re: Were the 90s as good for you as they seemed to be for everyone else?

I was age 14-24 during the 90s, so i experienced both the 80s and 90s during formative years of my life. While I'm partial to the 80s experience, I also have a great fondness for the 90s.

In the 80s, cable TV, particularly ESPN and MTV, really opened the limited regional worldview of many to the customs and experiences of the larger nation.

The 90s had a similar experience with the explosion of the Internet. However, this cultural expansion was now world wide. Kids today are born into a much more connected world - though some would argue that connection is largely superficial.

The 90s was the last true decade that was disconnected globally, so it feels more innocent and protected -- more childlike. Which is why I assume it's looked at by both children of the 90s and older as a much more impactful decade.

Also note that the 80s were often looked at as the final death blow to the wild, free living excesses of the 70s. AIDS was the cold water thrown on the orgy and it made people fearful of expression and experimentation. By the 90s, people had learned how to manage those fears somewhat.