the early 2000s. We were all willing to give our computer every virus on the internet just to get some free music. It also took ages for songs to download.

Twitter/@truckski Source: Twitter/@truckski

22. It took forever and it screamed the whole time

One day we’ll all be telling our grandchildren about how the internet came through the phone and screamed like a tiny man being tortured the whole time. None of them will believe us.

Twitter/@Littleblackgrl Source: Twitter/@Littleblackgrl

23. The response was “It’s to hide weed”

If your answer to this question is “hiding weed,” then you’re either way too young to remember physical camera film or you smoke way too much of the green stuff. Possibly both.

Twitter/@Alltheway80s Source: Twitter/@Alltheway80s

24. Wait, how do kids sharpen pencils these days?

As a millennial, I can’t understand how kids wouldn’t know what this is. Do they just use pens and mechanical pencils? Do they have high-tech pencil sharpeners now?

Twitter/@Gil_630 Source: Twitter/@Gil_630

25. You and me both, kid

Those classic iPods were amazing to our primitive minds back in the day. But no, they were long before the advent of the touchscreen. You had to scroll the dial down all the way.

Twitter/@Torcelly Source: Twitter/@Torcelly

26. Wait, what?

I’m not okay with hearing the word “90s” and “oldies” in the same sentence. You’ll never convince me that 1990 was almost 30 years ago. I won’t believe it.

Buzzfeed Source: Buzzfeed

27. Kenan and Kel are in their 40s

Ah, Kenan and Kel, the amazing duo you haven’t thought about in years. You may occasionally spot Kel on “Saturday Night Live” but he looks quite a bit different these days. And boy did they ever get old.

Joe Source: Joe

28. The Lion King came out 25 years ago

It’s hard to beat The Lion King, a Disney classic, even when going up against Frozen. Or maybe we’re all just biased because it was the best Disney movie of our childhoods.

CinemaBlend Source: CinemaBlend

29. “SpongeBob Squarepants” is so old that it airs on Nick at Night

Most of us grew up with “SpongeBob Squarepants,” and you’re probably singing that silly theme song right now. The first episode aired in 1999, which was 20 years ago.

Twitter/@risefallnick Source: Twitter/@risefallnick

30. Blink-182 is considered classic rock

Turn on a classic rock station these days and you might just hear some favorites from your childhood. Back in our day, Blink-182 was cool and current. Now it’s a classic.

Twitter/@wheresthesnacks Source: Twitter/@wheresthesnacks

31. Kids have no freakin’ clue what this is

A generation ago, this was a game that made kids everywhere go crazy. Now, they don’t even know what it is. Let’s shed a silent tear for the GameBoy.

Twitter/@RoobMacchia Source: Twitter/@RoobMacchia

32. …or this

I can live knowing that some kids don’t know what a cassette tape or landline phone is. But a classic iPod? Time is moving too fast.

Twitter/@momoney2369 Source: Twitter/@momoney2369

33. People don’t know what a pound sign is

Dear kids: long before Twitter was born, there was something called a pound sign. It was used to denote numbers. There, now I can rest easy having spread that knowledge.

Twitter/@jrperezawyer Source: Twitter/@jrperezawyer

34. This is how elementary schoolers learn about 9/11

If you’re a millennial, chances are you were in elementary school when the Twin Towers fell on September 11, 2001. But kids in high school weren’t born yet. So, they learn about the event as a moment in history.

Amazon Source: Amazon

35. Kids don’t know what these are

If there’s one thing 90s kids loved, it was any kind of electronic game. The fact that some kids don’t know what these are feel like the end of a golden age.

Twitter/@dianaye_ Source: Twitter/@dianaye_

36. An 18-year-old didn’t know what this was

It’s not just little kids who don’t recognize the technology we all knew and loved. It’s also legal-aged adults who’ve never seen stuff like this. To be fair, an 18-year-old was born in 2001.

Twitter/@ninjasweatpants Source: Twitter/@ninjasweatpants

37. This is how kids learn about Crocodile Hunter

Most of us grew up watching Crocodile Hunter and were stunned when he was killed in a freak accident in 2006. For today’s kids, he’s more of a historical figure than a fixture in their lives.

Twitter/@lilviss Source: Twitter/@lilviss

38. The Rugrats would be in their 30s

“Rugrats” was a show we all loved but our parents’ kind of hated. When it first aired in 1990, Angelica was the oldest at age 3. That means that in 2019, she would be 32.

Consequence of Sound Source: Consequence of Sound

39. PlayStation is a quarter of a century old

The first PlayStation came out on December 3, 1994, which means it’s nearing its 25th birthday. That’s right, PlayStation grew up, graduated college, and it’s getting ever closer to 30.

Twitter/@HBVideoGames Source: Twitter/@HBVideoGames

40. That song you danced to in middle school is old enough to be in middle school

Remember the song that inundated all our middle school dances? It came out 13 years ago, which means it’s now old enough to attend a middle school dance itself.

