Last week, it was announced that two popular childhood favorites would be returning: "Reading Rainbow" and "The Magic School Bus." This week, "Girl Meets World," the sequel series to the popular show "Boy Meets World," is premiering on the Disney Channel.
Nostalgia is a hell of a drug. And, apparently, the favorite pastime of millennial generation, who just can’t seem to relinquish our grips of the greatness of the 1990s. While we might not be very attached to much else, we’re obsessed with our past. But it’s not hard to see why.
For us, the '90s were childhood and everything was simple. Technology was really starting to pick up, but cellphones were the size of bricks and weren’t used for games. Saturday morning were a time for cartoons, and there was always time to watch a Disney Channel Original Movie.
It’s bittersweet to reflect, but I’m not interested in repeating the past.
I guess this is the point where I should explain that I never actually lived it, though. I’ve never seen an episode of "Boy Meets World," I couldn’t tell you what a Good burger even is or why orange soda is substantial.
The essential building blocks of a '90s baby, which include Britney Spears and the Backstreet Boys, are completely absent from my past. All of my favorite shows and life knowledge stemmed from after-school PBS and dial-up Internet. (I’m looking at you, "Liberty’s Kids.")
Still, I find our generation focusing solely on the past, wanting the younger generations to re-live what we experienced through attempts to fabricate what we had. While I can’t get onboard with shows like “Dog with a Blog” or “Ant Farm,” I also didn’t get an iPhone for my 10th birthday.
What I’m trying to say, in my own roundabout way, is that times have changed, and there’s no way these shows will be as appreciated by a generation of children who know about Snapchat or Instagram and can boast an unlimited data plan.
Forcing these old recycled ideas upon them is not the way to cope with our loss, and the children shouldn’t be standing for it, either. There’s no reason that we should be celebrating a "Godzilla" remake, another version of "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" or a fifth iteration of Spider-man.
The younger generation is capable and deserving of so much more. They are equipped with the tools to bring groundbreaking creative endeavors to life, if we let them.
Crafting new versions of old, stale concepts is an insult to not only the young minds of today, but the television shows that we’ve connected to in our past. It’s time for us to demand new ideas rather than clinging to those of our past. A new generation calls for new ideas. Besides, if the urge to binge-watch your favorite childhood show ever arises, there’s always our constantly stream-able friend, Netflix.
There’s no denying the '90s were great, but I’m not interested in repeating the past.
Reach the columnist at mjrodr11@asu.edu or follow her on Twitter @mikayrodr
Editor’s note: The opinions presented in this column are the author’s and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
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