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Before Smartphones and Political Correctness: Why the 1990s Has Captivated the Web

Beneath the nostalgic photos, grainy home videos, and soundtrack of a bygone era lies a deeper yearning for a time before smartphones.
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Before Smartphones and Political Correctness: Why the 1990s Has Captivated the Web
The sails of the Sydney Opera House are edged with huge coloured neon tubes illuminated by 250 lights which echo the Sydney 2000 Olympic logo on Sept. 23, 1993. Torsten Blackwood/AFP via Getty Images
Crystal-Rose Jones
Crystal-Rose Jones
6/10/2026|Updated: 6/10/2026
0:00

A simple social media trend earlier this year prompted millions of people to ask the same question: what were you like in the 1990s?

Beneath the nostalgic photos, grainy home videos, and soundtrack of a bygone era lies a deeper yearning for a time before smartphones, 24-7 connectivity, and political correctness, suggests one academic.

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Crystal-Rose Jones
Crystal-Rose Jones
Author
Crystal-Rose Jones is a reporter based in Australia. She previously worked at News Corp for 16 years as a senior journalist and editor.
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