Twitter/@Usher Source: Twitter/@Usher

41. Gah

For many of us, 2001 doesn’t seem that long ago, and 9/11 was a defining moment of our lives. The fact there are high schoolers and even adults who weren’t there for it seems bizarre.

Twitter/@ByronBucao Source: Twitter/@ByronBucao

42. I’m dying inside

These people seem to be under the impression they discovered some sort of time-traveling device. In truth…they just never knew that Twitter didn’t invent the pound sign.

Be Me This Source: Be Me This

43. Kids today don’t know what a dial tone is

Remember when life was simple and you took things for granted? This includes things like the dial tone. Get ready to have your world rocked.

Twitter/@JasonDCrane Source: Twitter/@JasonDCrane

44. These stump kids

Along with having no idea what VCRs are, kids also have no clue what VHS tapes are or how they work. They’ll never know the tragedy of having a tape unspool.

Twitter/@KlintKinney Source: Twitter/@KlintKinney

45. Some people don’t know who this giant of children’s TV is

Some people didn’t grow up watching Blue’s Clues or hearing the song “We just got a letter, we just got a letter…” And I thought it was bad when they switched from Steve to Joe.

Twitter/@lbccccccccc Source: Twitter/@lbccccccccc

46. Will Smith is looking more like Uncle Phil these days

Will Smith shared a photo of himself mid-bungee jump to which the internet exploded. Why? Because the Fresh Prince is looking more and more like Uncle Phil these days.

Twitter/@dani_celeste Source: Twitter/@dani_celeste

47. Today’s kids don’t remember Beyoncé as anything but a solo artist

Sure, Beyoncé’s become one of the most famous pop legends in the world. But she didn’t get her start singing on her own. Back in the day, she was just one member of Destiny’s Child.

Billboard Source: Billboard

48. The Sims is legally an adult

The first Sims game was released on January 31, 2000, making the game legally an adult. We grew up playing it. It grew up, too. It’s enough to make you say “Woop sinarb fagoo.”

Polygon Source: Polygon

49. These legendary teen stars are all in their 30s

This was the Young Hollywood Class of 2003, which featured some pretty famous teen stars. Of course, Hilary Duff, Lindsay Lohan, Mandy Moore, and the rest of them are all now in their 30s.

Vanity Fair Source: Vanity Fair

50. The Motorola RAZR is in a museum

Remember the Motorola RAZR and thinking it was the coolest phone you’d ever seen? These days, it’s considered a historical artifact — so much so, it’s displayed in a museum.

Imgur/AustinCQ6 Source: Imgur/AustinCQ6

51. They don’t know the struggle of T9

Remember texting using T9? Today’s kids will never know the struggle of hitting those keys three or even four times in a row. With enough practice, you became incredibly fast at it.

Reddit Source: Reddit

52. “Boy band” doesn’t refer exclusively to NSYNC and the Backstreet Boys

Back in the 90s, boy bands enjoyed their heyday while we all swooned over BB and NSYNC. These days, they’re popular again. But now they refer to One Direction and BTS.

Buzzfeed Source: Buzzfeed

53. This was the Nickelodeon schedule when the class of 2019 was born

That might look like a regular Saturday for you back in elementary school. While you were watching these classic cartoons, this year’s high school seniors were being born, literally.

Buzzfeed Source: Buzzfeed

54. “Family Guy” is older than high school seniors

Yup, you read that right: “Family Guy” predates most kids graduating high school this year. The show premiered in 1999. Most high school seniors were born in 2001.

WikiMedia Source: WikiMedia

55. iPods are the same age as them

The first iPod was released in October 2001, which means it coincided with the births of many kids now entering college. If you want to feel extra old, you should know a top Google search is “Do iPods still exist?”

The Verge Source: The Verge

56. Disney stopped making these VHS tapes 13 years ago

You probably remember everything about these beauties, even down to the smell of the plastic and the crunch they made when you opened them. Guess what? They’ve been off the market since 2006.

eBay Source: eBay

57. The cast of the first Harry Potter movie was announced almost 20 years ago

….and guess what? No one had any idea who these kids were. Today, they’re very famous, but back in the early 2000s, these three were unknown child actors.

YouTube/The CelebFactory Source: YouTube/The CelebFactory

58. Hit Me Baby One More Time is four years from being eligible for the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame

Britney Spears shocked the world with Hit Me Baby One More Time back in 1998. After 25 years, it has a chance at being inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall of Fame… only three years from now.

YouTube Screenshot Source: YouTube Screenshot

59. The last Harry Potter book came out 12 years ago

Yes, you read that right: the very last Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, came out in 2007. That saga was an intrinsic part of our childhoods that’s long been over.

Amazon Source: Amazon

60. They weren’t

You probably grew up thinking about years in terms of 10s. The 1970s were 30 years ago, right? Actually, 1990 was almost 30 years ago. Time flies.

Twitter/@Recordsofacrazy Source: Twitter/@Recordsofacrazy

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