90s Tech and Tunes That Shaped Childhood Before WiFi and Reels

Rewinding Time with Our Favorite Gadgets and Grooves
90s Tech and Tunes That Shaped Childhood Before WiFi and Reels
Published on

Technology is moving faster than ever today, but sadly, our patience is slowing down. Growing up with 90s tech was a real experience. Even without the instant features we have now, we had so many fun and interesting gadgets that gave us unforgettable memories. So, as we take a trip down memory lane, here are some classic throwbacks to the 90s tech and tunes that shaped our childhood.

VHS Video Cassette Tape

Back in the 90s we had these VHS video cassette tape. All you had to do was insert the tape into the video player and wait for the movie start. Whether it was Kuch Kuch Hota Hai, Jurassic Park, Matilda, or Titanic, each tape had a handwritten label. We had to take care of the VHS because if the tapes got some scratches, the movie would have constant freezes, show weird colours and make strange noises.

Classic 90s Tech - Nintendo Game Boy

Super Mario was one of the favourite games in Game Boy. Collect the coins, beat the enemies, avoid the mushroom, reach for the flag and rescue the princess. Remember you had three lives so you had to try not to die to reach the next level. The best was competing with your siblings and your cousins and asking which level you reached.

Boxy CRT TVs

Remember those big, boxy CRT TVs we had before flat screens took over? It wasn’t HD, but sure made Hum Aapke Hain Koun feel like a blockbuster. There was also no such thing as binge watching, but we did take turns banging the side when the picture glitched. Also, buffering didn’t exist. The screen just froze and gaslighted you into thinking it was normal.

Internet Connection Sounds

Don't we miss the beeps, screeches, static noises and the buffering when we had to connect to the internet? Back then, it tested all of our patience and honestly we deserved a medal for waiting through it. Today everything is so fast faced that even a 15 seconds delay feels unbearable. Our attention spans have shrunk, but those slow internet days taught us what real patience looked like.

Cassette Songs

Cassette was our Spotify back then. It could be played in many devices from boom boxes, car stereos and cassette players. Most Thais or Thai Indians who grew up in the 90s will be familiar with "Sao Baw". Sound quality was definitely not like today's Spotify, and you had to ensure the tapes didn't get stuck or break. Anyhow, it was great for its time, as you could record your own songs and even make mix tapes.

The Big Fat CRT Monitor

It was big, heavy and took a lot of space. It took time to turn on, and sometimes the screens were even blurry and flickery. However, computers were still considered incredibly cool and part of the evolving world of 90s tech in the 1990s.

Photo Credit: r/retrobattlestations, Reddit

Intercom Telephones at Home

Intercom telephones were a big thing in homes and offices back then. You could press just one or two buttons to talk to someone in another room. Some families even had them set up between nearby houses or apartments, so cousins or neighbours could easily chat. It felt high-tech at the time, and it made staying connected super easy and fun.

Floppy Disks

Flobby disks were the USB drives of the 90s. The storage was however, much smaller. You could save files, move files from one computer to another, install software and even back up small data but only 1.44MB. Today, with Cloud, you get unlimited storage depending on the plans.

Ivan Radic

Famicom Clone (TV Game Box)

The TV Game Box had so many fun games. I remember playing Circus Charlie, where you ride animals like lions and jump through fire rings. There were other fun games too, like Super Mario, Contra, Duck Hunt, and Tank 1990. We’d sit for hours with wired controllers, trying to beat levels and sharing turns with siblings, cousins or friends.

Photo Credit: Bootleg Games Wiki

Watching Cartoon Network on TV

Remember the good old shows like Popeye, Tom and Jerry, Scooby-Doo, and Johnny Bravo? We’d rush home, sit in front of the TV, and wait for our favorite cartoons to come on. Saturday mornings were golden. We would wake up late and watch cartoons while munching on Coco Crunch with milk.

Credit: Cartoon Network India

Stereo Boombox

Back in the day, there was no such thing as Spotify, but stereo boomboxes were the real deal in the 1980s and 1990s. They were big, bold, and loud, playing your favorite tapes with booming speakers. You could carry them around on your shoulder, but they were far from light. These days, all you need is a small phone which is indeed light and handy. With apps like Spotify, you just choose your song and hit play. Music got easier, but that boombox vibe was something else.

Sony Handycam or VHS Camcorder

I’m sure you remember seeing that Sony Handycam or big VHS camcorder at every birthday party. It was always either your dad or uncle behind it, recording everything. Most of our childhood videos from blowing the candles on the cake to funny dancing, are saved on those tapes. The camera was bulky, the zoom was slow, but it captured memories we still love watching today.

Photo Albums (Kodak Film Rolls)

Weird outfits, embarrassing photos, awkward school poses—those classic childhood moments were all captured on film. In the 1990s, we used Kodak film rolls with just 24 or 36 shots per roll. Every photo counted, so families took care in what they captured—but those funny moments still made it in!

After developing the film, the printed photos went straight into big photo albums at home. Today, we snap thousands of photos on our phones, store them in Google Drive or iCloud, and rarely print them. Albums are now rare, and so many memories just sit in digital folders, unseen.

Digital Alarm Clocks

Alarms in the 90s couldn’t track how many hours you slept, whether you snored, or how much you moved—but they sure managed to wake you up with a loud beep or the radio.

MS Paint & Solitaire on Windows 95/98

There was no endless reel to scroll but this was our version of fun. Clicking and dragging cards in Solitaire just for fun. Also drawing random things on paint using the spray tool and making funny shapes. It kept us occupied for hours, and honestly, it didn’t take much to feel entertained.

"Snake" Game on Dad's Nokia Phone

Before Candy Crush and today’s high-graphic games, we had the Nokia Snake game. Despite being black and white, it was super addictive. We kept playing even when the snakes got longer and the screen became smaller. Nowdays we have games with 3D graphics, multiplayer modes, and endless options. Anyhow, the snake game on a Nokia phone was a big hit.

As tech keeps evolving, it’s nice to pause and appreciate the simple magic of 90s tech we once grew up with.

Related Stories

No stories found.
Masala Magazine Thailand
www.masalathai.com