12 '90s Habits That Wrecked Adulthood

You may have loved growing up in the ‘90s, but it wasn’t all Spice Girls and Lisa Frank. Some common practices were amazing, like weekly TGIF parties and making DIY bracelets out of toothbrushes, but other habits from the ‘90s messed you up in adulthood. Only slightly, mind you — I’m not talking major tragedies here. These are repercussions from your ‘90s lifestyle that other people might not even be aware you’re still dealing with today, as a fully fledged adult (unless they were also ‘90s kids, of course).

Intense nostalgia for the 1990s is all the rage right now, as evidenced by the resurgence of ‘90s fashion, remakes of ‘90s movies, and the existence of this very article. But how does your childhood or adolescence in the ‘90s actually affect how you live now, in 2016? You may look back on the last decade of the 20th century with fond remembrance, but how many of your present day struggles, faults, and anxieties can be linked to the age of Hypercolor clothing and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air? Possibly more than you’d think.

You may look back on the ‘90s with rose-colored glasses, but keep reading for 12 little ‘90s habits that may have (slightly) wrecked your adulthood.

1. Subsisting entirely off of Lunchables and Dunkaroos.

Nothing like wet lunchmeat and frosting to nourish the human body, amirite? I shudder to think what my total rejection of fruits and vegetables as a kid did to my brain development.

2. Huffing Mr. Sketch markers.

Mr. Sketch markers taught us all that we’re supposed to sniff markers! I mean, that’s the lesson I learned.

3. Saying “WhatEVER,” (with finger signals, obvs).

Nothing says “Yes, I am a mature adult in 2016, and you should take my complaint seriously” like a bit of classic ‘90s sarcasm coupled with a finger W.

4. Always feeling the need to leave voice messages.

I’ll admit it: I’m one of those annoying people who leaves voicemails that say, “Hey, it’s Lara. Call me back!” Yes, I know that the person I’m calling will receive a missed call notification, with my name on it, and that he or she will be able to simply assume that I would like a call back. But I grew up in the ‘90s! Back then, people left messages — on answering machines that used teeny tiny tapes. I just can’t seem to break the habit.

5. Including “http://” when you give web addresses.

http:// www. Iknowitsridiculouspleasedontjudgeme. com

6. Playing with dangerous ‘90s toys.

Moon Shoes and Slip ‘N Slides were hella fun, but you can thank them for your permanent scar tissue and that pop in your ankle that’s been there ever since you face-planted while attempting to do the Macarena in your Moon Shoes.

7. Eating sugar, using more sugar as an eating utensil.

I will never argue that Fun Dip and other classic ‘90s candies weren’t fun and delicious — but it’s probably fair to say that plenty of contemporary grown ups can at least partially blame their dental problems on their ‘90s addiction to sugary treats.

8. Saying that you’re “psyched” all the time (and other unavoidable ‘90s slang).

I’m in my 30s, and I still say “psyched” constantly, without any irony whatsoever. I am physically incapable of saying “I’m excited” instead.

9. You hoard lip balms like they’re about to go extinct.

Back in the day, you showed an intense dedication to collecting every flavor of Lip Smackers ever created. You may not be hoarding Lip Smackers any more, but you can’t stop yourself from buying new lip balms every time you go to the drugstore.

10. Furbies.

I’m sure that plenty of people loved these furry little robots, but I can’t be the only one who thought they were the stuff of bloodcurdling, psychedelic nightmares, right? For those of us whose first reaction to these popular toys was involuntary revulsion instead of “Awww,” the Furby has continued to haunt our dreams well into adulthood.

11. Watching bad TV just because it’s on.

In today’s TV landscape, there is little need to sit and watch stuff on TV simply because there isn’t anything better on — these days, you can DVR the shows you actually like to watch and stream TV and movies from a variety of providers. In the ‘90s, we were stuck with either watching whatever happened to be on, or playing VHS tapes. Now, when I find myself glued to my parents’ couch, watching reruns of shows that I didn’t really care about the first time I saw them, I think it’s a strange holdover from my ‘90s viewing habits. I could just stream something I actually like, but apparently my ‘90s binge watching habits are too deeply ingrained to overcome.

12. The no-fat/high-carb diet.

In the ‘90s, the popular wisdom was that carbs were healthy and fat was bad — essentially, “Eat all the pasta you want, but don’t touch butter or red meat!” Low and non-fat products were so popular that food companies began releasing them in droves. The problem was that often the fat in these products was replaced with sugar, so, while people may have been eating “low fat,” they were also eating lots of sugars, carbs, and preservatives. Nowadays, our understanding of a “healthy diet” looks more balanced — yes, carbs have their place, but they should also be balanced by healthy proteins, good fats, and lots of fruits and vegetables. However, as a ‘90s kid, I think a small part of me is always going to assume that Carbs = Awesome, and Fat = Bad, no matter what science tells us. That's a hard habit to break.

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