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A Gen Zer used only tech from the 1990s for a week. Here's how he felt at the end.

"I want to step back into the digital world with some mindfulness."

Lucky Boy/YouTube

A Gen Zer goes back to the 90s for a week.

Those of us who are old enough to remember the '90s can recall how quickly it seemed like technology was moving at the time. Now that era seems quaint and slow in comparison, which has many people—even those who weren't alive then—yearning for those simpler times.

As convenient as modern smartphones, computers, and the like are, they've added layers of complexity and noise to our lives, prompting some people to question whether it's worth it. Even young people who have grown up immersed in digital screens are taking a step back and wondering what life would be like without modern tech.

cassette player, mixed tape, technology, 1990s, 1980s Technology has come a long way. Giphy

One Gen Zer, who goes by Lucky Boy, even went so far as to experiment with ditching all of his devices and only using technology from the 1990s for a week. No laptop, no iPad, no smartphone, no Kindle. No Spotify, no online gaming, no streaming movies. Just a Tamagotchi, an iMac computer (that ended up not working, forcing him to use pad of paper for his writing), a Sony Discman and CDs, books from the library, a TV/VCR combo (that also ended up not working), and a flip phone that was as close as he could get to a phone from the 90s that would still function.

"One of my goals this week has been to live more life," Lucky Boy said. "I feel like people in the '90s experienced more of life, whereas me, in 2024, I spend most of my day staring at a screen. The library, for example, is an experience of life that we've sort of eliminated because now we can just go online and order a new book or download it straight to our Kindle. We lose that real-world experience of searching through shelves of books, trying to find the one you're looking for, and so if everything we do becomes digital, we're no longer living life in the real world. And so I just want to disconnect from the modern internet world and try to live more in the real world."

- YouTube www.youtube.com

Lucky Boy saved one piece of '90s tech for the end of the week, knowing he'd overuse it if he brought it out earlier: The Nintendo 64 with a Super Mario Bros. game included. Video games are video games, as anyone who spent hours playing Space Invaders on an Atari can attest, and Lucky Boy had a blast reliving his childhood with a lower-tech game.

So, how did going a week with only '90s tech affect him?

"It's honestly been a pretty good week," he said. "The lack of stimulation made the little things in life much more enjoyable. I could sit down for a meal with friends without feeling the urge to check my phone, and just sitting on a bench in nature, I was able to fully embrace the beautiful world we live in. Life has just felt simpler…I want to step back into the digital world with a little mindfulness so I can control technology before it controls me."

digital detox, hammock, relaxation, no phone, tech break We all need tech breaks once in a while. Giphy

It's good for all of us to take breaks from our screens sometimes, but most of us probably don't consider going back to a previous era's technology to do a digital detox. Millennials and Gen Zers seem to be turning that direction, however, with a collective affinity for all things analog. Record players, Polaroid cameras, AM/FM radios, cassette players, and "dumb phones" are all the rage with younger adults, and it's rather amusing to their Gen X and boomer parents.

On the one hand, the desire for slower tech and less digital overwhelm is great. On the other hand, anyone who trades in Spotify for a cassette player clearly never had to make a mixed tape from the radio while they were growing up. However, the sentiment is admirable, and it's refreshing to see young people recognizing the need to unplug and, as Lucky Boy says, "live more life" in the real world.

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Gen X is the 'most stressed' generation but studies show they're also the toughest

The 'Coolest Generation' is dealing with the rigors of middle age with their trademark adaptability.

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Gen X is the most stressed generation, but also the best equipped to deal with it.

It's official: People are more stressed out than ever. Technology, a wildly unpredictable economy, political division, and changing family dynamics have us all on edge, and it's doing a number on our mental health. But there is one group that, for at least the past decade, seems to be taking on more than their fair share of the stress.

Generation X, people born between 1965 and 1979, are America's goofy middle children sandwiched between the much larger Baby Boomer and Millennial generations — both of whom get a lot more press. Gen X prides itself on being individualistic, nonconformists committed to a D.I.Y. ethic whether that means writing a punk 'zine or launching a tech start-up.

(If you just asked yourself "What's a 'zine?" you're clearly not a member ofGen X.) It's a generation marked by an aloof cool where any personal slight can be written off with a "whatever" and one that's deathly afraid of taking anything too seriously. It's a generation that was so put off by the corporate, commercial culture of the '80s it rebelled by wearing second-hand clothes and ironically embracing low-brow '70s culture.

gen x, gen z, millennials, generations, generational differences, culture, 1980s, 1970s, 1990s, childhood, adulthood Gen Xers are a particularly proud generation. Giphy

It's the generation of hip-hop, Tiger Woods, Quentin Tarrantino, the re-birth of punk rock, John Cusak movies, and Atari. Not a bad resume at all!

