There was once a time when the world wasn’t so publicized. When the young minds of the world were far more at peace and carefree. When pleasure was derived from long, philosophical discussions at 24-hour diners or late nights at the mall parking lot.
This was high school in the ‘90s. But how were these high schoolers spending their free time back in the day? What were they wearing? And what were hot topics in the classrooms?
From beepers and Walkmen to baby doll dresses and JNCOs, we’ll cover it all. Sit back and buckle up for this long ride of nostalgia!
What Was High School Like in the 1990s Compared to Today?
| Key Takeaways – 1990s high school culture: Students socialized in parking lots, chatted on landlines, and spent hours at the mall instead of scrolling through phones. – Fashion in the ’90s embraced grunge and skate culture: JNCO jeans, flannels, babydoll dresses, chokers, and oversized sweatshirts ruled school hallways. – Music and pop culture shaped teen identity: From Nirvana and Tupac to Friends, 90210, and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, everyone shared the same pop culture references before the streaming era. – Classroom life in the ‘90s: A typical classroom environment included Encarta, overhead projectors, floppy disks, and playing Oregon Trail, with life-skills classes like home economics and woodshop more prevalent than in classrooms today. – Social interaction: Communication was more personal and spontaneous. Dating, friendships, and after-school plans all required real-time effort. |
Starting the Day
If you showed up to a high school on any given morning in the ‘90s, you would see kids socializing in the parking lot before school, chitchatting while their favorite tunes from Pearl Jam or Madonna blasting in the background.
Now, kids go right into the building for the most part, often spending their free time on their phones texting or Snapchatting and with their AirPods in.
Schoolwork
Today, students are forced to stay up late to crunch for a midnight deadline, with online submission of school work meaning teachers can make assignments due before school starts the next day.
The ‘90s were different. Your school life and home life were far more separated. Homework was more leisurely, instead of intense and demanding. That meant kids got to focus on the fun stuff!
Phones
The concept of cell phones has completely changed since the ‘90s. High schoolers in today’s generation couldn’t imagine not having a cell phone on them at all times, while high schoolers in the ‘90s couldn’t imagine being that engaged in technology.
The difference in phone usage in general is drastic. Could you imagine a high school kid today having to call their crush on their home line? They’d be riddled with anxiety. Kids today will never have to deal with an angry father telling you to “never call this house again!”
High schoolers today will never understand how valuable phone calls were in the ‘90s. 1990s high schoolers would spend hours talking to their significant others and friends on the phone, because they couldn’t just shoot off a quick text like we can today.
Overall Social Interaction
Let’s not forget about social interaction as a whole. Communication felt so much easier and more natural in the ‘90s, despite almost none of it being online.
Branching out and getting to know people was so much simpler just because of how much more often it was done, especially when trying to land a date.
High schoolers were far more willing to interact with guys and girls they didn’t already know, and were less afraid of the consequences. High school is definitely prime time for developing social skills, but doing so was a whole lot easier for high schoolers growing up in the ‘90s.
Take a Peak Inside the Closet of a ‘90s Kid
“The baggier the better” seemed to be the motto followed by high schoolers in the 1990s. JNCOS (baggy, wide-legged jeans), flannels, and starter jackets were all staples of ‘90s teenage fashion. Kids also wore oversized sweatshirts, sweatpants and parachute pants, among other baggy clothing.
Athletic wear was also very popular, with kids wearing Jordans and other branded athletic attire, reflecting the emerging hip-hop culture of the decade.
Let’s take a deeper look at the top fashion styles of the 1990s:
Grunge Inspired Fits
The fashion was also heavily grunge-inspired, with high schoolers wearing things like
- flannels
- thrift-store finds from across the decades
- overalls
- ripped jeans
- t-shirts from their favorite bands like Metallica or Nirvana.
The “Skater” Look/Girls Fashion
Skater culture also massively influenced 1990s high school fashion, with teens repping Vans or Etnies, as well as skate t-shirts and cargo shorts. For the girls specifically, chokers and tank tops were popular, as well as butterfly clips and babydoll dresses.
What Hairstyles Were Teens Rocking in the ‘90s?
