21 Photos From The 1990s That Would Confuse The Heck Out Of Gen Alpha Today

    The world has changed quite a bit in a span of three decades

    Angela Andaloro
    by Angela Andaloro

    BuzzFeed Contributor

    Millennials have seen more change in our lifetimes than we can even begin to explain.

    NBC / Via giphy.com

    The world changed as the internet became mainstream and the things that happened online started influencing and having effects in real life.

    AOL / Via giphy.com

    And that's just one major change the last few decades have brought. Needless to say, Gen Alpha is growing up in an entirely different world than millennials did.

    1. Calling a phone number to hear movie times felt high-tech in comparison to having to buy a paper to find the listings.

    2. You didn't have digital clocks you could take with you. Tell time on this.

    silver '90s wristwatch
    Csa Images / Getty Images/CSA Images RF

    Men's watch

    3. If you wanted to see a new movie after it was in theaters? Go rent it.

    The only remaining Blockbuster video rental store manages to hang on in Bend, Oregon
    Dutcheraerials / Getty Images

    4. DVR? Go for it.

    Yellow VHS cassette on blue table
    Gusztav Hegyi / Getty Images

    5. Finding something to watch on TV could involve this.

    Jeff Gordon on the cover of TV GUide in 1996
    Racingone / ISC Archives/CQ-Roll Call Group via Getty Images

    6. Or wait for something to catch your eye and hope you retain all information the first time around.

    7. Imagine squeezing a Spotify playlist on one of these bad boys.

    Cassette personal player music 80s with orange pads headphones
    Oscar Sánchez Photography / Getty Images

    8. Or saving a paper on these?

    Diskette on the yellow background, symbol of data
    Oksana Shufrych / Getty Images

    9. You could still work with the convenience of a laptop; word processors were just a liiitttle bit bulkier.

    A vintage word processor, a forerunner of the computer
    Marcia Straub / Getty Images

    10. And sending documents could require you use this monstrosity.

    printers scanners and fax machines
    Lespalenik / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    11. Research was a challenge, an art.

    encyclopedia volumes
    Photos.com / Getty Images

    12. Try taking a selfie with one of these.

    A cute girl taking photograph with a vintage film camera
    Salihkilic / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    13. And waiting to see how it comes out days/week later.

    photo ordering form
    Cdh_design / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    14. If you wanted people to leave you alone, this was the move.

    landline phone off the hook
    Donnichols / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    15. Or you could just let the answering machine handle it.

    cordless home phone with answering machine
    Donnichols / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    16. You could also have experiences you can't have today, like meeting your loved ones at the airport damn near on the plane itself.

    airport plane landing
    Comstock / Getty Images

    17. A small mob would assemble in the middle of Times Square to celebrate whatever hot artist was visiting TRL.

    Crowds clog the streets bringing traffic to a halt in Times Square with hopes of getting a glimpse of Eminem during his appearence on TRL at the MTV studios in New York City
    Scott Gries / Getty Images

    18. You know, TRL, where you could watch music videos. Y'all do know music videos still, right? 😅

    Beyonce Knowles and Carson Daly during "Spankin' New Music Week"
    Kmazur / WireImage

    19. Speaking of navigating hectic places, reading one of these in a panic is a doozy.

    paper roadmaps
    Joebelanger / Getty Images/iStockphoto

    20. Gen Alpha has no clue why our parents were fighting over these.

    beanie babies on shelf during craze
    Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    21. Or these.

    Tickle Me Elmo toy
    James Keyser / Getty Images

    What relics from your childhood would leave a Gen Alpha kid confused? Dish in the comments!