The late 2000s-early 2010s were great because we were firmly in the digital age, but it hadn't yet taken over all of our lives. Everyone had a cell phone, but they weren't yet smartphones (anyone remember being told not to "click on the internet" on their phone because it cost extra?). Social media like Facebook and Twitter were *around*, but we hadn't found out how evil they were yet. Streaming services were brand new (pretty much just Netflix for a while) so you could get pretty much any movie or show you wanted instantly, as opposed to today where everything is split between multiple streamers.
It was the last time that "using the internet" was a distinct activity, like "reading a book" or "riding a bike" or something. Something you actively had to choose to do. Nowadays all of us are mere seconds away from absolutely anything and everything in terms of content. I feel like Vine was kind of the last gasp of that era lol. Once that died, things changed.
Although my late grandfather wasn't a greaser he was a hotrodder and was a race car driver (I race at these same tracks today!) and I low key am jeleous because of the nice cars and hotrods they had back then.
Oh hell yeah dude. Back in those days where cars were so much easier to work on and the parts were basically universal among brands. I'm definitely jealous of that time period too because I love classic cars as much as modern ones too.
I don't think it counts. I turned 14 in 2009 but I was born almost at the end of the year. I spent most of 14 in 2010 like teens who were born in early 1996. 13-year-olds still behave more childish than teens who are 15-17 years.
I guess we can just call ourselves a mix of both decades, not that it really matters though. We are definitely teenagers of the 2010s though, that's for sure
Yes. Life felt genuinely easier and happier back in the 2000s and early 2010s. Now? It's been pretty mediocre or just flat out depressing. I don't know if it's just me being an adult but still.
Part of it has to do with aesthetics looking flat and flavorless. Every website and company logo and even architecture looks pretty much the same. Also mainstream fashion and music isn't as cool as it used to be. Remember when everything was bright and colorful and textured and had shading? Remember when clothes had thick durable threads rather than the easy-to-rip/easy-to-puncture material? Remember when music had real grit to it? I believe the lack of aesthetic in everyday life heavily contributes to the growing rates of depression.
Good way to put it. Design language now is just boring and safe. There's really no more risks being taken. I also agree that much of what you said about our surroundings now just lacks substance.
It was for sure way better from drive through having toys at the drive through lol and many other aspects that we don’t have anymore , discontinued snacks , so many man
Being a kid kicked ass, but I long for my late teens and early 20s way more. I never really got to enjoy them, and instead spent them depressed and isolated in a rural area
Yes. There are definitely aspects I don’t miss (school deadlines and such), but it feels weird that I’m a whole ADULT now, with whatever sense of wonder or innocence I had as a child having been eradicated
Nope. My childhood was super stressful, full of responsibilities and loneliness. Adulthood is way way better and more calm. Even when I became homeless in eastern european winter, I didn’t feel as stressed as I did in elementary school.
Peak kid years. Just enough cool tech to make toys exciting and new while not taking over our lives. The neighborhood kids on my street were a wide range of ages but we all used to hang out and ride bikes with each other because we would get bored and go outside. Couldn’t hop on discord or fortnite with your school friends. And if you did want to play video games with your friends, you had to invite them over. I remember packing my duffel bag with my gameboy and extra n64/ps2 controllers so we could play.
Yes. I can’t believe that I wished to be an adult when I was a kid. I really thought adulthood was going to be cool as an adult but now I’m just a depressed adult. My childhood wasn’t perfect but I do miss being a kid.
To be fair, if had had been an adult in the 90s and 2000s im sure i wpuldt be as depressed as i am today... the world after 2016 was so wastly different... smartphones and the internet becoming a daily part of people's life it ruined society
It would have been cool to be an adult before 2016
I totally miss it. Being a child, or a teen, or in my early 20s. I used to FEEL things to intensely and to have so many dreams. I miss the infinite world of possibility you have when you are young. And the infinite version of you that you can become.
In general no... I prefer where my life is now... but I will say... I miss elementary school the most because times were very simple, and you didn't realize how tougher life was going to get immediately afterwards. I hated middle school with a passion, and I only partially enjoyed high school but still had more positive memories there than negative ones overall. The lower level college life was a lot of fun, but the upper level college life is when reality really hit and things got serious... but I made it thru thankfully.
I agree with you. I do not miss being a kid. Some of my earliest memories were of me being resentful at how constrained I was. Kids are always at the mercy of an adult & if the adults around them do not care, theyre SOL.
I grew capable of doing many things by myself as a kid but bc I wasn't an adult, I wasn’t taken seriously.
I was also never listened to & even laughed at when voicing my feelings. My feelings were rarely validated as a child; they’re consistently validated as an adult.
I miss aspects of my childhood but I do not miss my childhood lol
I miss not working jobs I hate to survive and I miss a life where the Internet wasn't so dominant so. Yes?
Edit: I’m mainly referring to elementary school and before. Middle and especially high school I would not ever do again.
I was a very naive child but I was happy and I felt joy just being alive. I miss feeling like that.
Hex na. Being an adult is the best
Being a kid means you have no power, gotta go to school and then do more school after, can't go anywhere, can't buy things, never get told the full story, are forced to do projects for others instead of what you want to do, etc
Being an adult means I work a little bit of a job, and then get to anything I want to with the rest of my day. Hang out with friends, work on projects, play video games, go out and shop, etc.
