We (as a society) peaked in the 90s
This is one of those thoughts that just sits there and won’t leave me alone.
I honestly think we peaked in the late 90s. Maybe I’m doing that whole nostalgia thing, but hear me out. I’m not trying to say that “everything was better", but in a very specific balanced way that we absolutely peaked, then kind of fucked it to a degree.
Music, for example. Digital existed, but it was still an addition. Computers helped you make things louder, cleaner, faster. They didn’t replace the thing. You still needed a band, or a scene, or at least a mate who could actually play something or an image. You needed something. It felt human. Rough round the edges, but in a good way.
The web was exciting then. Genuinely exciting. It helped you. News, info, weird personal websites, forums about the most niche nonsense imaginable. You went on, got what you needed, maybe fell down a rabbit hole, then you went and made a cup of tea. It wasn’t your whole life. The satisfaction in finding out something after some digging was bloody brilliant.
Most folk didn’t really care about technology. They had a few things like a CD player, a games console or a phone that just worked to call and maybe text. You bought it, you owned it, and everyone kind of accepted it would die eventually. No subscriptions. No updates. No “ecosystem” shite. Just this is doing something for me right now.
Photos were just… photos. Film, printed/developed and either carefully organised or put a in biscuit tin. You took one because it mattered. You didn’t stand there firing off fifty versions of your own face and filter it. You waited to see them. Sometimes they were shite. Sometimes they were magic. That was the deal.
Everything was slower. Not in a relaxed complacent way. Just slower. You waited for stuff and nobody lost their mind about it. Waiting was normal.
Delayed gratification wasn’t a concept. Nobody had to write a book about it. It was just how life worked.
People worked hard, but it usually meant something tangible. You could point at it and say “I did that”. Not just emails and meetings and vibes.
If someone was into something, you knew. You couldn’t really fake passion because it took too much effort. You had to show up and own it.
Things came out slowly. Albums. Games. Software. That slowness gave them weight. You lived with them for a while instead of replacing them next week.
Small and medium local businesses actually mattered. They weren’t a lifestyle brand. They were just… work. They made jobs and communities. Places you knew. Money staying roughly where it was earned.
And honestly, one of the biggest things:
People didn’t really know that much about you.
And you didn’t know that much about them either.
And that was fine.
You could disappear for a bit. You could change. You could be half-formed without documenting and faking it.
I’m not saying the 90s were perfect. Plenty of stuff was grim.
But the balance was right.
We used tech without letting it own us.
Then somewhere along the line, that flipped.
Sorry for the rant but I wanted to ramble.
