Living in 2023 is actually pretty darn amazing when you think about it! We can basically watch/stream any movie, TV show, and song ever made in an instant. Do all our shopping from the comfort of our home. Remote work (if you're able to) from "anywhere" we want. And FaceTime our family and friends whenever we feel like seeing their faces. Of course, all our modern trappings can sometimes make us nostalgic for a time when life was simpler.

Recently, I came across this Reddit thread from a couple years ago where user tjapp93 was curious about just that when they asked: "What’s something from the '90s you miss?"

The thread got over 13k comments from folks sharing the simpler things they miss about the 1990s. Below are some of the top, best, and most repeated comments:

1."Being able to act goofy without having anyone record it and share with the world."

2."I miss not being able to be reached, or being able to reach people. Back then, you'd call your friend, and it would ring somewhere in their house. If there was no one there (which was common), you'd shrug and just carry on your day. If you just wanted to chill out on your own, you'd just not answer the phone."

3."Arcades. Big, noisy arcades, full of actual video games, whose graphics were 20 times better than what you could get at home."

4."The excitement of watching a TV show with your friends at a certain time, and if you missed it...you missed it."

5."The old AOL chat rooms! I met so many cool and interesting people in those rooms. In fact, I met my long-time partner in one. :-)"

6."Concerts...now they have gotten lame. Like, everybody just stands and holds their phone up and blocks my view."

7."Being social with people felt so different and authentic. My friends would sometimes just 'drop by' to see if I was home to say hi. We could pick up the phone and have hour-long conversations. It felt like text messages cheapened that. The lesser dependence on technology seemed to cultivate more genuine friendships, but that was just my experience."

8."TGIF night. Family Matters, Full House, Boy Meets World. What a time to be alive and a kid."

9."Renting movies at Blockbuster was a family event. It was special and fun. We didn't have any streaming, and I liked it that way. I wish I could still have that Blockbuster excitement."

10."Pre-9/11 airports."

11."Actual '90s aesthetic. It was extreme and alternative — example: the entire aesthetic of Nickelodeon in the '90s. Slime and over-the-top."

12."Being considered smart, not weird, for refusing to make your IRL identity known online."

13."I miss the discovery of things like secrets and cheat codes for video games. I remember with Super Mario Bros. 3 a babysitter showed me and my sister how to find one of the warp whistles, then I learned about another one from a cousin. You couldn't just look it up; someone had to find out from someone in a big game of telephone, and you had to learn about it."

14."Waiting for film to get developed and then going through the photos."

15."Movies. A lot my favorite movies are mid-sized thrillers from the '90s. A lot of big actors, but not huge spectacles. That segment is dying out. You have huge blockbusters for international markets, some prestige period pieces, comedies, and indies."

16."Sometimes, I miss the internet from the '90s. It was less stressful if that makes sense."

17."Colorful translucent electronics."

18."Saturday morning cartoons."

19.And lastly: "As weird as it sounds...boredom."

You can read the full thread of responses on Reddit.

Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.