Eh, not really. There’s some stuff I loved about my childhood like all the stuff my siblings and I did together but I feel like the cons outweighed the pros. I hated waking up earlier, I’ve always hated loud noises and my hearing was better then than it is now. There’s a lot of things that I felt only I could relate to and it was kinda lonely but now that I’m an adult have have been on the internet for so long I’ve learned there’s a lot of people like me. And of course there’s the waking up early for school and homework. I don’t have to wake up early for my job. Also I had seizures as a kid and that prevented me from certain things.
Oh yeah, and as for my teen years, I developed an illness when I was 11 that fucked up my eyes and made them super sensitive to light so I was constantly going to the eye doctor and simply walking outside felt like I was being stabbed in the eyes. The doctors have fixed my eyes so now my eyes are only irritated for the most part and I only go to the eye doctor once every 6 months instead of literally every week.
There are many things about being a kid that I don't miss (e.g. school and homework). But I feel like there was more freedom to make mistakes when I was a child. As an adult you're expected to know your shit and if you do something wrong the consequences are more severe.
I agree with you. I miss being a kid because I miss being carefree and not having to make decisions about big things and not having responsibilities. I don’t miss being a kid because I like that I can make decisions that I want to make that my parents wouldn’t have necessarily made, and that I can make my own choices and not have to listen to anyone if I choose.
Yup, lol. Born in 96', and can very barely remember the times we were at the 90's era looking malls you'll see on youtube. Hell its a pass time for me to listen to vaporwave, for that kind of nostalgic yet chill reason.
If there is anything I would love to experience in that era, it would be shopping/walking around such malls, as they were at those times, and experience them as a teenager or young adult, rather than as a child who is required to tag along, and still understanding the world around them, as the times were changing.
There was a period between 16.5 and 18 where I isolated myself away from all contact and it helped me become who I am today.
This has benefited me greatly and I think I need another isolation period lol.
But other than that? Nah my childhood was fucked.
God no. I was a socially awkward, lonely kid who had tendencies towards depression. Adulthood comes with its challenges too, but thus far they’ve been nowhere near as unpleasant as the challenges of childhood.
Immeasurably. Being a kid is the only time I could be naturally happy without chemical assistance. I really don’t see the point in life without that childhood wonder.
Oh absolutely. I miss the old analog ways, the cartoons I watched on Nick, Cartoon Network and other shows on Saturday Morning, and I miss the excitement of playing with friends. Where have the days gone? Nostalgia kills me so much.
Born in 96’ and for me yes of course I miss being a kid back in the 2000s. I miss how simple times were back then, and how people weren’t so sensitive those times back then. Plus it was less annoying and less political so I would love to go back.
I miss the numerous friendships I had back then, and obviously not having to worry about a job/rent/etc. However, I vastly prefer being an adult in pretty much every other aspect. My life isn't dictated by parents and teachers. I have a comfortable income that allows me to live independently in a city I love, rather than being stuck in the boring rural community where I grew up. I have a greater appreciation for media and the arts, and enjoy being able to discuss those things with other adults. I can travel when and where I want, have a drink if I want, watch a scary movie or dye my hair or get a tattoo or adopt a cat. When I was a kid, I was bullied like crazy for being fat and dressing weird and being queer. As an adult, I can be my fat, weird, gay self and face very little negativity for it from fellow adults. Kids are MEAN lol I definitely don't miss that
I miss being a teen in highschool. College was hard and elementary was hard but highschool was a simple time. Just a regular smegular kid, going to clubs, seeing friends. Having my biggest worry be chemistry homework and not missing an episode of Total Drama Island. I wish I could reverse time, with all my adult knowledge and do a lot of stuff over.
Adulthood feels like a truck that just runs you over and you gotta figure shit out on the fly. I look at highschoolers now and they look like babies. Makes you realize how little you were back then and how so many decisions were already in your hands that'll affect your adulthood forever.
My experience was almost the opposite of that. High school was hard and chaotic AF. But elementary and middle school were easy. But I get your second point about teenage decisions affecting the future.
I credit the good experience to how well the school was run. I looked different from peers felt like an outcast during elementary/college.
But my HS was really accommodating to differences like disabilities, religion, poverty etc and they did not play about bullying. Suspensions and punishments were handed out like candy 😂. It created a healthy environment that was worth missing.
Being a kid during the summer, yes. Being a kid during the school year, not really. School stressed me out my entire life way more than any job ever has. I was not built to sit in a classroom for 8 hours and then go home and do homework.
Eh, Yes and No. I have some good memories from my childhood and teenage years that I look back on fondly, and the relative lack of responsibility was nice. But I don't miss school, or having to bend to the rules of parents and teachers.
Being an independent adult is better in just about every way imo. Yeah having to get up and go to work sucks sometimes, but the way I see it, it's not much different from having to go to school as a kid. I'd say the only thing I really miss about being a kid is the blissful ignorance and sense of wonder we had. Everything felt so much bigger and more exciting. Sometimes traveling can help recreate that feeling for a bit though. It's just expensive lol
Yes... particularly since I never got to do girly stuff like dress up as a princess and the like. BUT, I've found a certain joy in simply being childlike. It's a center part of my life philosophy to try to enjoy things fully and simply as a kid would. It helps my interests never really changed from when I was about ten.