A big reason Gen X is so self-reliant is that it's the generation hardest hit by divorce. According to a 2004 marketing study it "went through its all-important, formative years as one of the least parented, least nurtured generations in U.S. history."

Gen X was the first generation that experienced both parents working outside the home. But, unfortunately, at the same time, childcare centers and afterschool programs had not yet emerged to a significant extent. That's why you hear so much folklore about 80s kids being allowed to run feral throughout the neighborhood or even the whole time. This is the "come home when the streetlights come on" generation, and it shows.

Now, the "Coolest Generation" finds itself somewhere between 42 and 56 and is hitting middle age. Unfortunately, that means it's now the most stressed generation in America.

Although, in true Gen X fashion, many refuse to let anyone see they're stressed.

An extensive study by Penn State showed that stress began to hit Gen X sometime in the last decade. The 2012 study discovered that Gen X had an average stress level of 5.8 (out of ten) while Millennials (3.4) and Baby Boomers (4.4) were a lot calmer.

gen x, gen z, millennials, generations, generational differences, culture, 1980s, 1970s, 1990s, childhood, adulthood For such a chill group of people, Gen X has to deal with a lot.Eric Nopanen/Unsplash

It's not just the anxieties of hitting middle age. An even more recent study shows that the trend hasn't changed in the last decade as all of the generations have aged. In 2021, 22% of Gen Xers admitted to daily struggles with stress followed by Millennials (17%), Gen Z (14%), and Baby Boomers (8%).

The APA's Stress in America Report from 2023 indicates that Gen Z may be coming for the throne soon, though, with major financial and loneliness issues weighing them down.

gen x, gen z, millennials, generations, generational differences, culture, 1980s, 1970s, 1990s, childhood, adulthood Watch and learn, Gen Z. Giphy

A big reason for the stress is having to take care of multiple generations. Many Gen Xers have to care for their aging parents as well as their children who are just starting to make their way in a world that's become much harder to afford. And that's to say nothing of Gen X's own money worries. Even though they're starting to reach retirement age, many members of the generation are woefully far away from having enough money saved up. One estimate says the average Gen Xer is about $400,000 short of what they'd need to comfortably retire. Talk about a stressor!

Gen X may have aged its way into the most stressful part of its life, but things could be a lot worse. There's no group of people better equipped to deal with stress.

When executives at Nike studied Gen X it found the generation's hallmarks are "flexibility," "innovation," and "adaptability." "They have developed strong survival skills and the ability to handle anything that comes their way," the study says.

Gen Xers may think that's just a bunch of corporate B.S. However, it's true. Gen X grew up during the AIDS epidemic, the end of the Cold War, the Challenger disaster, the late '80s and early '90s crime wave, 9/11, the Great Recession, COVID-19, and managed to survive after "My So-Called Life" was canceled.

gen x, gen z, millennials, generations, generational differences, culture, 1980s, 1970s, 1990s, childhood, adulthood It was a very sad day when "My So-Called Life" was pulled off the air. Giphy

We've survived tough times and we'll make it through these as well. Just got to follow the advice of Gen X's poet laureate, Tupac Shakur: "And it's crazy, it seems it'll never let up, but please, you got to keep your head up."

We can also look forward to grabbing a big box of popcorn and enjoying the massive Millennial meltdown that happens when they hit middle age. It's not going to be pretty.

This article originally appeared four years ago. It has been updated.

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A pro wrestler left the ring mid-match to stop security from manhandling a boy with Down syndrome

Shawn Michaels stopped the match and broke character in front of 13,000 stunned spectators.

Mandy Coombes - Flickr: WWE - Birmingham 210695 (19), CC BY-SA 2.0 & David Seto, CC BY 2.0,

Shawn Michaels stopped a performance in front of 13,000 to help a fan in need.

Professional wrestling in the 1990s was really something else. Dominated at the time by the WWF (now WWE), stars like Stone Cold Steve Austin, Bret "The Hitman" Hart, and The Undertaker were larger than life and some of the most popular public sports figures in the world well before The Rock and John Cena hit the scene.

And then there was Shawn "The Heartbreak Kid" Michaels, who was perhaps the biggest star of all during his heyday. Known for his extraordinarily cocky and vain character, Michaels was a terrific performer both in the ring and on the mic, making him a beloved fan favorite.

wwe, wwf, shawn michaels, stone cold steve austin, wrestling, pro wrestling, sports, down syndrome, special needs Peak Shawn Michaels was larger than life. Giphy

In one iconic moment from a 1997 match, Shawn Michaels stopped and left the ring mid-match when he noticed a security scuffle taking place just a few feet away.

