People Are Sharing Things From The 2000s That They’d Like To See In The 2020s, And I Couldn’t Agree More
Scented gel pens were EVERYTHING.
From movies and TV shows to technology and fashion trends, the 2000s was an iconic decade we'll never forget.
So, of course, redditor u/Gaia_Maiko just had to ask the important question: "What’s something from the 2000s that desperately needs a comeback in the 2020s? And why?"
Reddit users shared several things from the '00s that they think needs a comeback, and the responses got pretty nostalgic. Here are some of the best ones:
1. Sidekick phones
"I can afford one now. My parents can’t say no anymore."
"Old school phones like the Sidekick. Back in the day, phone designs were very creative and fun. Now they literally all look the same. There’s no character to them anymore."
2. Clear technology
"Might be more '90s, but it was still around in the 2000s: see-through casing for our technology. See-through phones, Game Boys, computers!"
3. Heelys
"Heelys. I wasn’t allowed to have them as a kid, so I’d love to normalize it as a method of travel as opposed to something like hoverboards — especially since you don’t have to figure out where to put them when you reach your destination; they just be chillin' in your shoes. Also, entirely human powered and no electricity, so much better environmental footprint."
4. Cereal straws
Since we're starting to become more environmentally savvy and ditching plastic straws, may I recommend bringing these bad boys back
"The Froot Loops and Apple Jacks cereal straws. The convenience of decreasing plastic waste with a tasty snack is what this earth needs."
5. Blockbuster
"Blockbuster. There are way too many streaming services now, and I can’t afford them all. Can we just go back to the one-stop shop, please?"
6. Low-rise jeans
Suggested by: u/Suddenly-Sudden278
7. The minimal reliance on texting
"The minimal reliance on texting. I miss when people just called each other to catch up even for 10 minutes. I feel so much more disconnected to friends and family now that we text all the time. I sometimes go a whole year without hearing a friend's voice. Although, now that I think about it, I might just miss being a teenager, and this is what adulthood was like back then, too."
8. The comedy movies
"I wish as many good big comedy movies came out now as they did in the 2000s."
9. Pizza Hut's Triple Deckeroni Pizza
"Pizza Hut used to have a triple-decker pizza that was so very good."
10. Scented gel pens
"Those scented gel pens from the late '90s/early 2000s. I would cry if they return; they hold so much nostalgia for me."
11. Pop punk
"It seems like many emo and pop-punk bands from 2005 have turned into electronic pop artists. I miss the days when you could actually hear a guitar on the radio."
12. The cost of living
"Rent prices."
"Four small bags of chips for $1."
"Arby's five for $5.95. As a broke college student, $6 could get you through three days worth of food."
13. CDs
"Flashback to the time where I had a CD player and a stack of CDs stuffed into my backpack so I could listen to them after school. And now, (almost) every song is on an app on your phone. How time flies."
14. VHS tapes
"Granted it is older than the 2000s, and it’s crap compared to everything now, but vinyl came back for the nostalgia, and I miss that plastic VHS case scent and that soft barely-fuzzy picture it gave you. That and watching the tape rewind in the rewind machine."
15. The Internet culture
pov: you grew up on the internet in the 2000s
"Internet culture in the early 2000s was a lot more niche and geeky. Complete Wild West attitude where you can say and do anything you wanted. Now it's become corporate mainstream and bland. I think the younger generation doesn't have a distinction now between their offline and online selves, and whatever you post on the internet seems to entirely define who you are 24/7."
"In the 2000s, going online felt like stepping into another world that was different from real life. Now they both feel like the same thing."
16. Altoids Sours
Suggested by: u/ironchefaru
"I use to eat those things until my tongue was sore. If I got my hands on them, the little puck would be empty by the end of the day."
17. The softer cursor thing (aka, the TrackPoint) on ThinkPads
"ThinkPads used to have multiple texture options for the TrackPoint (i.e., the nipple). The default one is too pointy and makes my finger go numb, but the soft one was great. The current thinner keyboards only have the single default TrackPoint texture, and it means I can't use it for an extended period of time."
18. iPod classic
"The iPod classic, but now with SSD, Bluetooth, and USB-C connection."
19. Mars Delight Chocolate bar
am I the only one who remembers “Mars Delight” chocolate bar? They need to bring them back.
Suggested by: u/dillbobert
20. The malls
Thinking about the stark difference between how Mills malls looked in the 2000s vs now
"Big shopping malls. I loved hanging out at the mall with my friends, running into other friends, working at the mall, having buffet-style Chinese food with an iced coffee, catching a movie, etc. You could spend an entire day there as a teen.
All the malls around me are mostly dead: many empty storefronts, no more food courts. I'm legitimately sad about it."
"Malls. (Or at least something like it.)
Not necessarily for the capitalistic shopping free-for-all, but more so for the social setting that it provided. As recently as fifteen years ago, going to a mall felt like a meeting of the tribes. Gamers at the arcades, goths and stoners at Hot Topic or Spencers, geeks at the bookstores, preppies at the sporting goods or clothing stores, etc. They all had their places to shop and hang out, and then everyone kind of mixed together at the food court and such.
After high school and maybe college, all of those groups just kind of go their separate ways and stay in their bubbles. With the internet being a big echo chamber for whatever you want to hear, it isn't much different either. A mall, or something like it, is the closest thing I can think of in recent memory that mixed everyone up and fostered everyone talking with one another."
21. Old YouTube
22. Flared and bootcut jeans
"I may get laughed at, but flared or bootcut jeans. I’ve always hated skinny jeans on myself and don’t think they’re that flattering or comfortable."
23. Rollerblading
"Rollerblading. I remember I stopped watching the X Games once they removed blading. Skiing is the closest thing to it and is still popular these days. It's just so smooth and stylish, and I feel like it needs a fair shake so people can see how far it has come. It can definitely hold its own next to skateboarding and BMX."
24. Cartoon Network's old shows
"If I remember correctly, Codename: Kids Next Door first aired in the 2000s."
"Whenever I watch the current shows, I feel sorry for the kids who have to watch them. The old shows were so much better. ... Cartoon Network back in the day. Also, going to school the next day to talk to your friends about the show — fun times."
25. And finally, the THX intro
Suggested by: u/PapaBear1718
(Listen here for all the nostalgia.)
Do you agree with this list? What are things from the 2000s that you'd like to see make a comeback? Let us know in the comments below!
Note: Some responses have been edited for length and/or clarity.