Sometimes, often without warning, you will see or hear something that unlocks an entire ocean of memories you didn’t even remember you had. Nostalgia, after all, is a potent emotion. Naturally, there are many pages out there dedicated to dishing it up to everyone who wants some.
The “That 80s and 90s Page” Instagram account shares memes and pictures of things from past decades that might make you pretty darn nostalgic. We got in touch with the page’s administrator to learn more. So get comfortable as you scroll through and upvote your favorites.
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Bored Panda got in touch with Tom, the creator and administrator of the group and he was kind enough to answer our questions. Firstly, we wanted to know the story behind why he created the account. “The story behind the page is that I would remember or come across a picture of something from my childhood, toys I grew up with, foods that have been discontinued, stores I used to shop at that were no longer around, and then the content to family and friends.”
“Eventually, I decided to post them on social media so others who grew up in the 80s and 90s could see them too, and then it just kind of grew organically. I had no idea I'd one day have hundreds of thousands of followers on social media,” he shared.
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We also wanted to know what he thought attracted people to the page and this sort of content in general. “I think the main appeal is the combination of humor and nostalgia, not everything I post has humor, but I do try to add humor to my content when possible.”
I believe nostalgia-based content is popular online because it's sort of a mental time travel that reconnects us to who we are and our past, it was a simpler time in our lives and brings back a lot of happy memories, like a favorite toy you had when you were a kid, or a movie or TV show that you used to love but totally forgot about. It doesn't matter what walk of life you came from; we were all watching the same commercials, and TV shows, and looking forward to finding the prize at the bottom of a cereal box.”
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Undoubtedly, the ‘80s and ‘90s were a very unique time, so we wanted to know why he focused on them in particular. “That's what I knew and was passionate about since I was born in the early 1980s. I have fond memories of growing up in both the 80s and 90s. I had no idea the page was going to do as well as it had done when I first started it. I feel blessed to have had the page to have grown the way it has and I'm very grateful to all the fans who have followed and supported the page over the years,” he shared with Bored Panda.
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“In a way, my page and other nostalgia pages like mine are time machines, followers get to see toys they played with when they were kids and have long forgotten about until they see it on the page, they see fashion they grew up wearing, stores that are no longer around, movies and TV shows they used to watch but haven't seen in years. It's like comfort food for the soul because it brings back a lot of happy memories of a simpler, less stressful time in their lives.”
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“I think it's natural for the younger generation to find the two or three decades before they were born appealing, I remember watching 'Dazed and Confused' in the nineties and thinking how cool it would have been to grow up in the 1970s, I loved the music and fashion, and I think the same is true for a lot the younger generation today, they like the music and fashion, and have watched shows like 'Stranger Things' and 'The Goldbergs', so they have a romanticized view of the past.”
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“And while the 80s and 90s were overwhelmingly positive for me, it definitely had some drawbacks like no internet in the 80s, a very slow internet in the late 90s in comparison to how fast it is today. If you took a trip you had to use a map, whereas now you can enter where you want to go into your phone and it will tell you exactly how to get there every step of the way.”
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“In the past, if you needed help with your math homework you had better hope one of your parents knew how to solve the problem and could explain it in a way that you understood, and now a kid can use a site like Calculator Soup or go to YouTube and find a video that explains it in a way they can better understand it. I have no doubt that in twenty to thirty years from now, there will be a whole new younger generation wishing they had grown up in the 2020s.”
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Lastly, we wanted to know if he had any particular philosophy when picking what to feature. “I try to keep my content family-friendly for the most part, and I stay away from politics. In short, I want my page to be an escape to the simpler and happier times of the past, even if it is for a brief moment.” So if you want more nostalgic content, check out “That 80s and 90s Page” or go to their Facebook page.
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It’s important to remember that nostalgia isn’t just some term marketers use to get us to buy things, it's a very real emotion with its own benefits. Some research suggests that it helps us remember better days as a substitute for current sadness. This, interestingly, often allows a person to pull through. So if you are in need of a pick-me-up mentally, feel free to check out our other articles on nostalgic content.
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Actress Mae Questel who played the role of Aunt Bethany in National Lampoons Christmas Vacation was the voice behind Betty Boop, Minnie Mouse, Olive Oyl, and Felix the Cat.
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