15 Ways School Is So Different Now Than It Was For '90s Kids

Updated on Oct 7, 2016 at 11:45 AM

Every '90s kid remembers what school was like: a lot of note passing, spending time on AIM, and playing Oregon Trail. Now, going to school is a completely different world with smartphones, Netflix, and every other piece of new technology. Kids today will never get what it was like to attend school without a cell phone and quick internet. Whether you're glad no one ever has to experience what you went through or wish it was still the norm, take a look at the differences between then and now.

Then: Missing your friends in between classes so much.

Not talking to your friends for an entire period was just way too much.

Now: Texting your friends all the time in and between classes.

No more hugs in between classes, because you don't really get to miss your friends with so much constant communication.

Then: Daydreaming meant imagining anything you wanted.

Your mind would really go places during class . . . and you were into it.

Now: Daydreaming involves scrolling through Facebook or watching YouTube.

Nothing like daydreaming while secretly pinning recipes or watching funny videos under your desk.

Then: Jamming out to music on your CD player.

You needed to be careful or else you could drop your CD player and ruin it forever.

Now: Dancing it out without having to deal with a heavy CD player.

You can jump, do hula hoops, and pretty much move any way you want without having to feel the weight of your Walkman.

Then: Playing games after school could only happen so far from the console.

Nothing was worse than getting up to go to the bathroom and accidentally unplugging the control.

Now: Play games from anywhere, since everything is wireless.

The only terrible thing that happens now is forgetting to insert new batteries into your control.

Then: Messing around with MS Paint to show how creative you were.

You weren't cool unless you made an awesome stick figure in Paint to show off at lunch or on AIM.

Now: Using filters, Instagram, and VSCO Cam to show off creativity.

Every photo you take needs to be edited and positioned perfectly.

Then: Passing notes to friends (or frenemies).

You needed to make sure the teacher wouldn't see, or else.

Now: Texting is the new way to pass notes and you can do it all the time.

You can even take it a step further and use Snapchat for super secret notes.

Then: Making mix CDs for your crush was so cool.

You even took time to handwrite what songs were on the CD.

Now: Drag and drop songs into a Spotify Playlist.

At least you can personalize the name of the playlist.

Then: Getting sick meant laying in bed all day.

You alternated between sleeping, coughing, and sleeping again.

Now: Getting sick means spending your entire day watching Netflix.

At the end of the day, you're not sure if you're still sick, or just tired of watching so much TV.

But if there's one thing that's the same then vs. now — it's that everyone is tired and over school by the end of the day.

Some things never change.