You Wake Up in the 1990’s …

Okay, let’s set the scene. You blink, shake your head, and the digital alarm clock by your bed now reads “6:00 AM” in a glowing green, blocky font. The year on your calendar? 1990.

The first thing I’d do is find a newspaper. Not my phone, not my tablet – a good old-fashioned, inky newspaper. I’d need to confirm this temporal displacement, first and foremost. Flipping through the pages, I’d scan for headlines, stock market reports, and any clues that could help me understand this sudden jump. Once I’ve confirmed it’s indeed 1990, the immediate next step would be strategic.

My priority? Investing. I’d need to leverage my future knowledge. Think about the companies that were just starting or were on the cusp of massive growth:

• Microsoft (MSFT): Windows 3.0 was just released in May 1990. Imagine buying shares then!
• Apple (AAPL): While not the powerhouse it is today, investing in Apple in 1990, before the iMac, iPod, and iPhone, would be a game-changer.
• Amazon (AMZN): Not even a twinkle in Jeff Bezos’s eye yet, but knowing its future, I’d be looking for early opportunities in e-commerce or related technologies.
• Google (GOOGL): Same as Amazon, a future giant. Investing in foundational internet infrastructure or early search engine competitors would be a smart move.
• Netflix (NFLX): Also not around yet, but the seed of home entertainment was there.

Beyond just individual companies, I’d also look at broader market trends. The internet as we know it was barely a concept for the general public. Personal computers were still a luxury for many. Cell phones were bricks that cost a fortune. I’d be identifying the emerging technologies and industries that were set to explode.

What Existed in 1990 That’s Different Today?

The list is vast, and it highlights just how much the world has transformed in 34 years.

Communication:

• No Internet as we know it: The World Wide Web wasn’t publicly available until 1991. If you wanted to “go online,” you were likely using a dial-up modem to connect to bulletin board systems (BBSs) or early online services like Prodigy, CompuServe, or AOL, which were slow, text-based, and expensive.
• Landlines were king: Everyone had a landline phone. If you wanted to call someone, you called their home or office. Answering machines were common, but voicemail systems were less sophisticated.
• Cell phones were rare and clunky: They were huge, expensive “car phones” or “brick phones” primarily used by business executives. Texting wasn’t a thing, and calls were costly.
• No email for the masses: Email existed, but it was primarily used within academic institutions or large corporations. Personal email addresses were uncommon.
• Snail mail was essential: Bills, personal letters, and advertisements all arrived in your physical mailbox.

Technology & Entertainment:

• No smartphones or tablets: These devices were decades away. Your primary personal electronics were probably a Walkman, a portable CD player, or maybe a bulky camcorder.
• CDs reigned supreme: Music was bought on compact discs or cassette tapes. Digital music downloads and streaming services were unimaginable.
• VCRs were central to home entertainment: If you wanted to watch a movie, you rented a VHS tape from Blockbuster or a local video store. Recording TV shows was done on VCRs.
• Arcade games were still popular: While home consoles like the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) and Sega Genesis were big, arcades were still a major destination for gaming.
• No social media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram – none of these existed. Social interaction was face-to-face, over the phone, or through letters.
• Cameras used film: Digital cameras were very nascent and expensive. You shot on film, took it to a photo lab for development, and waited to see your pictures.
• GPS was military-grade: Civilian GPS devices were non-existent. You relied on paper maps and asking for directions.

Everyday Life:

• Shopping was primarily in physical stores: Online shopping was not a thing. You went to department stores, malls, and local shops for everything.
• Job searching involved newspapers and faxes: Want a job? You bought the Sunday paper and circled ads, then typed your resume and possibly faxed it.
• Information was harder to find: Need to know something? You went to the library, consulted an encyclopedia, or called someone who knew. Google wasn’t around to give you instant answers.
• News was from TV, radio, or newspapers: The 24-hour news cycle was less pervasive. You got your news at specific times from specific sources.

Waking up in 1990 would be a jarring experience, not just for the lack of familiar tech, but for the fundamental shift in how people lived, communicated, and accessed information. It would be a world of rotary phones, mixtapes, and the slow, deliberate pace of life before instant gratification became the norm. It’s almost as if 1990 was just a dream and I have woken up to the digital ages (that is what we will call it) …