The 1997 King of the Ring Pay Per View event featured Shawn Michaels taking on Stone Cold Steve Austin, pitting two of the sport's biggest stars against each other for what would become a legendary showdown.

Just a minute or so into the match, Steve Austin stops to stare outside the ring at some kind of disturbance. Michaels quickly clocks what's going on and slides out of the ring. He saunters over to a group of security personnel who seem to be roughly grabbing at and restraining a young boy. Michaels gently shoves them aside and offers comfort to the boy, who it becomes clear has Down syndrome.

It would have been the perfect heartwarming moment...if Steve Austin hadn't run over and immediately started "punching" Michaels in the head! The performers resume their match in the ring for another minute before Michaels again exits and finds the boy. He waves off the security guards and gently escorts the boy down the aisle and safely away from the ring, effectively breaking character in front of the crowd of 13,000 stunned onlookers.

Once they're a safe distance from the ring, Michaels hands the boy over to some other officials and a woman who comes running after him, and then returns to the match.

As a show of respect, Steve Austin holds the ropes open for his opponent to return to the regularly scheduled match, which went on to be an all-time classic.

In professional wrestling, there's a concept called "kayfabe"— it means that at no point are the performers or the production to ever, ever indicate that what's taking place isn't real.

We all know that professional wrestling like WWE is staged and mostly scripted. While the athletic stunts are impressive (and the falls really do hurt), the wrestlers in the ring aren't really fighting each other. It's all a giant soap opera, with dramatic storylines written that build anticipation for the big showdown.

What's so unique about pro wrestling is that this illusion is never broken—especially not in the 90s. Performers like Shawn Michaels were never to break character in interviews or fan interactions, and absolutely never during a live match, let alone one of the main events of a Pay Per View performance!

Think kayfabe is silly? Tell that to the wrestlers. In 1975, a trio of wrestlers were involved in a horrific plane crash. One of the wrestler's, Mr. Wrestling, survived and made it to the hospital, where he proceeded to lie to the doctors:

"While lying in a hospital bed, and with no way of knowing if his compatriots were alive or dead, Mr. Wrestling provided his true name...and then lied about his job to preserve the illusion of wrestling. He knew that if word got out that a good guy, the owner of the company’s brother and three bad guys were all on the same plane, it could ruin that illusion forever," according to Uproxx.

A wrestler named Junkyard Dog once became "blinded" during a match and wore dark glasses and a walking cane in public for months afterward, even claiming that he could not see his newborn son. One story goes that the "blind" Junkyard Dog was once sitting ringside at a match when a fan jumped the barrier with a gun close by, and JYD was legitimately torn about whether to stop the man and break kayfabe (luckily, police officers intervened first, but can you believe he really had to give this decision serious weight?!).

wwe, wwf, shawn michaels, stone cold steve austin, wrestling, pro wrestling, sports, down syndrome, special needs Junkyard Dog took kayfabe extremely seriously. Giphy

Kayfabe also means that, no matter what's going on around the production, the show must go on. In 1999, a wrestler named Owen Hart died in the ring after some acrobatics equipment sadly malfunctioned. The others wrestlers were ordered to continue performing the rest of the show with Hart's blood still drying on the mat.

For Michaels, and Austin to a lesser extend, to break that illusion of reality in order to help a fan showed a tremendous amount of compassion.

The match has over 12 million views on YouTube, striking a cord with viewers both for the performance and for the amazing display of integrity and warmth by Shawn Michaels. Commenters shared their admiration in droves:

"Shawn Michael protects the special kid like a caring father. Respect."

"Shawn Michaels taking the time to make sure that young man got out of the ring side safely is one of the best things Ive ever seen in wrestling. A legend in the ring and out."

"The way Shawn loving blanketed the boy with love to keep him out of the ring and content at the same time was so angelic"

"How great of shawn was it to break character and go help that disabled olympian kid. What a great guy."

"Stone Cold holding the ropes for Shawn Michaels out of respect for what just happened is the greatest breaking kayfabe moment in the history of the WWE. ... Stone Cold acknowledged what just happened and how much he had respect for what Michaels just did."

Police and security personnel often have extremely poor training on dealing with people with disabilities, which can lead to unnecessary violence. When the young man at this WWF event hopped the railing, he unknowingly put himself in a lot of danger. Shawn Michaels stopping the live performance, breaking character, and helping the boy out with warmth and compassion may have prevented a tragic outcome.

