The Y2K Era
New Millennium: Y2K Era
Those of you that are ready to hit middle age, or even already there and even past it, will instantly associate "Y2K" with the global bug of doom that was supposed to occur the moment we entered the year 2000. Hence, Y2K for the year 2000. Nothing happened. We even tested this theory as kids by typing "2000" into every date field just to see if anything will crash. Not exactly the most scientific expirement, but it did assuage our fears a bit. The year 2000 arrived and no major global catastrophe happened. There where a few important incidents that caused financial problems[1], but no planes fell out of the sky because of it. Aside from that scare, growing up during the Y2K era was a whole lot of fun.
Credit is Due
First, let me give credit to a Youtuber that goes by the name of "Life of Slice". He developed a brilliant video explaining and demonstrating the "Y2K Attitude Era"[2]. This focuses the edgy, rebellious, no-fucks-given aspect of that timeframe. It is absolutely worth watching and I was defintely all about that attitude growing up. Hell, you can probably just watch that video and not waste your time reading this blog. Although, I do want to discuss the non-attitude trends during that time.
Defining the Y2K Era
Beginnings
Let us simply and quickly define what I mean by the "Y2K Era". I simply mean the period in time beginning in the mid-late 1990s and ending in the early-mid 2000s. The precise years of incipience and termination are not really important. I would personally start in the year 1995 simply because that's when the Sony Playstation and the Sega Saturn where released in North America and began the fifth generation of console gaming. You could easily argue for a number of other years. Netscape Navigator was released in December of 1994, and the internet was in everyone's consciousness during Y2K. I'm biased towards video games, and those early 3D graphics blew our little minds and looked like the future. Looking into the future was one very important aspect of Y2K, and the internet and 3D graphics where definitely the future.
The End
It's even more challenging determining exactly what year Y2K Era ended. If we go by gaming consoles, then we could say 2005 with the release of the first sixth generation console: the Xbox 360. It was also the year Youtube was created. So, 2005 is a good candidate. Another good candidate is the year 2003 since Myspace was launched that year. You can also easily argue that 2007 should be the end since that is when the first Iphone was released. I'm no internet historian, but being around at the time, I was able to witness online streaming, social media, and touchscreen smart phones take over our lives and fragment our culture. Youtube, Myspace, and the Iphone where the very first and most important steps that transformed our lives into the modern world. Every body is obsessed with social media, whether it's Myspace, Facebook, or Twitter. People stream videos online instead of playing DVDs or even going to the theater; whether it's Youtube, Amazon video, or Netflix. People simply can't live without their smartphones nowadays; whether they are Apple or androids. I'll average the years 2003, 2005, and 2007 and declare that the Y2K era ended in 2005.
Reflections
Looking back, there where multiple themes that pervaded during this timeframe. All of it was focused squarely on the year 2000; hence, Y2K. It was the turn of a new decade, a new century, and a new millenium all at once. Naturally, this inspired both fears and hopes alike. There was a lot of anxiety and anticipation for the new millenium. Some believed it portended the end times. Others believed it was a time for a new beginning, a fresh start. Often times, it was blend of both. What better way to experience a rebirth after the end times? The media at them reflected this. It's worth examining some of the output.
I Grew Up in the Y2K Era
This window of time that I made is exaclty when I grew up. It essentially covers my elementary through highschool years. The popularization of the internet, 3D graphics, computers, and tech gadgets gave rise to digital utopic dreams and technophobic fears. The year 2000 itself inspired religious visions of the end times or, for secular types, societal collapse. For others, it was a coming renewal and rebirth; out with the old, in with the new. The culture, whether it was music, art, video games, movies, or TV, often reflected this radical transformation. As I mentioned, I grew up during this time. Reflecting back on it, I can definitely say it was exciting. Not everything was dandy, of course. But I definitely had my share of fun during this time. I feel compelled to share my thoughts during this time period and even offer some personal experiences as someone who was there. I will also discuss some of the media released during this time. I will do so in a number of separate posts. This one is already too damned long. I hope you will be with me for the ride.
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