30 Things We Miss About the Early 2000s

There was nothing quite like strolling the aisles of Blockbuster just to check out your favorite movie for the 100th time.

I still don’t understand why he looks back on this hair era with embarrassment. He rocked it.

Gas was almost always under $2 per gallon. You could fill up nearly any tank on $20. Now $20 isn’t a full tank for most vehicles.

When it was still worth watching and full of the original Real Worlds and tons of Carson Daly.

Oh sweet, sweet innocence. I’ll always miss my blissful ignorance about life.

I have never wanted to be like a celebrity as much as I did when Britney was a rhinestone-bikini-clad role model.

The early years of social media shaped so many personalities and paved the way for the new age of digital media. Myspace allowed users to express themselves however they wanted for the first time.

Remember when you dropped your phone and didn’t immediately panic? Me, too. Nokia brick phones were basically unbreakable.

Carrie, Samantha, Charlotte, and Miranda taught me what it was like to live in New York City – even if it was a little ridiculous at times. Where are the girls?!

I spent hours chatting with my friends at school, but I couldn’t wait to get home to talk to them on AIM. #RIPAIM.

Lil Kim. Lil Romeo. Lil Bow Wow. Easily the pinnacle of pop music. Oh how we miss you all.

Lizzie is the definition of courage and bravery. She mixed prints, wore crazy colors, and her hair was always on fleek. The Lizzie McGuire Movie was everything we needed at that age.

You had to think fast or you’d be cut. I can still hear the host saying “You are the Weakest Link. Goodbye.”

So easy to put together. So comfy. JT and Brit were the ultimate fashion inspo, and we were all envious of their style.

Early Nick defined childhood for so many kids across the United States. From Angry Beavers to All That and The Amanda Show – it was all fantastic.

Boy bands can’t stick around nowadays, and they don’t have the same flair N’Sync and Backstreet Boys had.

Why couldn’t they stay together forever? They were #goals when the hashtag was called “pound.” Long live Braniston!

Even if you didn’t order anything from the Delia catalogue, it was basically a wishlist of everything you wanted.

Pure gold. Is any song as classic as “Genie in a Bottle?”

The 2000s were the days when you could do something stupid, and you didn’t end up on YouTube. There was no such thing as a “viral video.”

I remember a day when everyone didn’t stare down at the phones all the time. Friends talked to each other and people didn’t panic when they didn’t have the cell with them.

Giving your friend (or crush) a mix CD was the ultimate message. You filled it with songs you thought they’d like that expressed the perfect message.

Tired of remakes and sequels? Same. The 2000s were the golden age of film that gave us great ideas like American Psycho, Mean Girls, Memento, Donnie Darko, Shaun of the Dead, and Almost Famous.

Juicy was absolutely everywhere. You couldn’t walk down the street without seeing someone wearing a velour tracksuit.

Before Wi-Fi was such a huge thing, friends had to get tighter for LAN Parties. Everyone brought their console or PC and hooked it up to play together.

The world was just fine, but that didn’t stop the massive panic. Who said computers weren’t capable of making it through 2000?

Even if we didn’t buy anything, it was fun hanging out with your friends at the mall. Now, no one goes to the mall, and they’re starting to close down.

Aaliyah was already a star, but she could have been so much more. She was a great actress and singer, and we’ll always remember her.

The 2000s brought us some of the best teen movies that have ever graced the screen. Mean Girls, The Princess Dairies, Bring It On, Freaky Friday, and 13 Going on 30 were some of the best teen films ever.

Does anyone else miss slamming the phone down when they were angry? Pressing the end call button doesn’t have the same cathartic effect.