20 Iconic Things That Will Transport Zillennials Back to the 2000s

A zillennial is someone who was born within the years of 1994 and 1999. If you are someone who was born within that time, you have the fantastic opportunity to choose whether to be part of the millennials, or gen zers. The first round of zillennials just entered their 30s, and the rest of this generation is just a hair behind them. Get ready to experience early 2000s nostalgia, where the internet was a single place, and people didn’t have a phone constantly in front of their face. Here are 20 photos only zillennials will truly understand.

1. It was nice when the internet was a single, solitary place instead of a terror that extends everywhere.

A vintage computer setup on a classic wooden desk with a CRT monitor, tower, keyboard, mouse, and a printer. The desk has shelves for CDs and accessories. Text above reads, "There was a time when we respected the computer.
u/moneymakinmari/via reddit

2. Shirley Temple lives rent free in all of our heads.

A meme featuring Squidward in bed with a worried expression, labeled "Me." Above, a thought bubble shows a young child's face labeled "Shirley Temple Little Darling Collection Commercial." Below is a comment about animal crackers, monkeys, rabbits, and "LOOP-DE-LOOP.
u/ok_writing251/via reddit

3. One thing we don’t understand about the late 90s, why did they used to vilify all of our favorite characters?

Two black t-shirts: the left features a cartoon rabbit with flashy rings holding cash, and the right shows a cartoon character in a green hat holding money. Both designs include dollar bills and a playful, extravagant theme.
via reddit

4. 28 with a Barney poster in your room is crazy zillennials energy.

A cartoon of a man at a computer with a "28 wasted years" shirt, surrounded by anime, video games, and social media logos. A couple stands in the background. Posters of Barney and games are visible. A tissue box and Sonic figurine are on the desk.
u/klutzybuilder97/via reddit

5. Kids these days will never understand the chokehold Proactiv had on society in the early 2000s.

A woman with long blonde hair and dark eye makeup poses in a Proactiv advertisement. Text on the image reads, "I'm no pushover. I'm Proactiv." Three Proactiv bottles are visible in the bottom right corner.
u/strdewvily4evr/via reddit

6. It’s truly absurd how different you feel at 19 vs how you feel at 29.

A roller coaster filled with skeletons labeled "People leaving their 20s" descends rapidly. A young woman labeled "People entering their 20s" rides up the hill, looking forward. The image humorously contrasts aging experiences.
via reddit

7. Is anyone experiencing a mental shift as they enter their 30s?

Screenshot of a tweet by Ms. Harris saying, "That age 27-30 mental switch is something serious," followed by replies discussing personal realizations and changes experienced around age 27 to 30. The tweet has over 6,000 likes.
u/hakunabachata/via reddit

8. Who remembers Zoboomafoo?

The image shows a poster for "Zoboomafoo" featuring two adults and a lemur in front of a leafy background. The show's title is displayed at the top with a cartoon lemur.
u/ill-resist6888/via reddit

9. Well, we can all agree 2005 was pretty lit.

Collage titled "The '95 Zoomber" featuring a cartoon person surrounded by nostalgic items from the late 90s to early 2000s, including video games, a PS2, Game Boy Advance, flip phone, Yu-Gi-Oh! cards, and music albums. Text references 2005 and back pain.
u/desmondcleaver/via reddit

10. That line is an instant 20 years added to your age.

A meme with four images of a person looking surprised and contemplative. The text above reads, "When I'm talking to an 18 year old coworker about the last Toy Story I saw being in 2004 and she says 'Wow that's before I was born'.
u/next_airport_7230/via reddit

11. It’s probably for the best that kids barely use these textbooks anymore.

A Pharaoh's portrait with a golden headdress is defaced with scribbles over the eyes, eyebrows, and mouth. Text above the image reads, "Pg.16 of our high school history textbook.
u/emergencyspare7939/via reddit

12. Pre-streaming days had everybody working like tech geniuses.

A tweet by user @plantblogger reminiscing about pre-Spotify days, describing the process of converting YouTube music to MP3s and organizing them in iTunes with album art found on Google Images.
u/marmatus/via reddit

13. Bring back Blockbuster.

Collage showing items like a GameCube, Motorola phone, Blockbuster card, Hollywood Video logo, Cartoon Network and Flash logos, Jimmy Neutron, and colored pencils, representing a "Too young for Millennials, too old for Gen Z" starter pack.
via reddit

14. It’s going to get real at bingo.

Text on a white background: "18 year olds love to call people in their mid 20’s old like we’re not gonna be in the same retirement home together. i’ll see u at bingo big dog.
u/hiding_in_my_soup/via reddit

15. YouTube circa 2005.

Screenshot of a tweet by Kevin Crow saying, "If you remember when lyric videos looked like this then you deserve a Veteran’s Discount," with a blue image below showing lyrics: "hey there delilah whats it like in new york city?
u/96nugget/via reddit

16. Early 2000s doctors office nostalgia.

A colorful children's play area with a circular activity table featuring bead mazes, puzzles, and an abacus. The background has aquatic-themed wall decor, and there are blue patterned chairs nearby.
via reddit

17. This one really hits home.

A man in a coat sits on a swing, then on a bench with his head in his hands. The text reads, "When you realize you should’ve bought a house in 2008 instead of being in 9th grade." Snow is visible on the ground.
u/ran_doom1/via reddit

18. The pros of being a zillennial.

A tweet from @SAIGONDOLL reads: "i love being in my early 20s cause I can claim gen z or millennial depending on how embarrassing either of them are that day." It has 28.6K retweets, 856 quote tweets, and 223K likes.
via reddit

19. One of the earliest crossovers to date, and it was amazing.

A 3D animated character and a 2D animated character shake hands in a colorful, cosmic background. Text above reads, "Kids today don’t even know how crazy this was when it happened.
via reddit

20. There isn’t much time.

A four-panel SpongeBob meme. Top left: Sandy with "30 years old." Top right: Patrick with "1994 kids" running away. Bottom left: SpongeBob with "1995 kids" running. Bottom right: SpongeBob with big eyes, labeled "1995 kids," looking startled.
u/badgicorn/via reddit