Most people who lived through the ’90s likely remember it as a simpler time. It was also an era when bathrooms had a distinct look. Back then, you’d often find padded toilet seats, potpourri baskets, boxes of bath pearls, and Little Mermaid-themed shampoo bottles for the kids. Digital creator Amanda Kaye Pankonen posted some of those nostalgic lavatory photos on Facebook, bringing back a flood of memories that people shared in the comments. We’ve compiled them into this list, which you can scroll through to enjoy a blast from the past. Interior design trends from the 1990s are also back. Many people have incorporated metal fixtures and oak cabinets that were popular during the decade but have tweaked them to fit 2024 standards. “Why the internet generation wants to watch reruns of Friends and Seinfeld I think goes back to the nostalgia of things - when you’re feeling dark about the world you go back to the things that make you feel better.” “It’s just that you can feel nostalgia more intensely during more dramatic parts of your life, like when you’re undergoing some sort of transformation, transition or decision making,” she explained in an interview with Bustle. “When people want to remember who they were, it would be socially unacceptable to carry an old teddy bear or Barbie doll around with you. “So a TV reboot serves as a nostalgic trigger that’s socially acceptable and not childish. It’s a recognition that it’s not about going back to the way things were, but updating the past and making it new again.” “Transitions can be stressful, and nostalgia is a resource for the self, so [these shows are] one way to cope and adjust to those changes,” Dr. Reid said in the same Bustle interview. “The 90s were the last period where the internet was more of a fun toy that we used to find music and videos,” existential psychologist Dr. Clay Routledge told the BBC. “Reminiscing about the 90s and 00s is comforting because it gives us connection to times in our lives where we felt more free, adventurous and connected to other people.” “If you look at how nostalgia is actually experienced, it’s not something that most people dwell on, or it’s not something that holds people back. It’s actually more of a source of inspiration.” “Having lonely people spend time engaging in nostalgic reflection helps them appreciate that life is bigger than their current situation and reminds them that they have experienced socially fulfilling experiences in the past,” he wrote. “This has the effect of making them feel more socially confident in the present and more inspired to improve their social lives going forward by seeking to repair damaged relationships or cultivate new ones.” “Looking to the past for inspiration helps open new possibilities for the future. I have talked to many artists and entrepreneurs striving to innovate. Every one of them has a nostalgic memory or multiple nostalgic memories that have influenced their creative passion.” “It turns out the journey to the past that nostalgia takes us on is really about the present and the future. When we look for guidance and inspiration to build a better tomorrow, we need our cherished memories.” Follow Bored Panda on Google News! Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda! Please use high-res photos without watermarks Ooops! Your image is too large, maximum file size is 8 MB.