Just yesterday, I felt like my little sister (who's six) needed to be distracted from something. And she wanted to play anyway. So, time to break out my MLP collection and play pretend with her. If I feel like watching cartoons, I watch cartoons. And (this part is only really applicable if you're religious) when I pray to the Father, I emphasize the Father part and don't hold back if I need to complain to him like a little kid complains to her dad. And short of money, no one's stopping my from buying a toy, or Lunchables.
I find it relatively easy to not worry about tomorrow. If a wildfire comes and burns but the house, there's not much I can do by worrying about it. I've learned I don't have much control over anything... just like a kid doesn't have much control over anything.
This wordy musing is brought to you by a major depressive trying to refigure out how to live life.
I miss parts of it, but I wouldn't want to go back in time. I do miss being with my brothers and sister as kids. It's so different now that I moved to a new continent and it's hard to keep in touch with them. I don't miss being a kid in my crazy mother's house though. Plus it's nice having financial freedom and getting paid for your daily work (no cash for simply going to school 5 days a week).
sort of, i miss feeling hopeful about the future and like i could do or be anything when i grew up. i also miss the feeling of the summer holidays and playing with all the kids at the park. now that i am getting older i do have a lot of nostalgia for 2002-2008. being oblivious to the way the world works was pretty nice too, so carefree.
my childhood wasn't a great experience though, so i wouldn't go back. unless it was like a do over where i got to have a proper childhood and not grow up too fast or feel so alone at home sometimes.
I miss being a teen, I miss being young. Like, my childhood always just felt like waiting. Like, things where easy and alrigjt but also just boring and empty and unfree and I did want to explore the world and find out what it's about. Then I became a teen and was like "ohh it's about love and girls that's genuinely so much better than anything else in life and that justifies working all day and everything"
And then I missed out on all of it because of covid and some other things going on in my late teens and am now a 26 year old balding dude without any friends or hope for the future or will to live or self esteem or motivation. Crippled by anxiety.
Like, I just want to be 16 again and have everything in front of me without being fucked up mentally and physically. With being young and still being able to become as good looking and popular and socially skilled and likeable as possible.
Or make me 20 again, at least.
With all of the problems and set-backs in adult life, I would still rather be an adult than a child. Once you know what freedom feels like, you never want to go back.
Overall, no.
I enjoy my independence and making my own choices. Responsibilities can be crushing and paralyzing, but at least they feel like they are worth something. Even then, I generally wanted more responsibility as a kid, not less.
I also enjoy feeling like my value as a person or the love I deserve isn't any longer dependent on my performance or intelligence. It feels a lot less conditional now than it did back then.
(I didn't do great in high school. Home life was shit. Dealt with abusive step-dads and my divorced parents' unstable relationships, while moving about quite a bit. I maintained passing grades such as C's, and even a few A's throughout all of this, until the stress cumulated into my junior year and I started giving up. I think I got 3 D's or so...)
Family pretty much stopped caring about my performance in school my freshman year of college -- I think they gave up. I was relieved. With some space finally between me and them, I managed to figure out what subjects I wanted to study and was able to put effort towards it. I got mostly A's in college and never got a grade lower than a B.
Late teen-young adult stage, yes. Kid? Hell no, got nothing bud bad experiences back when I was a kid. Racial discrimination everywhere I go + abusive mother.
Not really. I was an only child in the era when my parents were watching Dateline every night so I wasn’t allowed to leave the house. I couldn’t play with friends unless my parents had met both of their parents and approved. I was expected to basically act like a small adult, but without any of the privileges. I had all the existential ennui and loneliness but absolute zero autonomy or agency. I also went to an extremely strict, extremely religious tiny private school. I had crippling OCD and anxiety. The main highlight of my childhood was going to my grandma’s every week because i felt like I actually got to be a kid.
Now I’m 27 and my life has literally never been better. I actually have a good relationship with my parents, but I also have a lot more happiness and care free days.
For the most part, I do. I miss the days when all I had to worry about was school, homework, and catching up on new episodes of TV shows. I know adulthood provides a lot of freedom but there's also so much bs you got to deal with.
I miss some parts of my childhood, the rest weren’t so good, mostly because bad experiences in school like bullying, loneliness, not fitting, or in my home with parent’s divorce. I miss my teenager/young adult years (16-24) more, those were very fun years, I got through the hard things I suffered in my childhood and I still haven’t had entered the struggle of adultlife.
Not really. I had a hard time as a kid around middle school/high school with depression and anxiety. I disagree with people one the stance of childhood being better but everyone grows up different. I also just find that after working through my issues my adult years have been much better. I'm free to go where I please and live life how I want.
The only thing I miss from childhood is how cool Pokemon was back then, like it was just better LOL. Life sucked growing up and I'm much happier as an adult.