Popular 1990s hairstyles included the shoulder-length, layered, “Rachel-cut,” inspired by Jennifer Aniston’s character in Friends, as well as middle parts and bold highlights.
For guys, frosted tips and long, scraggly hair were in style, as well as a more slicked-back look.
Comfortability seemed to be the main theme of ‘90s high school fashion, which reflected the carefree and easygoing nature of the decade.
1990s High School Pop Culture
The 1990s was a monumental decade for movies, music and TV shows alike. High schoolers in the ‘90s could be heard listening to Nirvana, modeling their personality after their favorite Friends characters, or quoting Goodfellas.
What Were Teenagers Favorite TV Shows?
There were only so many shows on TV, so everyone generally watched the same episodes of the same shows at the same time.
Episodes of Beverly Hill, 90210 and Boy Meets World were common talking points throughout the school day. High schoolers also enjoyed antics from Will Smith, Carlton, and Uncle Phil in The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, even if they weren’t necessarily born and raised in West Philadelphia themselves.
What Music Were People in High School Listening to?
The music taste of high schoolers in the ‘90s was incredibly diverse. Kids listened to everything from grunge bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam to R&B groups like Boyz II Men and TLC.
Grunge
Seattle grunge bands dominated the early 1990s. Smells Like Teen Spirit dominated the airwaves, pushing the Nevermind album to #1 on the Billboard 200 in 1992 and bringing the grunge genre global.
Popular ‘90s grunge bands included:
- Nirvana
- Pearl Jam
- Soundgarden
- Alice in Chains
- Stone Temple Pilots
- Temple of the Dog
Hip-Hop/Gangsta Rap
Rap music really started to take off in the ‘90s, with the gangsta rap genre in particular taking stride on both coasts.
Some high schoolers could be heard listening to tracks from Tupac, the Notorious B.I.G., N.W.A., and Snoop Dogg, among others.
Music in the Later ‘90s
By the late ‘90s, the grunge era started to fade, and was replaced by alt rock, pop stars, and boy bands. Some high school kids would belt out lyrics from Green Day and Weezer, while others were more into NSYNC and Britney Spears.
There was a great sense of community surrounding music in the ‘90s, especially in a high school setting. While not everyone necessarily listened to the same kind of music, everyone was pretty open about what they listened to, so those who listened to similar things bonded with each other quite easily.
What Movies Were High Schoolers Watching in the ‘90s?
The 1990s was probably one of the best decades of all time when it came to movies. Goodfellas, Pulp Fiction, Forrest Gump, Shawshank Redemption. The list of timeless classics is endless.
Many of these films brought about a new sense of storytelling that sparked creative discussion among many high schoolers in the ‘90s. This was also pre-streaming services, so every movie came out in theaters, and you were almost guaranteed to see movies with your fellow schoolmates.
A Look Into a ‘90s Classroom
Technology
Technology has evolved so much since the ‘90s, but high schoolers from the 1990s still look back fondly on the tech of this period. The 1990s featured the reign of the overhead projector and floppy discs, as well as Encarta and the Oregon Trail game.
Encarta
Microsoft’s Encarta was essentially the Wikipedia of the 1990s, containing information about anything and everything. All you had to do was pop a CD-ROM into a computer.
Oregon Trail
The Oregon Trail was an old school computer game used widely throughout history classrooms. It educated high schoolers on American westward expansion in a fun, interactive manner. Whether you were a hunter or a gatherer, everyone had a great time learning in a non-traditional fashion.
What Were Popular Classes in ‘90s Schools?
The 1990s featured many high school classes that are not as widespread today. Many of them centered around life skills. Classes such as home economics and wood shop were especially popular in schools.
Traditional education classes like math and science were also prioritized, but there seemed to be a heavier emphasis on teaching kids how to actually survive in the real world than there is today.
Take a Deeper Look into the ‘90s and Other Decades
Now that you’ve revisited what high school was like in the 1990s, be sure to peruse the Classmates® yearbook finder to search yearbooks from the 90s or any decade.
You may be able to find your own grunge-influenced aesthetic in your 1990s yearbook, or get a deeper idea of what life was like for teenagers at that time from yearbooks all around the country. Get started for free today!
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