Electronic gadgets have made our life easier and comfortable in multiple ways. With the advancement of technology in the 21st century, electronic gadgets for almost every purpose is not difficult to find either online or in nearby electronic stores. However, there are some commonly found household electronic items that have been sources of joy and awe for the 90s kids. In the 20th century, there was much less use of electronics as compared to the present era. When technology was at the brink of its development in the last century, the familiar and the regularly used types of electronic gadgets were ultimate givers of happiness and pleasure for children.
The use of electronic gadgets has become so much a part of our lives in the present century that it has sometimes become impossible to stay without its use for a day. With technology becoming the prominent dominant force in our daily lives and being engrossed in the tensions and problems of adulthood, the discovery of new forms of electronic gadgets does not give rise to high excitement as the use of the popular electronic gadgets gave us way back in our childhood.
The familiar household electronic gadgets that had been sources of joy and awe for 90s kids are-
Television
When there wasn’t any web series, interesting videos on mobile phones or social media sites to entertain us, the television was a heavenly source of entertainment where we can get to see moving pictures or videos. Television was a wonderful source of an escapade to find solace from the boring and hectic studies. Although there was a huge risk of getting a scolding from our parents, the colourful and attractive motion pictures that felt like a sort of visual delight in our childhood days could not stop us from getting hooked to television. From the lively Disney cartoon characters to the funny antics of Tom & Jerry, the cartoon programmes used to make us laugh a lot, or in modern terms made us ROFL.
Music systems
To listen to any kind of music, music systems were the sources that we turned to in our childhood. The soothing tunes or the loud beats used to vibrate around the whole room and literally soaking in its tunes was simply one of the best feelings ever that is quite hard to explain in words. Although the loud sounds from the music systems can irritate people nearby and there was the chance of getting some rude words to listen later, it did not deter us from listening to our favourite songs. The best thing about listening to our favourite songs on the music systems was that our hands were free and we can dance in the room like no one was watching. With headphones and digital devices becoming the present sources we use when listening to music, we should now be extremely careful if we dance because there is a likely chance that it can be damaged if fallen. However, the case wasn’t so way back in our childhood. With no kind of accompaniment for smooth listening of music in those days, we could happily listen and dance to our choicest songs freely.
Wired Telephones
In the 20th century, wired telephones were found in almost every home in India. Talking at any moment with people who used to live at a distance was not a common scene in those days as it is in the modern era. The use of wired telephones was much higher than the mobile phones which were used by a few people. For this reason, getting a golden chance to take the telephone in our hands and ringing to talk to our friends were a kind of enjoyment and fear too. As the telephone to whom we had dialled was likely to be hold by an adult, the fear of getting bombarded with unnecessary questions used to linger in the heart and mind. However, once we get access to talk to our dear ones, every fear was dissipated and we would cheekily gossip mostly till the time we are interrupted by our parents who would not lose a chance to lecture us about the expensive telephone bills.
Computer
The joy of playing video games on computers was quite high when there were no smartphones and laptops in our lives. Although the computers were mostly used by our parents for work and sometimes we used it for our academic purposes, the rare time of getting to play a computer game freely was when we use to feel a rush of excitement and happiness. Moreover, the earliest form of computer games was also highly attractive and most of us used to get hooked to it while being engaged with it till we were roused to reality by our parents who would then again remind us about the pending school lessons and homework.
Mobile Phones
Although mobile phones were not commonly used by every person in the 20th century, there were some who had a Nokia mobile phone mostly in their possessions. If our parents do have one of the iconic Nokia mobile phones, we used to sweetly ask them for it to play games like Snakes, Space Invaders, Worms etc. Although the time to get to play these old games on our parents’ mobile phones were quite short those days, the occasion of getting to send a message or calling someone we like were more joyful and exciting.
Refrigerator
To stop our favourite chocolates and edibles from getting spoiled in heat, refrigerator used to be the only electronic gadget we turn to with a sense of relief. The refrigerator literally helped in keeping our precious childhood snacks safe and secure. Moreover, the refrigerator also used to be a favourite hunting place when there was no one in the kitchen to steal the delicious cuisine that had satiated our taste buds earlier in the day. Although the chance of getting caught red-handed existed, the joy of stealing our favourite food items did not deter us from finding an opportunity to visit and scout in our favourite hunting spot at home.
Childhood days of 90s kids were mostly filled with the playing of fun-filled indoor and outdoor games. However, the above list of the household electronic gadgets ruled a part of their lives and gave happiness and entertainment to them. For the 90s kids, in spite of getting actively involved in playing outdoor sports, life would have been difficult to imagine sans the television and music system that had been the greatest sources of entertainment in the 20th century.