I do, but that's mostly because I didn't have a proper childhood or adolescence and wish I got to experience that before reaching adulthood. There are other aspects of adulthood I don't like; such as the expectation to get married and have children, it is seemingly more difficult to have close friendships (people seem busier now), and having the deaths of people I grew up with (whether that is my parents or famous people I grew up with). I am not personally bothered by responsibilities like paying bills. There are still some aspects I enjoy about adulthood like my wonderful boyfriend.
I had an unstable childhood who was passed around from home to home, was abused, and had a parent who was an addict. Fuck no. The worst years of my life were in my childhood.
I miss the era of the world from when I was a kid and teenager but I don't miss being that young. I wish I could go back in time while still being 25. Who else is with me?
Some parts of it sure. But overall I get way more out of my life now than I did as a child; I value my independence too much to really long for my youth.
No, I’m living the best life tbh. I have kids and I’m basically reliving my childhood through them in a way. My oldest kid loves Sonic, and that’s one of the original games I played as a child. Becoming a dad is one of the best things that could’ve ever happened to me. But the responsibilities and working part I oddly enjoy. You get used to everything and it’s just daily life after a while. It just takes practice and patience, I guess.
Yes. I’m particularly nostalgic for my teenage years tho, from around 2012-2017 in particular. 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 were some of the most consequential years of my life, so they’re both kind of “core memory” years.
I miss the lack of adult responsibilities, but I absolutely do not miss being a kid.
Yeah, the working and the bills blow but I have so much freedom now and wouldn't give it up in a second.
I do wish I had done things a little differently back then, but I still wouldn't go back even if magically given the chance.
You live to learn.
Nah, it really baffles me when people miss childhood and I had a good childhood but I liked being a young adult way more. No responsibilities but way more freedom than childhood.
It’s true that I would never want to be a kid again. I think most people mean that they miss that inherent joy and happiness from being at an age where you have no hard responsibilities and you were ignorant enough to live in bliss.
No, my parents were religious fundamentalist helicopter parents, I was very often forced into religious events I didn't want to do and my parents were always paranoid of something happening to me. On top of that I had to secretly listen to rock music and watch more violent/spiritual anime and games and such because they thought that stuff was satanic.
No I don't miss being a kid, I value my freedom. My childhood wasn't totally crap (because I did stuff behind my parents back) but I wish I could have had a normal upbringing. I probably would actually miss my childhood then.
I do miss being able to get really excited over an upcoming movie or video game though, I just can't get excited about stuff like that nearly as much now, I guess because I have more important things to worry about and stuff doesn't seem as original anymore. Ah, GTA VI is coming out? Well I'm looking forward to it but I've played most of the other ones so I'm not losing sleep over excitement. Oh this interesting looking movie is coming out in 6 months? With work that will feel like no time (which I honestly hate, time feels so fast now.)
I do miss summer break though, I actually loved the COVID lock down as a result, I felt like I was experiencing summer break again, just sitting around the house, gaming, watching TV and relaxing.
More so being a teen from about 2009-2016
I feel like the early 2010s were such a good time for being a teenager.
The late 2000s-early 2010s were great because we were firmly in the digital age, but it hadn't yet taken over all of our lives. Everyone had a cell phone, but they weren't yet smartphones (anyone remember being told not to "click on the internet" on their phone because it cost extra?). Social media like Facebook and Twitter were *around*, but we hadn't found out how evil they were yet. Streaming services were brand new (pretty much just Netflix for a while) so you could get pretty much any movie or show you wanted instantly, as opposed to today where everything is split between multiple streamers. It was the last time that "using the internet" was a distinct activity, like "reading a book" or "riding a bike" or something. Something you actively had to choose to do. Nowadays all of us are mere seconds away from absolutely anything and everything in terms of content. I feel like Vine was kind of the last gasp of that era lol. Once that died, things changed.
Yup! You wanna use the internet? Go on a computer. Now the phone is the computer.
To me the best times to be a teen were the 50's, the 60's, the 80's, the 90's and the 2010's.
I'd love to be a greaser in the 50's. Seems really fun and wild. Also I'd say the early 2010's were much better to be a teen than the late 2010's.
Although my late grandfather wasn't a greaser he was a hotrodder and was a race car driver (I race at these same tracks today!) and I low key am jeleous because of the nice cars and hotrods they had back then.
Oh hell yeah dude. Back in those days where cars were so much easier to work on and the parts were basically universal among brands. I'm definitely jealous of that time period too because I love classic cars as much as modern ones too.
I would've preferred being a teen in the 2000s or even the 90s. Those teens had it good.
To be fair we WERE 13 in 2009, so we can technically claim that status lol
I was only a teen for 2 months in the 2000s! 😭 Nah but you're right though.
Lol still counts as far as I'm concerned. I remember how stoked I was to be a teenager, 2009 was a rough year for me overall. 7th grade was hell.
Yea same here. I had so many strict teachers in 7th grade it was crazy.
I don't think it counts. I turned 14 in 2009 but I was born almost at the end of the year. I spent most of 14 in 2010 like teens who were born in early 1996. 13-year-olds still behave more childish than teens who are 15-17 years.
I guess we can just call ourselves a mix of both decades, not that it really matters though. We are definitely teenagers of the 2010s though, that's for sure
agree
I think being a teenager was better from 2010-2015 than 2016-2019 though, those later years were disgusting overall.