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Millennials experience a delicious bite of nostalgia sharing the 90s snacks they miss the most

"Push pops omg."

Images via Wikipedia

Millennials get nostalgic about their favorite 90s snack foods.

From cereal to chips to candy, the 1990s produced some pretty iconic snack foods. Millennials reached for their favorite childhood snacks in their backpacks, in the cupboard after school, and at the gas stations where there were treats galore.

In a Reddit forum, member @Downtown-Rise5606 posed this question to Millennials: "What was your favorite childhood snack from the 90s? Like you wake up on a Saturday morning to watch cartoons, what is the snack you always reached for?"

The question had many Millennials walking down memory lane, reminiscing about simpler times and the foods that defined them. These are 52 nostalgic 90s snack foods that people miss the most.

90s, 1990s, full house, 90s food, 90s foods Hungry Full House GIF Giphy

"Jell-O Pudding Pops. Grape Swedish Fish." —@kurujiru

"Cheese Nips hit totally different than Cheezits." —@baardvark

"Magic middles, Smurf berry crunch cereal, Tmnt ninja pies, Carnation breakfast bars, RC premium draft cola in the glass bottles, Dinasour Eggs candy, PB Crisps, Tatoskins chips, Dunkin doughnuts cereal." —@No_Ad295

trix, trix cereal, 90s cereal, 1990s cereal, trix fruit ceral Food 90S GIF Giphy

"SnackWells devil food cookies, while part of the terrible toxic 80s and 90s diet food culture, were f*cking SO delicious. As far as just Saturday morning cartoon nostalgic foods, you can't go wrong with Trix cereal, when it was still in the shape of fruits. I also like Nerds cereal a lot, and as an older kid and teen, Basic 4 was where it was at. Once, apparently Basic 4 was having a special promo, because we opened a box that we had just bought and inside was a fresh $5 cash bill." —@horsetooth_mcgee

"It's a cereal, but I miss Alpha-Bits." —@CanIGetAWitness16

"Fruit wrinkles." —@rich4pres

pushpop, push pop, pushpops, pushpops, 90s candy push pop GIF Giphy

"Push pops omg. Those Betty Crocker pop bottle fruit snacks. I could probably write a really long list lol." —@73738484737383874

"Nabisco Dip in a Chip." —@CountrymanR60

"The Simpsons cereal…Homer O’s and Krusty had a flavor too…the buzz lightyear cereal….rice crispy TREATS cereal…a cold box of ecto cooler after riding bikes around the neighborhood with your buddies…crackers and peanut butter with a tall glass of milk." —@firestarter1877

"Carnation Breakfast Bars. The chocolate chip was fabulous!!" —@iheartmycats820

"Doo Dads." —@SonnyCrocket87

"Ecto Cooler, Ninja Turtles Pizza chips, cookies and cream Twix, Butterfinger BBs, Rice Crispy Treat Cereal, Crystal Pepsi, Clearly Canadian, Snapple Elements, Dunkaroos, Flintstones Push Pops, Ritz cheese sandwich crackers that don’t taste like metal." —@LegitimateHumanBeing

crystal pepsi, pepsi, pepsi crystal, crystal pop, crystal soda Vhs Pepsi GIF Giphy

"Can we bring back the glass Sobe bottles? Specifically, the strawberry banana." —@TheDungeonLurker

"Trix yogurt." —@NichoBrown


pudding pop, pudding pops, jello pudding pop, jello, jello pops Bill Cosby The 80S GIF Giphy


"Jello Pudding Pops, and Pizzarias from Keebler. I really wish someone would bring Pizzarias back." —@Harlow1976

"Wheatables crackers were so much better than Wheat Thins. Those Planters PB Crisps (and the chocolate ones) are sorely missed. And the Philadelphia cheesecake bars... those things were amazing." —@Worried_Biscotti_552

"Waffle crisp!" —@morethanill

"Oreo Os and Berry Berry Kix cereal." —@Illustrious_Cold5699


pop tart, poptart, poptarts, poptart, 90s pastry Food Drink 90S GIF by Shaking Food GIFs Giphy

"Pop tarts." —@Both-Cap1441

"Hostess Banana Flips." —@No_Sand_9290

"Mr. Bones candy. Grape Bubble Yum." —@Vancj012

"Kudos bars." —@J-littletree

"When I was a kid our grocery store used to carry like these "gourmet" fruit roll-ups which were like a normal fruit roll-up except more natural I guess and they tasted more like real fruit they were so good they had the most bizarre mouthfeel." —@JackhorseBowman

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