Oh, the ’90s. Who doesn’t miss baggy pants, grunge music, and Nickelodeon Guts? As it turns out, pretty much everyone who isn’t your age.
To prove it, we gathered up some kids and some grandparents, showed them a bunch of toys from the teal decade, and wrote down their responses. Their bewildered—but totally understandable—responses will make you feel like you’re the exact age you already are.
1) Walkman
Skyler Green, age 7: “How do I send a Snapchat from this?”
Paula Field, age 82: “It’s not working. Do I need to replace the needle?”
2) Gameboy cartridges
Fiona Tilakawardine, age 16: “You have to carry a whole thing of games around with you, plus the device itself? Eww. I’d rather talk to my friends.”
Wayne Marcus, age 92: “We used to call these tiddlywinks.”
3) Graphing calculator
Aushlee Wexblitz, age 14: “Why wouldn’t you just use your phone?”
Todd Urban, age 97: “I suppose you kids think you’re too good for long division?”
4) VHS cassette
Brailynn Scappa-Ortiz, age 11: “How can there be a movie on this? There no screen”
Rebecca Gould, age 86: “Is the film already threaded? How clever! Is it on?”
5) Koosh ball
Alphabetta Duchamp-Wong, age 13: “You use it in the bath, like a loofa.”
Doug Barkley, age 87: “It’s some kind of sex thing.”
6) Pogs
Wikimedia Commons
Pinecone Lawrence, age 9: “I honestly cannot fathom what you would do with these.”
Miriam Glickman, age 72: “And what? Whoever throws it furthest wins?”
7) PT Cruiser
Chipchop Donaldson, age 8: It’s a model-T Ford, right? Someone really let it go to shit.”
David Smith, age 97: “Is this from the future? Is it the time machine? Does it go to the past? Can I see my wife?”
8) Magic Eye
Flamingo Jane Meltzer, age 13: “This is so dumb.”
Maura Long, age 78: “Call an ambulance!”
9) Floppy disk
Zarathustra Weisberg-Lincoln-DeNoni, age 2: *tries to eat it*
Andy Dobbs, age 102: *tries to eat it*
Illustration by Max Fleishman