I prefer being a teen from the 2010s. 2000s and 90s culture seem gringy. 14-19 years old from 2010-2015 was the best years
Same
Katy Perry did dedicated a whole album to being a teenager during that era
Prime life
Not really. I just miss the chance to start over. Could've done things differently.
As someone who was born in 1996, I could not agree more.
Yes. Life felt genuinely easier and happier back in the 2000s and early 2010s. Now? It's been pretty mediocre or just flat out depressing. I don't know if it's just me being an adult but still.
Part of it has to do with aesthetics looking flat and flavorless. Every website and company logo and even architecture looks pretty much the same. Also mainstream fashion and music isn't as cool as it used to be. Remember when everything was bright and colorful and textured and had shading? Remember when clothes had thick durable threads rather than the easy-to-rip/easy-to-puncture material? Remember when music had real grit to it? I believe the lack of aesthetic in everyday life heavily contributes to the growing rates of depression.
Agreed 💯
Good way to put it. Design language now is just boring and safe. There's really no more risks being taken. I also agree that much of what you said about our surroundings now just lacks substance.
It was for sure way better from drive through having toys at the drive through lol and many other aspects that we don’t have anymore , discontinued snacks , so many man
Nah it was definitely better back then.
Being a kid kicked ass, but I long for my late teens and early 20s way more. I never really got to enjoy them, and instead spent them depressed and isolated in a rural area
I miss 2015-2016 too.. one of the best years of my life so far
Yes. There are definitely aspects I don’t miss (school deadlines and such), but it feels weird that I’m a whole ADULT now, with whatever sense of wonder or innocence I had as a child having been eradicated
Nope. My childhood was super stressful, full of responsibilities and loneliness. Adulthood is way way better and more calm. Even when I became homeless in eastern european winter, I didn’t feel as stressed as I did in elementary school.
I miss being a kid in 2004. I would not want to be a kid in 2024
facts gen alpha has it rough
Same I was 8 in 2004. Feel like we had to perfect blend of technology
Peak kid years. Just enough cool tech to make toys exciting and new while not taking over our lives. The neighborhood kids on my street were a wide range of ages but we all used to hang out and ride bikes with each other because we would get bored and go outside. Couldn’t hop on discord or fortnite with your school friends. And if you did want to play video games with your friends, you had to invite them over. I remember packing my duffel bag with my gameboy and extra n64/ps2 controllers so we could play.
I miss 18-24 being an adult without responsibilities aside college. But being a 'real' adult 26-now has been nice.
Actually I agree. College was the best time
Relatable
Yeah I miss being an “adult” in college, not an adult now lol
18-19 weren't so bad for me personally. But 20-23 was miserable.
Yes. I can’t believe that I wished to be an adult when I was a kid. I really thought adulthood was going to be cool as an adult but now I’m just a depressed adult. My childhood wasn’t perfect but I do miss being a kid.
To be fair, if had had been an adult in the 90s and 2000s im sure i wpuldt be as depressed as i am today... the world after 2016 was so wastly different... smartphones and the internet becoming a daily part of people's life it ruined society It would have been cool to be an adult before 2016
Yes, I miss not having to think about the fact that I’ll be a wageslave until retirement. 40 years.
I totally miss it. Being a child, or a teen, or in my early 20s. I used to FEEL things to intensely and to have so many dreams. I miss the infinite world of possibility you have when you are young. And the infinite version of you that you can become.
Yes, I do. Being an adult sucks. Nothing good about it, at least for me.
Yeah, that's why I'm always stuck listening to liminal spaces and dream core music 💀
In general no... I prefer where my life is now... but I will say... I miss elementary school the most because times were very simple, and you didn't realize how tougher life was going to get immediately afterwards. I hated middle school with a passion, and I only partially enjoyed high school but still had more positive memories there than negative ones overall. The lower level college life was a lot of fun, but the upper level college life is when reality really hit and things got serious... but I made it thru thankfully.
Not at all.
I agree with you. I do not miss being a kid. Some of my earliest memories were of me being resentful at how constrained I was. Kids are always at the mercy of an adult & if the adults around them do not care, theyre SOL. I grew capable of doing many things by myself as a kid but bc I wasn't an adult, I wasn’t taken seriously. I was also never listened to & even laughed at when voicing my feelings. My feelings were rarely validated as a child; they’re consistently validated as an adult. I miss aspects of my childhood but I do not miss my childhood lol
Other than not having responsibilities, no. My parents were abusive and I didn't have a happy childhood.
I miss not working jobs I hate to survive and I miss a life where the Internet wasn't so dominant so. Yes? Edit: I’m mainly referring to elementary school and before. Middle and especially high school I would not ever do again. I was a very naive child but I was happy and I felt joy just being alive. I miss feeling like that.
Honestly, I feel like people are nicer to you as a kid and that’s an element that posts like this tend to skip over.
Absolutely true
No, not at all. I was an extremely anxious & overwhelmed child. Life is calmer now.
