We all had that one special person in our lives growing up in the ’90s. The person we would have late-night phone calls with, gossip with about strict parents, and coordinate outfits with.
When we compare best friends in the ’90s to today, we realize that a lot has changed, but the fundamentals remain the same. We still spend late nights on the phone with our BFFs and gossip with them. We still coordinate outfits, but now we pretend it was a coincidence. Things aren’t all that different after all, we’re just older and drink more wine.
Best friends are like the siblings we never had, or maybe the ones we had but didn’t really like. While siblings may have stolen our favorite toys and ran around with our training bras on their heads, our best friends were the ones we made prank calls with and cried to when our crush held hands with someone else. We wouldn’t be where we are without our best friends, both back in the ’90s and even today, even though times may have changed a little.
The Fights We Get Into
In the ’90s: Your BFF promised to take care of your digital pet while you were away on vacation, but she let it die. It was hard to look at her the same way after that.
Today: Adults don’t really fight anymore. Instead, we leave passive-aggressive comments on Facebook and purposely don’t like each other’s Instagram posts.
How We Make Up Afterward
In the ’90s: Since this was before smartphones, making up with your BFF usually involved passing a note in class. The note would be filled with frowny faces and hearts over the letter “i” to show how sad you were without her. It would end with “LYLAS” (love you like a sis), in case anyone forgot how we used to abbreviate things.
Today: The peace offering usually involves a $12 Starbucks coffee and a smiling selfie of the two of you together to put the past behind you.
Friday Night Entertainment
In the ’90s: We would head to the mall, buy fake nose rings from Claire’s, and then sneak into an R-rated movie. We were so rebellious.
Today: Who goes out anymore? Not us. Give us something on Netflix to binge-watch and a bottle or twelve of wine, and we’re good to go. Can you say FriYAY?
Playing Wingwoman
In the ’90s: After determining who the love of your life was using the almighty cootie catcher, you would stage a run-in during science class while your BFF kept other girls away.
Today: Every BFF knows the way to help you find lasting love is by spending 14 hours searching for him on Facebook using only his middle name.
Squad Goals
In the ’90s: Essentially, life was all about finding a few more girls as cool as you so you could pretend to be the Spice Girls.
Today: Well, the good news is you only need one more person to do the Single Ladies dance, but you’re not much of a people person these days, so your BFF is more than enough.
