Before Gen X grew up and rewrote the rulebook, they were kids and young adults tearing through the 90s with big attitudes and even bigger imaginations. 

This was a decade of skinned knees, cereal mascots, and cartoons that hit different. They didn’t need smartphones to have fun, just a bike, a boombox, and maybe a Tamagotchi or two. 

From the playground to the mall arcade, Gen X made their own kind of magic, loud and unsupervised. These photos capture the energy, chaos, and charm of a generation that ruled the neighborhood long before they ruled the culture. In pure 90s glory.