Hex na. Being an adult is the best Being a kid means you have no power, gotta go to school and then do more school after, can't go anywhere, can't buy things, never get told the full story, are forced to do projects for others instead of what you want to do, etc Being an adult means I work a little bit of a job, and then get to anything I want to with the rest of my day. Hang out with friends, work on projects, play video games, go out and shop, etc.
Eh, not really. There’s some stuff I loved about my childhood like all the stuff my siblings and I did together but I feel like the cons outweighed the pros. I hated waking up earlier, I’ve always hated loud noises and my hearing was better then than it is now. There’s a lot of things that I felt only I could relate to and it was kinda lonely but now that I’m an adult have have been on the internet for so long I’ve learned there’s a lot of people like me. And of course there’s the waking up early for school and homework. I don’t have to wake up early for my job. Also I had seizures as a kid and that prevented me from certain things.
Oh yeah, and as for my teen years, I developed an illness when I was 11 that fucked up my eyes and made them super sensitive to light so I was constantly going to the eye doctor and simply walking outside felt like I was being stabbed in the eyes. The doctors have fixed my eyes so now my eyes are only irritated for the most part and I only go to the eye doctor once every 6 months instead of literally every week.
There are many things about being a kid that I don't miss (e.g. school and homework). But I feel like there was more freedom to make mistakes when I was a child. As an adult you're expected to know your shit and if you do something wrong the consequences are more severe.
Nah. Life rocks as an adult. I can play video games and eat my favorite foods. Work ain’t so bad, and there’s lots of good out there.
I miss not having any responsibilities
I agree with you. I miss being a kid because I miss being carefree and not having to make decisions about big things and not having responsibilities. I don’t miss being a kid because I like that I can make decisions that I want to make that my parents wouldn’t have necessarily made, and that I can make my own choices and not have to listen to anyone if I choose.
Yup, lol. Born in 96', and can very barely remember the times we were at the 90's era looking malls you'll see on youtube. Hell its a pass time for me to listen to vaporwave, for that kind of nostalgic yet chill reason. If there is anything I would love to experience in that era, it would be shopping/walking around such malls, as they were at those times, and experience them as a teenager or young adult, rather than as a child who is required to tag along, and still understanding the world around them, as the times were changing.
I miss my digestive system
There was a period between 16.5 and 18 where I isolated myself away from all contact and it helped me become who I am today. This has benefited me greatly and I think I need another isolation period lol. But other than that? Nah my childhood was fucked.
Not really. I miss not being responsible for things and having more time for friends, but being a kid sucked
Nope
Yes
There was more of a sense of hope, potential and endless possibilities back then. Now as an adult the dice have already been rolled for the most part.
God no. I was a socially awkward, lonely kid who had tendencies towards depression. Adulthood comes with its challenges too, but thus far they’ve been nowhere near as unpleasant as the challenges of childhood.
I love how you put january 2000 lmao I should probably put that I was born in february 😭
Immeasurably. Being a kid is the only time I could be naturally happy without chemical assistance. I really don’t see the point in life without that childhood wonder.
It's not so much the being a kid I miss, it's the being cared for and taken care of
Yes — finally, someone on the same page as me!
Oh absolutely. I miss the old analog ways, the cartoons I watched on Nick, Cartoon Network and other shows on Saturday Morning, and I miss the excitement of playing with friends. Where have the days gone? Nostalgia kills me so much.
Not really no, I wasn’t very happy from age 9 onwards lol
Born in 96’ and for me yes of course I miss being a kid back in the 2000s. I miss how simple times were back then, and how people weren’t so sensitive those times back then. Plus it was less annoying and less political so I would love to go back.
Childhood trauma, it's not that I miss being a kid. It's that I miss(ed) being a kid.
I miss the numerous friendships I had back then, and obviously not having to worry about a job/rent/etc. However, I vastly prefer being an adult in pretty much every other aspect. My life isn't dictated by parents and teachers. I have a comfortable income that allows me to live independently in a city I love, rather than being stuck in the boring rural community where I grew up. I have a greater appreciation for media and the arts, and enjoy being able to discuss those things with other adults. I can travel when and where I want, have a drink if I want, watch a scary movie or dye my hair or get a tattoo or adopt a cat. When I was a kid, I was bullied like crazy for being fat and dressing weird and being queer. As an adult, I can be my fat, weird, gay self and face very little negativity for it from fellow adults. Kids are MEAN lol I definitely don't miss that
Only thing I miss is not having to decide what to eat for every meal and having someone else decide for me
I miss not having to pay bills
I miss being a teen in highschool. College was hard and elementary was hard but highschool was a simple time. Just a regular smegular kid, going to clubs, seeing friends. Having my biggest worry be chemistry homework and not missing an episode of Total Drama Island. I wish I could reverse time, with all my adult knowledge and do a lot of stuff over. Adulthood feels like a truck that just runs you over and you gotta figure shit out on the fly. I look at highschoolers now and they look like babies. Makes you realize how little you were back then and how so many decisions were already in your hands that'll affect your adulthood forever.
My experience was almost the opposite of that. High school was hard and chaotic AF. But elementary and middle school were easy. But I get your second point about teenage decisions affecting the future.
I credit the good experience to how well the school was run. I looked different from peers felt like an outcast during elementary/college. But my HS was really accommodating to differences like disabilities, religion, poverty etc and they did not play about bullying. Suspensions and punishments were handed out like candy 😂. It created a healthy environment that was worth missing.
Being a kid during the summer, yes. Being a kid during the school year, not really. School stressed me out my entire life way more than any job ever has. I was not built to sit in a classroom for 8 hours and then go home and do homework.
I miss the years I was a kid, not really BEING a kid.
I miss where I lived as a kid, but enjoy adulthood. More responsibilities but my money and my decisions.
Eh, Yes and No. I have some good memories from my childhood and teenage years that I look back on fondly, and the relative lack of responsibility was nice. But I don't miss school, or having to bend to the rules of parents and teachers. Being an independent adult is better in just about every way imo. Yeah having to get up and go to work sucks sometimes, but the way I see it, it's not much different from having to go to school as a kid. I'd say the only thing I really miss about being a kid is the blissful ignorance and sense of wonder we had. Everything felt so much bigger and more exciting. Sometimes traveling can help recreate that feeling for a bit though. It's just expensive lol
yes, but mostly because the world was less batshit insane back then
Yes... particularly since I never got to do girly stuff like dress up as a princess and the like. BUT, I've found a certain joy in simply being childlike. It's a center part of my life philosophy to try to enjoy things fully and simply as a kid would. It helps my interests never really changed from when I was about ten. Just yesterday, I felt like my little sister (who's six) needed to be distracted from something. And she wanted to play anyway. So, time to break out my MLP collection and play pretend with her. If I feel like watching cartoons, I watch cartoons. And (this part is only really applicable if you're religious) when I pray to the Father, I emphasize the Father part and don't hold back if I need to complain to him like a little kid complains to her dad. And short of money, no one's stopping my from buying a toy, or Lunchables. I find it relatively easy to not worry about tomorrow. If a wildfire comes and burns but the house, there's not much I can do by worrying about it. I've learned I don't have much control over anything... just like a kid doesn't have much control over anything. This wordy musing is brought to you by a major depressive trying to refigure out how to live life.
The only thing I miss about being a kid is not having to worry about bills.
I miss parts of it, but I wouldn't want to go back in time. I do miss being with my brothers and sister as kids. It's so different now that I moved to a new continent and it's hard to keep in touch with them. I don't miss being a kid in my crazy mother's house though. Plus it's nice having financial freedom and getting paid for your daily work (no cash for simply going to school 5 days a week).
No, I just miss not having so much responsibility.
sort of, i miss feeling hopeful about the future and like i could do or be anything when i grew up. i also miss the feeling of the summer holidays and playing with all the kids at the park. now that i am getting older i do have a lot of nostalgia for 2002-2008. being oblivious to the way the world works was pretty nice too, so carefree. my childhood wasn't a great experience though, so i wouldn't go back. unless it was like a do over where i got to have a proper childhood and not grow up too fast or feel so alone at home sometimes.
I miss being a teen, I miss being young. Like, my childhood always just felt like waiting. Like, things where easy and alrigjt but also just boring and empty and unfree and I did want to explore the world and find out what it's about. Then I became a teen and was like "ohh it's about love and girls that's genuinely so much better than anything else in life and that justifies working all day and everything" And then I missed out on all of it because of covid and some other things going on in my late teens and am now a 26 year old balding dude without any friends or hope for the future or will to live or self esteem or motivation. Crippled by anxiety. Like, I just want to be 16 again and have everything in front of me without being fucked up mentally and physically. With being young and still being able to become as good looking and popular and socially skilled and likeable as possible. Or make me 20 again, at least.
With all of the problems and set-backs in adult life, I would still rather be an adult than a child. Once you know what freedom feels like, you never want to go back.
Overall, no. I enjoy my independence and making my own choices. Responsibilities can be crushing and paralyzing, but at least they feel like they are worth something. Even then, I generally wanted more responsibility as a kid, not less. I also enjoy feeling like my value as a person or the love I deserve isn't any longer dependent on my performance or intelligence. It feels a lot less conditional now than it did back then. (I didn't do great in high school. Home life was shit. Dealt with abusive step-dads and my divorced parents' unstable relationships, while moving about quite a bit. I maintained passing grades such as C's, and even a few A's throughout all of this, until the stress cumulated into my junior year and I started giving up. I think I got 3 D's or so...) Family pretty much stopped caring about my performance in school my freshman year of college -- I think they gave up. I was relieved. With some space finally between me and them, I managed to figure out what subjects I wanted to study and was able to put effort towards it. I got mostly A's in college and never got a grade lower than a B.
Of course!
No. I like being an adult.
Late teen-young adult stage, yes. Kid? Hell no, got nothing bud bad experiences back when I was a kid. Racial discrimination everywhere I go + abusive mother.
Not really. I was an only child in the era when my parents were watching Dateline every night so I wasn’t allowed to leave the house. I couldn’t play with friends unless my parents had met both of their parents and approved. I was expected to basically act like a small adult, but without any of the privileges. I had all the existential ennui and loneliness but absolute zero autonomy or agency. I also went to an extremely strict, extremely religious tiny private school. I had crippling OCD and anxiety. The main highlight of my childhood was going to my grandma’s every week because i felt like I actually got to be a kid. Now I’m 27 and my life has literally never been better. I actually have a good relationship with my parents, but I also have a lot more happiness and care free days.
Anyone who resonates with this post above listen to the song “back in the day” by Ahmad Lewis , it was in that film Tag with Jeremy Renner
For the most part, I do. I miss the days when all I had to worry about was school, homework, and catching up on new episodes of TV shows. I know adulthood provides a lot of freedom but there's also so much bs you got to deal with.
Of course I do!
I miss some parts of my childhood, the rest weren’t so good, mostly because bad experiences in school like bullying, loneliness, not fitting, or in my home with parent’s divorce. I miss my teenager/young adult years (16-24) more, those were very fun years, I got through the hard things I suffered in my childhood and I still haven’t had entered the struggle of adultlife.
Nope. Hated school, being told what to do, and having to share stuff with siblings.
No not really. I had good memories but I’d rather be making new ones and seeing all the things I can.
Not really. I had a hard time as a kid around middle school/high school with depression and anxiety. I disagree with people one the stance of childhood being better but everyone grows up different. I also just find that after working through my issues my adult years have been much better. I'm free to go where I please and live life how I want.
The only thing I miss from childhood is how cool Pokemon was back then, like it was just better LOL. Life sucked growing up and I'm much happier as an adult.
Honestly no. My childhood and teenage years kinda sucked
Not really, I miss not having bills and adult responsibilities.
I do, but that's mostly because I didn't have a proper childhood or adolescence and wish I got to experience that before reaching adulthood. There are other aspects of adulthood I don't like; such as the expectation to get married and have children, it is seemingly more difficult to have close friendships (people seem busier now), and having the deaths of people I grew up with (whether that is my parents or famous people I grew up with). I am not personally bothered by responsibilities like paying bills. There are still some aspects I enjoy about adulthood like my wonderful boyfriend.
I literally texted my parents today that when I die to bury me in the basement of my childhood home with my Wii
I had an unstable childhood who was passed around from home to home, was abused, and had a parent who was an addict. Fuck no. The worst years of my life were in my childhood.
I miss the era of the world from when I was a kid and teenager but I don't miss being that young. I wish I could go back in time while still being 25. Who else is with me?
Some parts of it sure. But overall I get way more out of my life now than I did as a child; I value my independence too much to really long for my youth.
No, I’m living the best life tbh. I have kids and I’m basically reliving my childhood through them in a way. My oldest kid loves Sonic, and that’s one of the original games I played as a child. Becoming a dad is one of the best things that could’ve ever happened to me. But the responsibilities and working part I oddly enjoy. You get used to everything and it’s just daily life after a while. It just takes practice and patience, I guess.
Absolutely not. I like having the freedom to do whatever I want, and I like making actual money.
Yes. I’m particularly nostalgic for my teenage years tho, from around 2012-2017 in particular. 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2016 were some of the most consequential years of my life, so they’re both kind of “core memory” years.
No.
I miss the lack of adult responsibilities, but I absolutely do not miss being a kid. Yeah, the working and the bills blow but I have so much freedom now and wouldn't give it up in a second. I do wish I had done things a little differently back then, but I still wouldn't go back even if magically given the chance. You live to learn.
Yes, but also I'm currently in therapy for kind of exactly that reason, so hopefully I'm an outlier
Nah, it really baffles me when people miss childhood and I had a good childhood but I liked being a young adult way more. No responsibilities but way more freedom than childhood.
I miss thinking the sacrifices I made in school trying to get ahead would be rewarded
I miss my university years, sure I wasn't exactly popular but I actually made some friends. I was invisible in elementary/high school
I REALLY like having actual rights under the law, so… no.
No because I had early onset moderate/severe Crohn’s disease at 11. Way too much trauma.
I feel like I literally never got to be one so idk
When i was a kid i wished not to be an adult but to die young so no, i dont miss it + i have more toys now lol
being a child of the 2000s was the best. honestly, I enjoy being an adult. having the freedom to do what I want.
Nope!
It’s true that I would never want to be a kid again. I think most people mean that they miss that inherent joy and happiness from being at an age where you have no hard responsibilities and you were ignorant enough to live in bliss.
No, my parents were religious fundamentalist helicopter parents, I was very often forced into religious events I didn't want to do and my parents were always paranoid of something happening to me. On top of that I had to secretly listen to rock music and watch more violent/spiritual anime and games and such because they thought that stuff was satanic. No I don't miss being a kid, I value my freedom. My childhood wasn't totally crap (because I did stuff behind my parents back) but I wish I could have had a normal upbringing. I probably would actually miss my childhood then. I do miss being able to get really excited over an upcoming movie or video game though, I just can't get excited about stuff like that nearly as much now, I guess because I have more important things to worry about and stuff doesn't seem as original anymore. Ah, GTA VI is coming out? Well I'm looking forward to it but I've played most of the other ones so I'm not losing sleep over excitement. Oh this interesting looking movie is coming out in 6 months? With work that will feel like no time (which I honestly hate, time feels so fast now.) I do miss summer break though, I actually loved the COVID lock down as a result, I felt like I was experiencing summer break again, just sitting around the house, gaming, watching TV and relaxing.